chocolate sorbet pops.

It seems like there has been too much chocolate these few days. First, warm chocolate and raspberry tarts, then whole wheat chocolate chip cookies, and now chocolate sorbet pops! Well, even golden pearl brownie cake I made before the tarts was half chocolate. That should take care of my chocolate cravings for the rest of the year. But I was contemplating on making some chocolate donuts sometime soon...

These chocolate sorbet pops are an Alice Medrich recipe in handheld form. I also added some raspberries and white chocolate chips to balance the richness and bitterness of the cocoa. Or at least, I thought it would be bitter. Turns out that these pops are pretty sweet and I would consider cutting down the sugar by half the next time. Of course, sugar is essential for keeping ice cream and sorbets scoop-able and if you're not going to make it in icy-popsicle form, it's best that you try reducing the sugar by small amounts each time to avoid an overly crystalized texture.

Making popsicles are adorable but I find that after I take them out to thaw for a bit to remove them for a first time, putting them back in the freezer again can only spell trouble. The next time I try to extract a popsicle from the mold, the stick would come out without the ice cream. And after a bit of forceful prodding about, the ice cream or sorbet would come out semi-melted because by the time that prodding technique actually works, the pops would already have spent a good 10 minutes in the open. Which is pretty long given the temperate climate of where I live.

I quartered the recipe and got two pops with an extra 2 tablespoons worth so I froze the extra in a tiny silicon cup and I must say, it was a pretty good move! I didn't have to unmold it and I could eat it straight from the freezer, preventing any messy melting problems like I mentioned above. Plus, its small size makes it convenient when you want a little of something sweet after dinner without reaching for a full sized pop.

Chocolate Sorbet 
adapted from Pure Dessert by Alice Medrich

I would recommend making this with less sugar for the not-so-sweet-toothed. I also omitted the vanilla since I thought such a small amount would be insignificant. Plus, I left out the rum/vodka because I was making popsicles and I didn't want them to become too soft to unmold. The flavour of this sorbet is quite rich so you may want to substitute half of the water for milk to tone it down. 

1 cup cocoa
Scant 1 cup sugar
2 tiny pinches salt
2 cups boiling water
1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 tbsp rum of vodka (optional)

Combine cocoa, sugar and salt in a saucepan and whisk in 1/2 cup of boiling water to make a thick paste. Add the remaining water. Stir over medium heat just until tiny bubbles form at the edges of the pan. Don't cook any longer, as heat can damage the flavour of cocoa.

Take the mixture off the heat and add the vanilla. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours. Add the rum or vodka, if using. Freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively, freeze directly in your popsicle molds  until completely frozen.

Linked to Tuesday Talent Show, Crazy Sweet Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, These Chicks Cooked, Sweet Treats Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Sweet Tooth Friday, Fat Camp Friday, Sweets for a Saturday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday and Sweet Indulgences Sunday.