Raise your hand if you like beer. Raise your hand if you like chocolate. Okay, now raise your hand if you like beer and chocolate together. Wow, I saw a lot of hands go down in the audience. I saw a lot of hesitant fluttering of hands, unsure of whether to stay up or not. Perhaps these hands have never had chocolate and beer together. Perhaps they have never tried the many new variations of beers that are actually flavoured with chocolate. These hands don’t know what they are missing!
Let’s start at the beginning, shall we? Long before there was ever fancy microbrew beer with added chocolate flavouring, there was Guinness. I’ve always maintained that drinking a glass of Guinness is like drinking a glass of chocolate milk. Both in the slight chocolatey flavour of the beer, and the thick richness with which it goes down your gullet and settles in your stomach. So for me, coming across porters and stouts in recent years that are actually designed to taste like chocolate was not such a great stretch. But as a girl who started off her beer-drinking days by downing a great lot of Molson Canadian, a pale lager, I can understand that for some, beer and chocolate might seem like an odd combination.
Starting a month or so before St. Patrick’s Day, I saw a lot of chocolate/beer recipes popping up, particularly ones that used Guinness. I was definitely intrigued, and even bookmarked a few to adapt for low carb, but never quite got around to it. I figured the moment had passed, since St. Paddy’s day was come and gone. And then I saw THIS gorgeous image on Scoop Adventures. It looked so rich and chocolatey and as I am currently having a little love affair with my ice cream maker, I knew I had to make it. I didn’t have any porter, but I did have a bottle of stout, in the form of Guinness. Close enough!
The Results: Deeee-lishus. This really makes for a refreshing, bold, interesting sorbet. The beer has quite a presence, so it’s definitely not for the faint of heart. It’s malty and yeasty and rather intense, but I loved it. So did my husband. I didn’t even bother to feed it to the kids, I knew that they would take one taste, thinking it was all chocolate, and then the rest would go to waste. It’s not really the type of treat you give a child!
In the original instructions, she said you could cut back on the beer a bit and add more water. I think you would lose something by doing so but to each his own. If you freeze it for longer than a few hours, it will get quite hard, but a little time in the fridge (half an hour to an hour) and it will soften nicely.
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The beer makes it REALLY melty at room temperature, so my pictures were done in haste. If you look closely, you can see me and my camera in the reflection of the spoon. Whoops! I simply didn’t have time to pay attention to those little details, but duly noted that a shiny spoon in a bright window equals seeing a funny, distorted reflection of myself.
Chocolate Stout Sorbet
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup granulated erythritol
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
4 oz high % cacao chocolate (I used 90%), finely chopped
3/4 cup stout
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp stevia extract
In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together water, erythritol, cocoa powder and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly and boil for 45 seconds.
Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Add vanilla, stevia and beer and stir to combine. Transfer to a blender and blend for 15 seconds. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
Give mixture one final quick blend to incorporate (I refrigerated it in my blender container so I could just pop it back on the blender base). Transfer to an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s direction. Then transfer to an air tight container, press plastic wrap flush to the surface, and chill for several more hours, or until firm but not hard.
Makes 8 servings. Each serving has a total of 16g of carbs and 3.75g of fiber, but only 10g of carbs if you subtract erythritol. Total net carbs is 6.25g.
[email protected] says
June 6, 2011 at 11:02 ammy hand may have gone down.. but hey that doesn't mean I wouldn't try it. It looks delicious.
Lizzy says
June 6, 2011 at 11:04 amMmmmmm, that melty chocolate goodness looks sooooo tasty, Carolyn! Gorgeous photos…and the perfect treat for a hot afternoon (or morning :)).
Maris (In Good Taste) says
June 6, 2011 at 11:43 amOh yes and yes!!!
kitchenarian says
June 6, 2011 at 11:53 amI am not a beer drinker, but I am definitely an ice cream eater! This is something I have to try. I guess it's time to pull out my ice cream maker!
