CHOCOLATE-COCONUT SORBET

Oh, yeah, baby!  This is the one dessert you should make soon.  You don’t need an ice cream maker, either.  Just six ingredients to get to chocolate heaven.  It’s not a totally low-fat dessert since it calls for high-fat coconut milk and bittersweet chocolate, but it’s not as fattening as regular chocolate ice cream.  The thing is, it’s so delicious and it’s so easy to make at home.  If you’re counting pennies, this is an economical dessert that won’t take up a ton of your time. 

Chocolate-Coconut Sorbet Source:  Judy’s Kitchen Rating:  10 out of 10 PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS: 1/2 cup water 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 Tbsp. natural unsweetened cocoa (I used Pa. Dutch purchased from a local farm store) 2 oz. good-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghiradelli) 1 cup Thai coconut milk 2 tsp. coconut-flavored rum, or pure vanilla extract if preferred 1 Tbsp. peeled, finely grated fresh ginger In a small saucepan, combine water, sugar and cocoa.  Whisk well to combine.  Heat over medium heat till boiling.  Remove from heat.  Stir in chocolate till it melts.  Cool completely.  In work bowl of food processor, combine chocolate mixture, coconut milk, rum and ginger.  Pulse till very smooth.  Transfer mixture to a 1-quart freezer container.  *Freeze till ice crystals form 1” around edges, about 1-1/2 hours.  Remove from freezer and beat with electric mixer or immersion blender (or put it all back into the food processor) till smooth.*  Repeat underlined instructions once or twice, then freeze till firm, several hours or overnight.  Yield:  about 1 pint Note:  If you want a deeper chocolate flavor, increase the cocoa and/or chocolate to your liking, but I found this to have plenty of chocolate flavor.

Coconut Milk

MANGO SORBET

My kitchen is pretty well equipped, except for an ice cream maker.  I’ve owned two of them in the past, and sold both at garage sales because I didn’t use them much.  They were the kind that use rock salt.  More modern ice cream makers are rock-salt free, quicker and easier to use.  But, still, how often would I use it now that my nest is empty? 
Here’s a recipe that you can make without an ice cream maker.  Of course, if you have one, that’s a bonus.  But you’ll still get excellent results without.  Mangoes are so cheap, and they’re so good for you.  It’s hard to imagine that something that is so good for you can taste so good.  This is a simple recipe that makes up quickly.

Mango Sorbet Source:  Judy’s Kitchen Rating:  9.5 out of 10 PRINTABLE PAGE

INGREDIENTS: 1-1/2 cups peeled, chopped, very ripe mango 3 Tbsp. peach preserves 1 Tbsp. sugar 1-1/2 tsp. finely grated lime zest, packed  1 Tbsp. lime juice 1-1/2 tsp. Amaretto (optional) 1/4 cup water  Combine all ingredients in the work bowl of a food processor.  Pulse till ingredients are well combined and smooth.  Pour into a freezable 1-quart container with a cover.  Freeze about 1 hour, or till ice crystals form about 1” around edges.  Remove from freezer.  Beat with electric mixer or immersion blender till smooth.  Return to freezer about one hour, till ice crystals form again as before.   Remove and beat once more before freezing until firm.   (You can remove and beat as many times as you want, but the sorbet will set nicely after just two times.) Yield:  about 1 pt.