Day 164: Paul’s Pizza and Chocolate Sorbet
I did have a salad in between, honest.
I had a lunch meeting today at Paul’s Pizza & Steak House, one of the last true old-school restaurants with VLTs in the corner and a plastic-covered menu featuring Beef Dip, a Western (sandwich), Hamburger Deluxe, and the like. The pizza was quite fantastic, actually, one of the best I’ve had, and I was impressed to see that they have a Valta bison burger on the menu for $8.95.
I still wasn’t feeling great though. I won the leftovers and brought them home for M and W, who were at the zoo. They got home at 4, scarfed down their cold pizza, and fell asleep.
So we kind of slid past dinnertime. But with the sun out I wanted to go sit outside before the rain started up again, and was craving some ice cream. I don’t buy ice cream, because I eat ice cream. It speaks to me wherever I am in the house until I have to finish it off just to shut it up. But I did discover this almost fat-free chocolate sorbet a few years ago, and it’s just the thing for my chocolate and ice cream cravings. I’m not a kitchen gadget kind of person, but I highly recommend an ice cream machine. If you think $40-$90 is too much to pay for one, take a look at ice cream prices these days: $7 for a pint of Häagen-Dazs? Don’t get me wrong, I adore the stuff, and I suppose it’s worth it. (If you want to save some money, ice cream machines are usually on sale during the off season – last year at Williams-Sonoma the Krups ice cream machine was only $42. As if people don’t eat ice cream in the winter?)
Making your own is fun and saves not only money, but fat and calories: all you need for this sorbet is some sugar, cocoa and a small handful of chocolate, which will give it a creamier mouthfeel; more than a pint will probably run you about 50 cents. You could make it with milk, which would make it creamier, but then technically not a sorbet. Soon I’ll let you know how to make fro-yo that might change your mind about ever eating ice cream again.
(Low fat, but you’ll never know it) Chocolate Sorbet
AuthorJulie
Combine the sugar and cocoa in a medium saucepan. (I always mix cocoa with the sugar in a recipe to get rid of all the lumps.) Put it over med-high heat and stir in 2 cups water. (Make some of that water coffee if you want, or stir in a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso – it will intensify the chocolate flavor without adding fat.) Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Stir until it melts, or better yet, until it kinda melts but leaves some chunks.
Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate until it's cold. Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
If you want to firm it up, put it in the freezer for a few hours.
Ingredients
Directions
Combine the sugar and cocoa in a medium saucepan. (I always mix cocoa with the sugar in a recipe to get rid of all the lumps.) Put it over med-high heat and stir in 2 cups water. (Make some of that water coffee if you want, or stir in a teaspoon of instant coffee or espresso – it will intensify the chocolate flavor without adding fat.) Bring to a simmer and cook for about 2 minutes. Take it off the heat and stir in the chocolate. Stir until it melts, or better yet, until it kinda melts but leaves some chunks.
Let the mixture cool, then refrigerate until it's cold. Pour into the ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s directions.
If you want to firm it up, put it in the freezer for a few hours.
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Any other great flavor ideas? Oh, by the way you should be mindful about your posts…. I still remember your Moosetracks posts from years ago……
🙂
Wow, that pizza looks incredible! I can’t seem to find pizza like that anymore, it’s all the top food chain stuff anymore and it just isn’t the same. The chocolate sorbet looks wonderful as well!
I’ll definitely be trying this sorbet recipe soon. It looks tasty.
My favourite sorbet recipe is as follows:
Blend 1 can pineapple chunks plus juice (or half a chopped up pineapple) with 1/2 cup water until smooth. Taste, then add some sugar if necessary (like 3 tablespoons). Chill, then pour in ice cream maker.
I’ve also used the pineapple, orange juice instead of water and added an over ripe banana. SO good. Just fruit, but so refreshing on a hot day.
I’m house-sitting at a place with an ice cream maker (cuisinart, I think) and I almost don’t know where to begin! So if I use skim milk instead of the water, it will be a bit creamier? Any other winning recipes you could suggest would be much appreciated.
Julie, could you post a photograph of your ice cream machine, I would really appreciate it.
You see I’m like you, ice cream is one of my weaknesses, so I’m all for Sorbet 🙂
Thanks,
Manon from Ontario
I have spent the whole afternoon reading your blog. I love it!!! I have saved many of your recipes to try. For sorbet without an ice cream machine, I put frozen strawberries (thawed for about 10 minutes) into my food processor with a couple of t. sugar (to taste) and pulse berries until in tiny chunks. I then drizzle in a couple of tablespoons of apple juice or grape, whatever I have in the frig. and puree until smooth. You can use any frozen fruit.
p.s. I see you are done with this blog do you have others?
I am really inspired together with your writing talents as neatly as with the format
in your blog. Is this a paid topic or did you customize it yourself?
Either way stay up the excellent high quality writing, it’s uncommon to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..