01 Aug Coconut Cocao Nib Sorbet // Eff the Oven August Kick-Off!!!

It’s August first. As in day numero uno of the hottest freakin’ month of the year. Right about now, shit starts to get pretty weird around here.

The. heat. It’s suffocating.

It does things strange things to people. Especially when you live in a city that prides itself on its weirdness. That middle-aged gentleman that cycles around town in nothing but a thong?  (Yes, that links to a picture of a man. In a thong. Soooo NSFW?) Add 10x the butt sweat multiplied by 20x the leathery tan divided by moderate dehydration and you’ve got yourself one hot mess of a city.

I realize I may have lost you there, but just nod and smile, please?

It’s the time of year where the entirety of Austin lives in fear of rolling blackouts because the power grid might not be able to handle the pull from millions of air conditioners trying to keep homes and offices at a no-pit-stain temperature. And trust me. You do not want to be packed into a 900 square foot room with 35 other people, mostly men, (ahem, my office) when the A/C goes out.

Ok, you get it. It’s hot. So what’s the point? Where is this sweaty explanation going? What does it mean? 

It means…drumroll please…that today is officially the first day of what I am declaring EFF THE OVEN AUGUST!!! 

That’s right. For the sake of maintaining sanity (and saving my electric bill), this month, for the whole month, I’m turning off the oven. Four weeks, eight recipes (maybe more if I get ambitious?), none of them requiring you to turn on the oven. Bueno? Si.

And to kick off the fun, I’ve got a super refreshing, three-ingredient recipe for y’all…drumroll again? (c’mon, it’s fun)…Coconut Cocao Nib Sorbet!!! Say that five times fasts.

I realize there is a lot of “coc(a)o” going on there but I’m a very literal person. Work with me.

I bought my first ever bag of cocao nibs for this recipe.  I could only find them at Whole Foods — and yes, that’s an indicator of both the price & clientele for cocoa nibs. But listen, I eat at Whole Paycheck Foods like, 3 times a week now, so I’m starting to come to the realization that maybe I am one of those people. Yeah. One of those people who buys organic kale by the bushel, chugs kombucha and buys $10 chocolate chip substitutes for her ice cream…well, shit.

If you’re wondering Katie, wtf is a cocao nib? don’t worry, I got you covered.

The front of the package tells me they’re food for the modern life. The back of the package tells me they were a Mesoamerican culinary treasure. Uhhh…wha?

Let’s try this again.

Cocao nibs are bits of dried, roasted and crushed cacao bean. They’re the bean long before it’s gotten to the candy stage. Chocolate in one of its purest forms. Cocao nibs are high in antioxidants, fiber, and one of the best dietary sources of magnesium. And if that’s not enough to convince you, there’s a whole slew of additional health benefits that they offer — read more here.

Cocao nibs have a complex bitter flavor, that in my opinion reaches a fruity depth similar to that of a strong red wine, or even olives. They’re an acquired taste, to be sure. And if you’re sitting there, giving me a you-must-be-insane-cut-it-with-the-hippy-dippy-business look through the computer screen, don’t you worry. Some chopped dark chocolate or even mini-chocolate chips would be a great (maybe better tasting?) addition to this sorbet.

Moving on.

This sorbet, y’all. Did I mention there are only THREE ingredients? Well, four but I forgot to add sweetened coconut flakes, so THREE! It’s as easy as blending a few cans of coconut goodness in your blender and freezing in your ice cream mixer. No stove, no heat, nada.

Stay cool & have a great weekend! More great no bake recipes coming your way next week!

XO, Katie

A few notes about this recipe:

Use full fat coconut milk!! The light coconut milk is just the full fat with water to cut it and it costs the same amount — it’s a waste of money so don’t buy it!

If you have any rum (or other liquor but coconut + rum, duh) laying around, add 1 tsp to the mix before freezing. It will help keep the sorbet soft and scoopable in the freezer. I didn’t add any to mine and regretted it. 

When you stir in the chocolate of your choice, you can also add some shredded sweetened coconut for extra texture, if desired. 

Recipe slightly adapted from Goya

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