September 05, 2007

Fire and Ice

This isn’t for everyone. I love it though. It will send your senses into a tailspin of confusion. At first all you can taste is rich, smooth and cool chocolate, then the heat of the chili pepper hits you and it’s hard to understand how something so cold can set your mouth on fire. It’s a confused sorbet. I know how it feels. And so, to avoid my confused ramblings, here’s a poem by Robert Frost:

Fire and Ice

Some say the world will end in fire,

Some say in ice.

From what I've tasted of desire

I hold with those who favor fire.

But if it had to perish twice,

I think I know enough of hate

To say that for destruction ice

Is also great

And would suffice.


Mercedes of Desert Candy recently challenged herself to 20 days of 20 different ice cream flavours. You know I’m a sucker for ice cream so all of them looked amazing. A recipe for chocolate sorbet caught my eye for two reasons; the first being that it looked mouthwateringly good, the second being that at the end of the recipe she listed a few add ins that you could use for a change up. One of them was red pepper. A while ago I had a chili chocolate ice cream at an ice cream shop, (sacrilege! I know, but when they offer chili chocolate ice cream, I think it’s acceptable) and ever since then I’ve wanted to recreate it. I decided this chocolate sorbet was the perfect opportunity to give it a whirl, or a churn so to speak. Instead of the ½ tsp of red pepper that Mercedes suggests, I used two small chili peppers, (that I received from the wonderful Jasmine of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict) which I seeded and finely diced. Check out Mercedes’ post for other flavour options and just to see her 20 different ice creams flavours.



Chocolate Sorbet (from Desert Candy)


2 1/3 cups water
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup good quality cocoa powder

2 small chili peppers, seeded and finely diced
3 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 T instant espresso powder (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Place the cocoa powder and sugar in a saucepan. Slowly add the water in a stream, whisking until there are no lumps. Add in the diced chili pepper. Place the pan on the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. When it has come to a full boil, lower the heat slightly and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Remove from the heat and immediately add the chopped chocolate and espresso powder. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate is melted and combined (you can also put the mixture into a blender and blitz). Add the vanilla, cover, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled (at least 3 hours).
3. Give the mixture a good stir, then churn in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Store in the freezer.



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23 comments:

Mallow said...

I LOVE chili and chocolate, but I have never had it in an icy version. That sounds dreamy!

Helene said...

Lisa gave me a chocolate bar from Vosges when i visited her, dark with encrusted chili nibs and it was surprising but delicious, I have no doubt this ice cream turned out fabulous!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

It does fool with the first it's chocolate then it's more! I was surprise at what the chilie does but I like it. I had the combo in a cake.

Anonymous said...

The combination of chocolate and chili is just so addicting! Added to the cold temp of the sorbet...that must be amazing!

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

My taste buds are confused just reading this post! I've had chocolate and chile together in brownies and cake, but never in something cold. I'm intrigued.

Kelly-Jane said...

I can't imagine...!

The Cookbook Junkie said...

I was thinking of Pat Benetar not Robert Frost LOL.

Anonymous said...

I had chili in hot chocolate last year and I love it! So yes, I think this version of chocolate sorbet with chili is definitely fire and ice and a winner!

Anonymous said...

i love that poem too! i've always wanted to try something like this,it sounds so deliciously complex the two elements. yumssss!

Lyra said...

Awesome poem! I've been drooling over Mercedes' ice cream month for the last week or so. Yesterday I saw her recipe for Key Lime Pie Ice cream. I love key lime pie, and my boyfriend loves it even more, so we had to make it. It was scrumptious, and the 3 cups left in the freezer aren't going to last long. I'll be posting about it soon on my blog, once I take some pictures.

Deborah said...

This seems to be becoming more popular,(the heat with the sweet), but if I made it, I'd have to eat it all myself since my husband doesn't like things spicy. But then again, that can't be too bad....

Mercedes said...

Oh, I'm so honored you made this, thank you so much for reading! But most importantly, I'm glad you liked the sorbet.

I'll admit I'm a bit of a chili-phobe, I would have used chili powder but I don't think I would have been brave enough to use real chili peppers. Well done!

Anonymous said...

Hi Brilynn! This looks so good! Does it matter if I use dutch process cocoa powder?

Warda said...

The parfect match for the perfect ice cream ever. Looks great.

Elle said...

Fantastic idea to combine the sorbet and chocolate/chili combo. The flavors probably come through even more than with ice cream. Mmmm.
BTW, you've been tagged for the Schmooze Award :)

Jenny said...

A friend and I were recently talking about chocolate and chilli combinations - so I send this post right on to him so he could have some of his own fire and ice!

Jacqueline Meldrum said...

Wow, that is something else! Would love to have a taste! How hot was it, I am quite a coward, when it comes to chilli?

test it comm said...

Dark Chocolate and chili chocolate bars are a favorite of mine. Freezing those flavours in and ice cream or a sorbet sounds even better.

Anonymous said...

Your ice cream looks delicious and sounds capricious. I can only imagine what a fabulous taste sensation that would be (unless you brought some over to share.) :-)

jef said...

Wow, the sorbet has a nice dark color to it. Whenever I think of a frozen chocolate concoction, they are always lighter.

Do the bits of chili affect the overall texture of the sorbet? I'd probably strain them out before churning, but I'm a stickler for that sort of thing.

Anonymous said...

Yum Yum Yum!!! I'm famous for my dislike of chocolate (don't kill me please...), but with chili, it's a completely different animal. I LOVE this idea... I might have to copy you before it gets too cold...

Deborah Dowd said...

I am always intrigued by the chocolate-chili taste combination, but had never thought of an icy version! Imight have to give this a try!

Anonymous said...

Brilynn,

This sorbet sounds so good I may have to make some when I get home next week! I love the combination of chocolate and chilis... sweet heat!!