The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated

200 Recipes for Ice Creams, Sorbets, Gelatos, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments [A Cookbook]

About the Book

A revised and updated edition of the best-selling ice cream book, featuring a dozen new recipes, a fresh design, and all-new photography. This comprehensive collection of homemade ice creams, sorbets, gelatos, granitas, and accompaniments from New York Times best-selling cookbook author and blogger David Lebovitz emphasizes classic and sophisticated flavors alongside a bountiful helping of personality and proven technique.

David's frozen favorites range from classic (Chocolate-Peanut Butter) to comforting (S'mores Ice Cream) and contemporary (Lavender-Honey) to cutting-edge (Labneh Ice Cream with Pistachio-Sesame Brittle). Also appearing is a brand new selection of frozen cocktails, including a Negroni Slush and Spritz Sorbet, and an indulgent series of sauces, toppings, and mix-ins to turn a simple treat into a perfect scoop of delight.
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Praise for The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated

“This is the definitive book on frozen desserts. David has the most amazing recipes for homemade ice cream, plus lots of ideas for crunchy toppings, sweet mix-ins, and edible ‘vessels’ such as sugar cones, meringues, and cream puffs. I want to make them all!” --Ina Garten
 
“A glorious, in-depth look into a scrumptious subject, written in typical Lebovitz style: informative, personal, and entertaining.”--Yotam Ottolenghi
 
The Perfect Scoop digs right into what you need to know for successful ice creams, sherbets, gelatos, sorbets, frozen yogurts, and granitas.” --New York Times
 
"Having churned out ice cream at home and in professional kitchens for a quarter century, Lebovitz can guide even a beginner to a great frozen experience. . . . Truly the Good Humor man of home ice cream." --San Francisco Chronicle

“The author's 25 years of experience as a frozen-dessert maker are put to excellent use in this wittily written, detailed volume. . . . Great photos and plenty of practical advice combine to make this an appealing and useful resource for the dessert aficionado.” --Publishers Weekly
 
“If you love cold sweets but never dared own an ice-cream machine for fear you'd soon weigh 300 pounds, then consider this book; you may just find some happy compromises.” --Epicurious.com
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Excerpt

The Perfect Scoop, Revised and Updated

CHOCOLATE SORBET
Makes about 1 quart

This is the perfect chocolate sorbet—it’s very rich, dense, and full of bittersweet chocolate flavor, and it’s one of my all-time favorites. Use a top-quality cocoa powder; it will make a huge difference. Be sure to use a large saucepan, because the mixture will bubble up as it boils, and be sure to blend it before churning, which ensures the finished sorbet will be silky smooth.
 
2 1⁄4 cups (555ml) water
1 cup (200g) sugar
3⁄4 cup (75g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
Pinch of kosher or sea salt
6 ounces (170g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 
1. In a large saucepan, whisk together 1½ cups (375ml) of the water with the sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Let it boil, continuing to whisk, for 45 seconds.

2. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it’s melted, then stir in the vanilla and the remaining ¾ cup (180ml) water. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blend for 15 seconds.

3. Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. If the mixture has become too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.

About the Author

David Lebovitz
DAVID LEBOVITZ has been a professional cook and baker for most of his life; he spent nearly thirteen years at Chez Panisse until he left the restaurant business in 1999 to write books. He moved to Paris in 2004 and turned davidlebovitz.com into a phenomenally popular blog. He is the author of six books, including The Perfect ScoopReady for DessertThe Great Book of Chocolate, and a memoir called The Sweet Life in Paris, and he was named one of the Top Five Pastry Chefs in the Bay Area by the San Francisco Chronicle. David has also been featured in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Cook’s Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, Saveur, Travel + Leisure, and more. More by David Lebovitz
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