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By Alisa Fleming on Dairy Free Desserts
This Chocolate Italian Ice recipe is a guest post by Faith Kramer of Blog Appetit from her days with Sugar Savvy.
It was hot, muggy and steamy on the streets of New York during my recent visit. How did I keep my cool and enjoy a treat without suffering a chocolate meltdown? Why, I just indulged in a refreshing chocolate Italian ice. Italian ices are well known on the East Coast, especially in the Mid-Atlantic states. They are smoother than granitas, softer than sorbets and just generally different. They are also incredibly refreshing.
Chocolate Italian Ice that’s Close to Authentic
While I ate Italian ices throughout my youth and as an adult on periodic visits back East, I really didn’t know much about them. I did a quick web search on the history and differences but I have to say I was left a bit confused about the difference between an Italian ice and an Italian water ice.
Some sources use both terms interchangeably, others say there is a difference. An Italian ice is flavored, then frozen and shaved for serving. An Italian water ice is plain ice that is flavored after it has been shaved into soft, snowy mounds, except when it is not and then it is the same as an Italian ice. Regional differences among Italian immigrants and American cities probably account for the differences in technique and nomenclature.
Italian immigrants to this county brought with them a long tradition of frozen desserts including granita (made by freezing water, fruit juices or other flavoring ingredients and sugar in a pan and periodically flaking and scraping the ice as it forms to break up the ice crystals) and sorbet (made by freezing similar ingredients in a ice cream freezer). Commercial Italian ice makers proudly list their flavors made from natural fruit and other flavors. Lemon and cherry are traditional flavors but modern tastes range from melon to mango, chocolate to green tea.
What they don’t list is how they make their treat. Food historians say it started as frozen blocks of sweetened fruit flavors shaved into small, white pleated paper cups. As the ice melted, eaters could squeeze the cup to get the last of their ice. While the pleated cup is still the traditional method of serving Italian ice, nowadays more and more vendors are serving the treat in sturdier disposable bowls with spoons.
My chocolate Italian ice was delicious, with a clean, dark chocolate taste. Although it was made without any milk products it was incredibly rich yet not the least bit heavy. It was the perfect summertime treat.
Here is a recipe for a chocolate ice I adapted from a cookbook I picked up in a used bookstore, The Complete Book of Homemade Ice Cream by Carolyn Anderson. It was published in 1972, and is no longer in print, but used copies can still be found. This isn’t an “authentic” chocolate Italian ice recipe, but it is close, especially if you serve it before hardening it in the freezer.
Special Diet Notes: Chocolate Italian Ice
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, gluten-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, vegan, vegetarian, and top food allergy-friendly.
5.0 from 1 reviews
Chocolate Italian Ice
Prep time
Total time
This cool dessert is rich but still refreshing, and naturally allergy-friendly!
Author: Faith Kramer
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: ½ gallon
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar
- 5 cups water
- 1 cup cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Boil the sugar and water together for five minutes and then remove from the heat. Immediately add the cocoa and cinnamon. Mix well.
- Let it cool a bit and then refrigerate until cold.
- Freeze in an ice cream freezer as per manufacturer’s instructions.
- Serve straight from the ice cream maker container for a softer ice or place in the freezer for a few hours to harden the ice. Another option is to pour the chilled chocolate ice mixture into ice cube trays and freeze. Before serving, process the ice cubes in small batches in a blender or food processor until the chocolate ice mixture is thoroughly broken up but not yet slushy.
Notes
Cocoa Powder: Since this recipe isn't baked, we recommend using a Dutch-processed cocoa powder if available. Natural unsweetened cocoa powder (which isn't Dutch processed) will produce more of that dark chocolate bitterness.
Chocolate Iced Coffee: To make the best iced coffee ever, add a few chocolate ice cubes to your favorite cold java. Add in dairy-free milk beverage and sugar to taste and top with dairy-free whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.
Nutrition Information
Serving size:½ cup Calories:89 Fat:.6g Saturated fat:.4g Carbohydrates:23.6g Sugar:21.1g Sodium:3mg Fiber:1.4g Protein:.8g
