Maude, whom I’ve known for nearly twenty-five years, is my BBB (Bestest Baking Buddy). She lives directly across the road, and many of our daily discussions revolve around food. Between us, we own nearly every Nordicware cake pan, and if I now have an addiction to Chicago Metallics bakeware, it’s Maude’s fault. We also follow the same food blogs and our conversations often begin with “Did you see what Dan (Lepard) made today?” or “Dorie Greenspan’s new recipe looks nice”…
Yesterday, Maude asked me if I’d tried “David’s sherbet”. I had indeed tried it, and it was indeed very good. I’ve had to make it again today, since the taste of it is now in my head and won’t come out. It’s a cool, dark chocolate hit, perfect when you want a treat without the richness of regular icecream.
David Lebovitz Chocolate Sherbet
- 500ml (2 cups) milk (I used UHT, 1 cup full cream and 1 cup skim)
- 100g sugar
- pinch salt
- 50g cocoa powder (I used Callebaut Dutch)
- 115g dark chocolate (I used Callebaut 70%, although I often use the 54% for a slightly more child-friendly version)
- ¼ teaspoon homemade vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
1. Heat half the milk in a saucepan with the sugar, salt and cocoa powder. Whisk constantly until boiling, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 seconds.
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat, and add the chocolate, vanilla and Kahlua. Then stir in the remaining milk, whisking constantly until smooth. Lebovitz suggests that if the mix is grainy, you can puree it in a blender, but I’ve never needed to do this. Try not to drink it all at this stage.
3. Refrigerate until cold, then pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze until set.
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
What a great idea to have a BBB where you have a complete collection of baking tins between the two of you! That looks so good today, it’s still so hot! :o
Lorraine, having a BBB who lives across the road is…just the best thing ever! :)
Oh oh – I am in trouble now! Now that the juniorburgers are back at school, I committed to only make ice cream at the weekends. Looks like I know what I am making this Saturday.
Thanks Celia – looks fabbo
Pete V
If you do, don’t go shopping for ingredients – we have dark chocolate and cocoa in bulk here. :) Might be a bit dark for L & L, though.
Hi, very impressed by your blog, and this recipe. I am running the canteen in a public school, I was told of your blog by a mutual friend. Can you email me with details of where you got your vanilla pods at a good price please?
On this recipe, I make mine differently but struggle to get rid of a graininess on the tongue, tastes good but mouth feel is not right, any ideas?
I am only using Bourneville Cocoa, which I suspect is an issue but your opinions would be valued.
Cost is an issue as I am making for school in a bid to remove Paddle Pops etc……
Thanks
Glen
Hi Glen! Yes, she mentioned you yesterday – said you were doing wonderful things at the school canteen! :)
Vanilla pods are available in bulk at Chef’s Warehouse in Surry Hills – 500g for $75 or 12 for $25 (though I’m not 100% sure about the latter). Their address is 111-115 Albion St, Surry Hills NSW 2010 (02) 9211 4555 – you might want to call them and check on the price. I was reading also on Lorraine’s Not Quite Nigella website that you can also get very cheap vanilla beans at the Alfalfa House Co-operative in Enmore, although I haven’t tried those.
I really admire that you’re trying to make chocolate icecream for the school canteen! That really is dedication, good on you! I’m not a big fan of the Bourneville or Nestle Cocoa powders – I prefer the Dutched Cocoa powders, which are much softer and darker (they’ve been processed differently). I find they’re much easier to sift, and far less grainy. You need to buy it in bulk, but I think it’s actually cheaper than the supermarket cocoa powders. I paid $17.50 last time I bought it, and that was for a 1kg bag of Callebaut Dutch Cocoa, super quality stuff from Belgium. It really has a much nicer flavour than regular cocoa. Again, you can buy this at Chef’s Warehouse (I love that place!).
Cheers, Celia
i also have made a similar recipe before & so loved it!!
This is another version for me to try out!! Looks good,…thanks!
Stop stop stop, I must not buy an ice cream machine, I must not buy an ice cream machine … but you are tempting me too much with this recipe. Sounds wonderful.
Sophie, this one is a goodie, as are all of Lebovitz’ chocolate recipes! He really seems to know chocolate better than most…
Gillian, every time I post a recipe like this, I think of you! :)
Love your site & this recipe sounds divine! Any way of making it minus the ice cream machine, or is that essential? Have you worked out the cost of this per litre? Don’t want to break the bank with my consumption!
Thanks, Meg.
Meg, David Lebovitz wrote a post on making icecream without a machine, which might be useful. Link is here.
Icecream makers aren’t all that expensive anymore in Australia, but if it’s not something you’re making all the time, then it’s probably not worth buying one.
In terms of costings:
UHT milk – $0.50
Callebaut 70% callets (@$20/kg) – $2.30
Dutch cocoa (@$17.50/kg) – $0.90
So $3.70 before you add the other ingredients. You get about 3/4 litre of sherbet. It might be slightly more with supermarket ingredients (we buy our chocolate and cocoa in bulk).
Celia
Thanks a million; might invest in an ice cream maker though!
Meg.
Smiling again…..though my plan is a chocolate sorbet….not sherbet!!!! Will tell you how it goes. BTW, I made a meat loaf last weekend – it was FAB. We had it for 3 meals: One as a meat loaf, two as bolognese and 3, crumbled on carrot and tomato soup, with lentils!! I even managed to sneak in a few quails eggs!
So happy to hear your meatloaf fed your family three times! How cool is that! Quails eggs – love them, although they’re a pain to peel. I finally found a good trick – instead of boiling the eggs, you steam them, and then the shells slip right off!
Look forward to hearing about your sorbet!
Adding this to my list of recipes to try in my new ice cream machine, thanks!
Hope you enjoy it, Conor! Thanks for stopping by.