CHOCOLATE SORBET

For the cook with one of those little electric ice cream machines, here is the perfect summer treat. Grandma usually uses 70% dark chocolate and leaves the sorbet overnight so the sorbet sets firm.

Makes 1 qt/1 liter of sorbet to serve 6 to 8
5 oz/150 g dark chocolate, chopped
3 cups/750 ml water
1½ cups/300 g sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
6-8 small serving bowls or glasses; a churn ice cream freezer

1. Heat the chocolate with 1 cup/250 ml of the water in a medium saucepan, stirring until the chocolate is melted. Add the sugar with the remainder of the water and the instant coffee powder. Heat, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and simmer until the mixture thickens slightly, 8 to 10 minutes. Leave the mixture in the refrigerator to chill at least an hour. Chill a bowl for storage. Prepare the churn freezer.

2. Freeze the cold sorbet mixture in the churn freezer, churning until it is very slushy, 20-30 minutes. Pack the sorbet in the chilled bowl, cover tightly and leave in the freezer to set firmly at least 3 hours or overnight. Scoop the sorbet into chilled bowls or glasses for serving.