This amazing sorbet is the creation of David Lebovitz but I think it’s almost misleading to call it a sorbet, even though technically that’s exactly what it is as it contains no dairy. To me sorbets bring to mind icy and grainy textures and this sorbet is anything but. It’s so dense and smooth you would swear that it was made from a custard base of eggs and cream like most ice creams are. My niece thought it tasted like frozen chocolate fudge or mousse, and lets face it that’s no bad thing! Try adding a sprinkle of flaky sea salt when you serve it – it really amplifies the chocolate flavour.
Ingredients – makes 1 litre Adapted from David Lebovitz
2 1/4 cups (555 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
3/4 cups (75 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
170 g bittersweet or semisweet chocolate finely chopped – I used half dark and half milk chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk for 45 seconds.
Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and the remaining 3/4 cup (180 ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds, I used a stick blender. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.
Once the mixture has been churned it will have a very soft consistency so you’ll need to place it into a container and freeze for a few hours or overnight. Take the sorbet out of the freezer about 10 minutes before you need to serve it.
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