Chocolate Sorbet

Servings: 6
Total time: 8 hours

Deeply chocolatey sorbet with a silky, less-icy texture (no coffee, no alcohol).

Ingredients

• 150g granulated sugar
• 75g glucose syrup/light corn syrup
• 60g Dutch-process cocoa
• 0.3g agar agar powder
• 1.5g guar gum
• 1g table salt
• 85g bittersweet chocolate (>70%)
• 500g water
• 5g vanilla extract (1 tsp)

Steps

1. Whisk granulated sugar, glucose, Dutch cocoa, agar agar, guar gum, and salt together in a medium saucepan.
2. Whisk in the water until smooth.
3. Bring the mixture to a full boil over medium heat, whisking often.
4. Boil for 60 seconds, whisking, to fully hydrate the agar.
5. Remove from the heat, add the chocolate chips, and whisk until fully melted and glossy.
6. Cool the base quickly (an ice bath helps), then stir in the vanilla extract.
7. Refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours (overnight is best).
8. If the base has thickened or lightly gelled in the fridge, blend with an immersion blender until smooth and pourable.
9. Churn in an ice cream maker until thick like soft-serve.
10. Freeze 2–4 hours to firm up before scooping.

Notes

• Hydrocolloids are powerful: if you can’t weigh small amounts accurately, you’ll get a better result by using guar only (skip agar) rather than guessing.
• No-churn: freeze in a shallow pan and whisk vigorously every 30–45 minutes until slushy; blend once near the end, then freeze until scoopable.
• For a dairy-free/vegan sorbet, choose dairy-free chocolate.