Food Lover says
June 6, 2011 at 12:00 pmmmmm yummy, I'm a big fan for this dessert, thanks for sharing 🙂
Lauren at Keep It Sweet says
June 6, 2011 at 12:13 pmYour sorbet looks creamy and delicious! I am much more partial to chocolate sorbet than fruit flavors…. and the addition of beer is just so smart!
purabi naha says
June 6, 2011 at 12:22 pmVery very delishh! What more do I want on a hot summer day?
[email protected] says
June 6, 2011 at 1:23 pmYummmmm…. both hands raised here! looks delish!!
SuzyEats says
June 6, 2011 at 1:38 pmthis looks great!! great idea.
[email protected] says
June 6, 2011 at 1:44 pmI remember hanging out with friends in our favorite hometown bar eating peanut M&Ms and drinking beer when I was home from college so chocolate & beer seem like a perfect combination to me. Your sorbet sounds especially good in our hot weather but I think it's got all-year-round appeal too.
Parsley Sage says
June 6, 2011 at 1:47 pmVery timely post for me! I just had my first encounter with chocolate and beer at that tasting. Winning combo 🙂 Well done!
Emily @ A Cambridge Story says
June 6, 2011 at 1:54 pmThis is a perfect combo! Love how creamy your sorbet came out!
Katrina {In Katrina's Kitchen} says
June 6, 2011 at 2:08 pmYou know what made me laugh about this post was your comment about your spoon reflection! lol I always have that issue! So funny!
Fresh and Foodie says
June 6, 2011 at 2:38 pmThis looks great. I've been thinking about getting an ice cream maker for a while and this may have sealed the deal!
Karen says
June 6, 2011 at 5:48 pmMy hand was up for the chocolate/beer combo! I was skeptical until I had a beer ice cream float at a pub, and oh man was it good!
This sorbet looks equally delicious and I can imagine the flavor is too!
The Mom Chef says
June 6, 2011 at 6:44 pmYou don't use a tripod, huh. 🙂
So, I don't like chocolate and I don't like dark beer, but you know, this really would be an awesome combination for those who do like both (like Hubby). The color is downright gorgeous.
Veronica Gantley says
June 6, 2011 at 6:57 pmGreat pictures Carolyn. I know how hard it is to get good pictures of ice cream. It tends to melt very quickly. It is even worse when you are out in the sun. I will bet it tasted pretty good too. There is nothing better than homemade ice cream.
Foodness Gracious says
June 6, 2011 at 7:34 pmAwesome, would it be ok for the kids or would I be throwing them in bed early?
Lynn says
June 6, 2011 at 11:03 pmLove this! I've been planning on making guiness chocolate cake for my brothers birthday in July. Who cares if it's not St-Patricks? There's always time for Guiness!
claire says
June 6, 2011 at 11:24 pmum… yes please! i would LOVE a scoop of this!
Rachel @ Baked by Rachel says
June 6, 2011 at 11:30 pmnot cool… you're making me want choc ice cream now. Buzzed earlier for you btw 🙂
scratch-made wife says
June 7, 2011 at 1:17 amWoo hoo! My hands are up! You are a lady after my heart. And since it has been so dang hot here, you're really making me want to try this dish!
Cara says
June 7, 2011 at 2:06 amoh, wow 🙂 I haven't been using my ice cream maker nearly enough – that will have to change!
Tiffany says
June 7, 2011 at 2:15 amMy hands are raised! … And my feet are raised to symbolize wanting two bowls of this sorbet! YUM!
Island Vittles says
June 7, 2011 at 3:09 amYour pics are great! I thought about making chocolate gelato today…but it didn't happen. After drooling over your sorbet tonight, it'll get done tomorrow for sure. Thanks for the inspiration! theresa
Erin says
June 7, 2011 at 3:33 amOk, you have me interested! I was one of the ones who wasn't sure what to do with my hand, now I want to taste!!!
The Harried Cook says
June 7, 2011 at 3:53 amVery interesting recipe 🙂 And I wouldn't have noticed your reflection if you hadn't mentioned it! The sorbet looks very rich & tasty… I am honestly not a big fan of beer, but I know a few people who may appreciate this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Tes says
June 7, 2011 at 1:27 pmOhhh what a luscious sorbet! I need a scoop, please 🙂
Belinda @zomppa says
June 7, 2011 at 3:02 pmBoth hands raised and outreached for some!
