Monday, January 24, 2011

Chocolate Coconut Sorbet

After growing up in Illinois where icy, cold wind can whip right across the flat, open land and chill you to the core, I can’t really complain about winter in Austin, Texas where I live now. That is, I can’t complain about the temperatures. What I can and do frequently complain about is winter allergy problems. January is ‘cedar fever’ time, thanks to the abundant pollen from mountain cedar, or ash juniper, trees. Coughing, sneezing, congestion, and lack of sleep become a way of life, and I’m willing to try any and every home remedy I can to combat those issues. One common allergy remedy is avoiding dairy. That seems simple enough except for the fact that I really enjoy eating cheese, and I bake quite a lot with things like butter, cream, and milk. However, when I’d suffered allergy symptoms to the point of almost losing my voice, I decided to put more serious effort into avoiding dairy until the worst part of the season passed. I remembered from reading In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite that author Melissa Clark’s husband doesn’t eat much dairy, and she had created a frozen treat for him using coconut milk. If I could still have something a lot like ice cream for dessert, while not having cream, I could do this dairy-free thing for a short while.

Not only is this an ice cream kind of dessert with no cream, it also has no eggs. It’s made with coconut milk which is naturally rich, but the end result is still a bit lighter than an average ice cream recipe. You begin by warming coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Then, chopped bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, dark rum, and a little salt were added, and that was whisked until the chocolate was melted and the mixture was smooth. Once again, I used a mix of regular cocoa powder and some black onyx cocoa powder which gives the mixture a good, dark color. The coconut mixture was then transferred to a measuring pitcher and chilled before being refrigerated for a few hours. Once completely cold, it was churned in an ice cream maker.

The chocolate coconut sorbet was creamy and richly chocolate-flavored. There’s a suggestion in the recipe to serve it with shredded coconut and a chocolate sauce to make it reminiscent of a Mounds bar, but instead, I topped it with toasted, shredded coconut, chopped almonds, and pieces of candied orange peel. All those crunchy, chewy toppings made it an especially fun dessert, and the almonds took it in more of an Almond Joy direction in the end. And, you know, I didn’t miss the dairy one bit.



37 comments:

  1. I'm sure you didn't miss the dairy and neither would I! Looks just wonderful and perfect for some of my dairy-avoiding friends.

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  2. Oh Lisa, I sure have to give myself an ice cream maker...the flavor of this sounds delicious...great photos :-)

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  3. That sorbet looks so good! A real delight.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  4. This is just too much for me to take right now... I feel like I absolutely have to have this RIGHT NOW. Can't wait to try - in the meantime I hope your allergies start behaving!

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  5. This is a wonderful idea!! I don't have to give up dairy for any reason, but I love using coconut milk.

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  6. Hi there - this looks amazing! Will you be posting the measurements? I'm assuming it's almost the same recipe as the Coconut-Chocolate Sorbet from The Perfect Scoop, but different..

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  7. This is something I need right now to beat the heat wave here. Looks so refreshing and I bet the coconut milk adds a rich aroma.

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  8. I love shredded coconut so much more than the shredde stuff :)

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  9. Yes - I need this in this part of the world right now where it is hot and humid.

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  10. Love the combination of toasted coconut and chocolate in this sorbet. Mouthwatering!

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  11. What a great idea, and a great flavour combination too. Excellent pick Lisa!

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  12. There are a lot of people in my family who can't do dairy and I'm always looking for new ice cream-esque treats for them. This is ideal!

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  13. Delightful frozen treat, love the combo of chocolate and coconut!

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  14. Wonderful sorbet, Lisa. Your photos would make anyone drool! I use coconut milk in so many things, can't imagine why I haven't tried it some of my ice cream and sorbet recipes!

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  15. This looks soooo good. I've been avoiding dairy during cedar season too and experimenting with coconut milk. Can't wait to try this.
    P.S. Have you tried the coconut pudding at Daily Juice? It's an addictive and nondairy sweet treat.

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  16. Lauren: Thanks, I'm going to have to try the pudding at Daily Juice!

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  17. I can't wait to try this one...never thought to use coconut milk...great idea.

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  18. The word lush just popped to mind reading your post and seeing those photos. You can smell that roasted coconut from that one snap. And that chopped chocolate? Beautiful. Nothing like your visuals to make me want to try your recipe. Now.

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  19. this is amazing... chocolate and coconut makes a lovely pair dont they? thanks for sharing this.

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  20. These sorbets look wonderful. I do love the flavors of chocolate and coconut together. Your photography is always so good!

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  21. I'm going to dig out my ice cream machine this week just for this. It looks luscious! Thanks!

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  22. I really enjoy seeing the step-by-step photo instructions. It's like we're sneaking a peek in your kitchen ;) Your chocolate coconut frozen treat looks amazing.

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  23. It's looks very delicious. I saw something like that somewhere.. but your pictures can convince anyone to try it :)

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  24. Oh you temptress you :) My day is not going to be complete unless I try this one out.., thanks :)

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  25. This recipe sounds like it was created just for me!! I love all those flavors and will definitely have to give this one a try!
    I hope you allergies are easing up - they are definitely no fun!

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  26. It's times like this that I want to go out and splurge on an ice cream maker! I've heard that coconut milk-based ice creams are fab. And you've just confirmed it yet again. This chocolate one looks wicked good.

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  27. Looks great! What a delicious combination!

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  28. Wow- looks delish! I haven't used coconut milk to make an ice cream base but I'm sure it's divine. Makes sense since it retains the fat but adds additional flavor. Must try!

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  29. Lisa, I love your photos, they look so good.

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  30. i don't know that i've ever seen a chocolate sorbet before--it seems like they always tend to be of the fruity variety. frankly, this is the best-sounding batch i've ever encountered. :)

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  31. I love the idea of coconut milk - it adds richness and flavor that you can't get anywhere else. I seldom pair coconut with chocolate and I need to change that - this looks wonderfully delicious!

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  32. Sounds divine, but I don't see a recipe! help!??

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  33. Anonymous: I don't post copyrighted recipes from books, but I link to the book itself. I include recipes when the source is no longer available or when I've truly adapted them and made them my own.

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  34. Lisa, what a keeper I can only imagine how tasty this is. I've been on a sorbet kick, making mostly riffs on blood oranges as they are in season, but I seen I must mix it up.

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  35. Even in the midst of the freeze I want to have this. What an unusual combo for me, but oh so good.

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