Deep, rich chocolate sorbet warmed by cinnamon and cardamom - like a frozen Mexican hot chocolate.
For a long time, for me, sorbets conjured up images of formal, multi-course dinners served by uniformed staff. Tiny, fine china bowls of frozen citrusy goodness presented between courses as a palate cleanser, and then efficiently whisked away by footmen. Or was it the butler?
No matter. The point is, sorbets have come a long ways from being an intermission palate cleanser. They’re the perfect celebration of fresh fruit flavor at its zenith, and couldn’t be easier to make – as long as you have a freezer. For best results, I recommend you use fruit that’s in season and of top quality. This is not the time to use that basket of limp, forgotten strawberries tucked in the back of the vegetable drawer. And in the case of chocolate, this is the time to splurge, as you WILL taste the difference.
At its simplest, sorbets are essentially sugar + water + flavor (juice or fruit purée). For this sorbet, I started with a confidant, sultry, dark chocolate as my core flavor. I then added strained apricot purée to bring out its fruity tones, and finished with some warming cinnamon and cardamom spices. The result reminds me of a frozen Mexican hot chocolate that erupts rich chocolatiness. If you like chocolate, this might be the best sorbet you've ever had.
And I want to add a huge thank you to FaveDiets for featuring my Cauliflower Steaks with Kale Pesto recipe on their site today!! Thanks soooo much, Matthew!!!
Mexican Chocolate Sorbet
Ingredients
- 4 cups water
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup apricot preserves
- 1 ½ tablespoon ground cardamom powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine the water and sugars in a medium pot over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolates all at once and stir until completely melted and absorbed into the sugar-water. This can take 5 - 10 minutes. Check by dipping a spoon into the liquid and removing it. You should not see any individual granules of chocolate - or at least not very many. Don't be tempted to reheat unless the liquid is complete cold, as chocolate doesn't need very much heat to melt. Too much heat will make the chocolate taste bitter.
- Warm the apricot preserves and strain. Add the strained apricot purée and spices to the chocolate.
- Cool to room temp and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Process in an ice cream maker following the directions of your ice cream maker, and put in a container and place in the freezer overnight. It should be perfectly set up by morning.
LiztheChef
Oh, this is too tempting - love the touch of apricot here!
Lynda - TasteFood
I adore spiced chocolate. The apricot is clever.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Spiced chocolate is just the best!
lapadia
Your photo is so tempting...Chocolate Sorbet has been on my kitchen list of things to do; love your combination of flavors!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Linda! I hope you have a chance to make it - it's just so decadent without the heaviness of the cream.
Mare
This sounds so good, my teeth are aching!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Mare!!! So maybe this could be a hot cocoa after all 🙂
Julia {The Roasted Root}
Looks great! It's a chilly night here, so to be honest, I'm more interested in the Mexican hot chocolate portion of this recipe, but I bet it makes a great sorbet!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Julia!! Either way makes for a great afternoon snack 🙂
Nancy
The hot chocolate, for this time of year. Also thought you might like to explore this site for the "Year of Yogurt". Keeo up the great posts.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much for the link Nancy! I really appreciate it. I recently finalized a mascarpone cheese, which I just posted today, and am moving towards yogurt 🙂
Nancy
http://www.culturesforhealth.com/expert-advice
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I just checked out this site-thanks so much for sending to me! It's got a lot of great information in it.
Hannah
Oh my, this looks divine. I can't wait to try it!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks Hannah! Hope you have a chance to make it 🙂
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Suzanne! The apricot really brings out such a nice fruit flavor in the chocolate.
Bevi
Hmmmm - I think I will have to make this soon! My ice cream maker has been dormant for a little too long.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
When I first got mine, I made a new ice cream or sorbet almost every week taking advantage of seasonal fruits. But now I go through spurts, so I totally understand. This chocolate one, though, is worth pulling it out for IMHO 🙂