Love and Chocolate

 

Love and chocolate!  A dynamic duo that fits all types of love and all types of chocolate.  And while I may not be able to make any promises about your love prospects (I'm sure they're fabulous, by the way!), I can promise you all the scrumptious chocolate eats that your heart and palette can hold.

So if you’re looking to make your Valentine’s Day a little sweeter, then I’ve got seven ways to make that happen in this roundup of my favorite chocolate recipes I've shared here over the years.

Choose one (or more) to express your love to those who are special to you and enjoy all the delicious goodness and good vibes that result. From morning to night, and all in between, these sweet treats are the perfect indulgence.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate Truffles

Chocolate Hazelnut Bark

Chocolate Croissants

Chocolate Chip and Sea Salt Cookies

Chocolate Sorbet

Raspberry-Topped Chocolate Cake

Here’s to love, chocolate, and Happy Eating!

Strawberry-Basil Sorbet

*Special Post Update* Join me in celebrating Juneteenth by indulging in some delicious fare, including the dishes of my fellow contributors to the 2021 Juneteenth Virtual Cookout, located at the end of the post. In grand jubilee style, 40+ black creators contributed to this collaborative menu as a Freedom Day tribute. Juneteenth marks our country’s second independence day; the final emancipation of those enslaved in the U.S.--whose freedom was ultimately announced in 1865. Join in, share, and help us continue the legacy of celebrating progress. Additionally, you can easily follow each participant by using the hashtag #JuneteenthCookout2021 on Instagram.

As for me, I'm celebrating this year with my contribution of a sweet, frosty, fruity, scrumptious--and ultra refreshing--sorbet treat that's perfect for your Juneteenth celebrations--and beyond.

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There has to be a special place in heaven for the person who discovered the incomparable sweet treat known as ice cream.  And let's not overlook  the genius who decided to dubb July as National Ice Cream Month.  Heroes/Heroines in my book, without question.

Now to say that I love frozen, icy, creamy (or not so creamy) treats doesn't do justice to my lifelong obsession.  Truly, if I could savor them everyday, without consequence, I absolutely would. (I've done it for spells, like while traveling in Italy.  The effects of my daily gelato fix remained with me--or should I say my waistline--as a not-so-welcome reminder of my indulgent ways.  There's something about 'holidays' that make you feel calories are a figment of the imagination--or you simply just don't care.) 

More than cake, cookies, brownies, pies, pastries, or any other sweet decadence, ice cream helms my sweet affections.  So adding a homemade sorbet (made with luscious strawberries and sweet, lemony basil, no less) to the menu for my Spring Pop-Up Cooking School was a no brainer.  My class raved over it, and now I'm sharing the easy, four ingredient recipe, so you can get in on the action and savor it, too!

Make it now--and thank me later.

Happy Eating!

Strawberry-Basil Sorbet
Ingredients:
1 lb.  fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
3/4 cup sugar
Juice of a small lemon
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
*Special Equipment: Ice Cream Maker

Method:
Combine berries and sugar in a bowl.  Stir to coat fruit, cover and allow berries to macerate for an hour. 

Add macerated berries and their liquid to a blender or food processor, along with lemon juice and basil.  Process until it becomes a puree.  Transfer mixture to a container and chill in the refrigerator for several hours or up to overnight. 

Pour chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to instructions.  Once frozen, place sorbet in the freezer for at least two hours to harden further.  Enjoy!

Want More? Indulge in the Full Juneteenth Virtual Cookout 2021 Spread Below:

Watermelon Ice Pops  by A Girl Called Adri

Juneteenth Soul Rolls by Black Girls Who Brunch

Honey Buttermilk Biscuits with Roasted Strawberries by Britney Breaks Bread

Strawberry Collins by Brownbelle

Peach Cobbler Cinnamon Rolls by Butter Be Ready

Red Hot Pepper Shrimps by Chef and Steward

Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins by Chef Curl Ardee

Lemon Sour Cream Pound Cake by Chenée Today

Vegan Ranch Style Beans by Collards Are The Old Kale

Jamaican Jerk BBQ Ribs by Cooks with Soul

Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw by Crumb-Snatched

Strawberry-Basil Sorbet by D.M.R. Fine Foods

Red Velvet Layer Cake with Chocolate Covered Strawberries by Dash of Jazz

Red Velvet Cookies by Dish It With Tisha

Brisket Stuffed Baked Sweet Potatoes by Dude That Cookz

BBQ Baked Beans by Food Fidelity

Black Eyed Pea Salad by FoodLoveTog

Harissa Honey Roasted Vegetable Skewers by Geo’s Table

Gluten Free Peach Cobbler (Vegan) by Good Food Baddie

Crispy Gluten-free Baked BBQ Chicken Wings by Gristle and Gossip

Summer Watermelon Fizz by Handy Chef

Watermelon and Cucumber Salad by Heal Me Delicious

Smoky Party Style Jollof Rice by Immaculate Ruemu

Crab Boil & Garlic Butter Sauce by Jamieson Diaries

Tamarind BBQ Wings by Just Add Hot Sauce

Hibiscus Rum Punch by Kenneth Temple

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream by Lenox Bakery

Crockpot BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches by Mash & Spread

Grilled Hot Links & Chow Chow by Meiko And The Dish

Strawberry Lemonade Sangria by Nik Snacks

Brown Sugar Caramel No-Churn Ice Cream by Open Invitation Entertainment

Strawberry Basil Pineapple Mocktail by Orchids + Sweet Tea

Lemon Meringue Tart by Peaches 2 Peaches

Spicy Shrimp Creole by Pink Owl Kitchen

Strawberry Crunch Cake Brownies by Razzle Dazzle Life

Grilled Maque Choux Salad by Savor and Sage

Savannah Red Rice by Seasoned To Taste

Country Style Potato Salad by Sense & Edibility

Deviled Eggs by Slight Kitchen Werk

Rum Punch by Sweet & Sorrel

Mint Julep by Sweet Tea + Thyme

Almond Peach Cake by That Green Lyfe

Strawberry Cobbler Galette by The Dana Renée Way

Strawberry Baby Back Ribs by This Worthey Life

 
 

{Sweet Decadence}: Chocolate Sorbet

Dreamy. Indulgent. Scrumptious. Decadent.  Those are just a few of the words that come to mind when describing the frozen treat that I can never get enough of: ice cream!  And this past weekend, I brought an intensely satisfying version to life in my kitchen.

With little more than a few ingredients, and my ice cream maker in tow, I indulged in making an uber-rich, chocolate sorbet.  Because I relish ice cream more than any other dessert--dare I say food--I purposely try to limit its presence in my freezer for obvious reasons.  

But when you're talking homemade sorbet (or gelato or ice cream or any other incarnation of frozen cream), exceptions must be made.  Cocoa, cinnamon, espresso and vanilla are the main flavors that yield this sorbet that is as rich and fudgy and satisfying as any chocolate ice cream I've ever tasted.  And because it wields a potently sweet and chocolate kick, you only need a little to hit the spot (or so I tell myself.)

As the remaining days of Summer unfold, I look forward to enjoying more sweet decadence and hope you will, too.

Happy Eating! 

Chocolate Sorbet

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup brewed espresso (1 shot)

Method:

In a large saucepan, mix the sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in 2 cups water and the espresso. Cook over low heat until the ingredients are dissolved. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until very cold.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions. The sorbet will still be soft; place it in an airtight container and freeze for 1 hour or overnight, until firm enough to scoop.  Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Ina Garten