From the Galley: Decadent Chocolate Sorbet

My dad and a certain cruising couple we know have an almost incorrigible sweet tooth and they all absolutely love both chocolate and ice cream! When we recently saw a recipe for chocolate sorbet featured on Yahoo we immediately thought of them.

I know what you're thinking: ice creams and sorbets are a rare treat on board, but they really don't have to be! If you have a freezer box (or your refrigeration plate is cold enough make ice), you can make easily enjoy ice creams or sorbets any time.

The original recipe is from David Lebovitz's book The Perfect Scoop but we modified the techniques slightly to make it more cruiser friendly. He recommends using an ice cream maker, but we've found that you really don't need one to make ice creams or sorbets. Which is good since we don't have one on Phoenix, and you probably don't have one in your galley or kitchen either!

Aside from this recipe's simplicity, what impressed us about it was how rich and velvety it is, especially for a sorbet. The mixture of cocoa and semi-sweet chocolate is so decadent that you don't even miss the cream! And unlike most homemade ice creams and sorbets that need to thaw for 15 to 30 minutes before serving, this recipe is amazingly scoopable right from the fridge.

Whether serving at a gam or just for a special celebration on board, this dessert is guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser!

Makes about 1 quart (1 liter)

Decadent Chocolate Sorbet

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups water
2/3 cup sugar (David uses a cup, but we reduced it to 2/3 and it was plenty sweet)
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
6 ounces semi-sweet (or bittersweet) chocolate chips (regular or small if you can find them)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation:
In a large saucepan, whisk together 1 1/2 cups 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 heat and stir in the chocolate chips until they're melted, then stir in the vanilla extract and remaining 3/4 cups water. Transfer the mixture to a Pyrex or stainless bowl and blend for a few seconds with a hand blender. Let the mixture cool, then place your bowl in the freezer (or next to your refrigeration plate). Using a stiff spatula (we prefer silicone), stir the mixture every 30 minutes or so until it begins to stiffen to a scoopable consistency (a few hours). Transfer to a freezable (Tupperware) container, and either serve or store for up to 2 weeks -- if you have the restraint to keep it around that long!

Enjoy