Mocha Sherbet (Obscene Cuisine, Recipe No. 13)

It seems that every time I discover some terrible, horrible, no good, very bad cataloging at my library, my poor coworker Vicki has to deal with it. I’m constantly printing out erroneous journal records, scribbling a quick note as to what’s wrong, and sending them off to torment her. They’re sort of like the evil planes the Joker sicks on Batman in Mask of the Phantasm.

Recently I deluged Vicki with a plethora of corrections for several huge sets of indexes and abstracts. Name changes, incorrect titles, multiple records for the same title, volumes split between multiple records, phantom storage records… The sheer combination of errors converging in one place boggles the mind! To thank her for putting up with my constant vigilance when it comes to serial cataloging, I let Vicki choose a recipe from Lebovitz’s The Perfect Scoop for me to make for her.

:: Mocha Sherbet ::

2 1/4 cups strongly brewed coffee or espresso
3/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
3/4 cup whole milk

1. Stir together the coffee, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in a large saucepan. (Use a whisk if the coffee isn’t piping hot.)
2. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir for thirty seconds.
3. Remove from heat and stir in the milk.
4. Chill thoroughly.
5. Freeze in your ice cream maker as per the manufacturer’s instructions.
6. When finished, the sherbet may be very soft. Put it in the freezer (in a size-appropriate, covered container to avoid freezer burn) to firm it up.

I made my coffee using a French press, using a bean that my friend Colton suggested. (Organic Shade Grown Mexico.) I wanted a more mainstream flavor – not too bold – to make sure Vicki not only liked it, but also to preclude the coffee flavor overpowering the cocoa. To make sure it wasn’t too watery I steeped the grounds for double the time. If you can’t French press your coffee, don’t bother with the filtered stuff. Head over to your favorite coffee shop and get some espresso to use in this recipe.

The Guinness-Milk Chocolate Ice Cream I made last time was so rich it was like a meal. This Mocha Sherbet is surprisingly light and refreshing, and undoubtedly easier and quicker to make! A true summer food. Next time I make this recipe I think I’ll use a more robust, flavorful bean. I’ll also add some cinnamon and cayenne pepper to see if I can get it to taste a bit like the Quiet Storm’s Mexican hot chocolate with a coffee twist.

I can’t wait to see if Vicki likes it!

:: Bibliography ::

• Lebovitz, David. The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments. Berkeley: Ten Speed Press, 2007. Page 120. ISBNs: 9781580088084, 1580088082.