[email protected] says
June 7, 2011 at 8:47 pmThat looks soooo creamy and so chocolatey…. and it needs to be mine! What a fantastic summer treat. Beautiful job!
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE says
June 7, 2011 at 8:58 pmYes Please! this is a favorite combo on mine and is going on the to do list!
Nami @ Just One Cookbook says
June 8, 2011 at 12:50 amI'm not a beer drinker but my husband would be raising both hands. My kids and I are big chocolate ice cream fan. This sorbet looks delicious and I LOVE your photos!
[email protected] The Culinary Lens says
June 8, 2011 at 2:01 amYou know I bookmarked this and kept meaning to come back to it and finally got here tonight.
I grew up in Dublin not terribly close to the Guinness brewery but on certain days the wind would carry the smell of the roasting hops and trust me it certainly had a chocolate quality to it.
I love this recipe and am interested to see what the taste like
Roxana GreenGirl says
June 8, 2011 at 5:08 amI'm one of those that didn't raise hands form the first question, don't drink alcohol but I'm intrigued by the beer in this chocolate goodness. Looks so creamy and tempting …
Elle says
June 8, 2011 at 5:16 pmA girl after my own heart! <3
Cookin' Canuck says
June 8, 2011 at 9:57 pmWe really like stouts that have a slight chocolate taste to them, so I can imagine how good this sorbet would be.
Jennifer says
June 9, 2011 at 12:11 amNope, I cannot imagine this. My DH loves Guiness. I can't stand it, but I do like Miller Light or Coors Light. Shh!
Claire Gallam says
June 9, 2011 at 1:08 pmI love all of these healthy and light recipes on your site 🙂 Perfect for summer and swimsuit season!
Matthew "mmwine" Horbund says
June 9, 2011 at 2:20 pmI'll have to google and find:
1/4 cup granulated erythritol
but it sounds awesome otherwise 🙂
Claudie says
June 9, 2011 at 5:56 pmI have to admit that while I love chocolate, I don't really like beer 😀 (I know – there aren't many like me!) However, I would absolutely test your recipe as I'm very curious of the result 🙂
briarrose says
June 10, 2011 at 12:22 pmWow….this looks incredible. I just made a stout cake and if I had this to go with it I'm pretty sure it would have blown my mind. 😉
Jason Phelps says
June 10, 2011 at 4:07 pmThis is crazy good I bet! I am making a stout right now and this recipe has its name written all over it!
Jason
kita says
June 13, 2011 at 9:50 pmIm not a beer fan – unless its in something. This has my mouth watering. I love that the beer makes it extra melty! Extra melty is the best 😀
Kayleigh @ConfusedTruffle says
September 12, 2012 at 2:08 pmWOW! This looks great.. last year I tried just a stout ice cream and with some chopped, salted peanuts on top it was divine!
I would love to see you create a cheese ice cream.. sounds crazy gross, but in Seattle, one of our cheese shoppes makes one in-house that I tried a nibble of.. YUM!
Quirky flavors in ice cream are always a lot of fun! 🙂 Thanks for sharing your recipe.. can’t wait to try!
Barb says
March 14, 2014 at 10:50 pmHi Carolyn,
I have all the ingredients to make this and I was reading over the recipe, but I noticed in the directions there is no mention of when to add the cocoa powder. I’m assuming it’s at the beginning, with the water and sweetener? I want to make it for company tomorrow night, so I’m going to take a guess–fingers crossed that I’m right!
Thanks for all you do–love your website, I’m a huge fan
Carolyn says
March 15, 2014 at 10:09 amWhoops! Let me fix…
Carolyn says
March 15, 2014 at 10:11 amAll fixed. Yes, it’s at the beginning with the water because you need the boiling water to get it to mix in.
Barb says
March 16, 2014 at 9:54 amOk good, and thanks for replying. Made it and my husband and I LOVVED it. Our guests, not so much, but that’s ok. Will definitely make again..