Bon Appetit Desserts (128 page)
Read Bon Appetit Desserts Online
Authors: Barbara Fairchild
Freshly crushed black peppercorns bring out the faint spiciness of the persimmons. Serve with Vanilla Shortbread Cookies (page 542) or the Apple-Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze (page 53).
Makes about 1 quart
1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon (scant) salt
8 large ripe Hachiya persimmons, halved, seeded
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
Heat heavy small skillet over medium heat. Add peppercorns and toast until fragrant and beginning to smoke, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Transfer to small bowl to cool. Coarsely crush peppercorns in mortar with pestle, or place in resealable plastic freezer bag, seal, and crush with mallet.
Transfer crushed peppercorns to small saucepan. Add 1 cup water, sugar, and salt. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil mixture until reduced to 1 cup, about 4 minutes. Refrigerate until cold.
DO AHEAD
:
Black pepper syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Scoop persimmon flesh from skins into blender. Puree until smooth. Measure 2 cups puree for making ice cream (reserve any remaining puree for another use). Cover and chill puree until cold.
Strain black pepper syrup into large bowl. Whisk in 2 cups persimmon puree and cream. Process custard in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer ice cream to airtight container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.
Market Tip:
Persimmons
Persimmons are fall-winter fruits that range in color from yellow-orange to red. There are two common varieties of persimmons, Fuyu and Hachiya; you can find both varieties at farmers’ markets, supermarkets, and specialty foods stores from October to February. This recipe calls for the large, elongated persimmons known as Hachiyas, which aren’t ripe until they’re very soft. Fuyus, on the other hand, are ready to eat when they’re still quite firm. To ripen a Hachiya persimmon, let it sit on the counter for a few days. To ripen it more quickly, place it in a brown paper bag with an apple or banana.
How to Buy an Ice-Cream Maker
Which ice-cream machine is right for you? It all depends on your budget, your lifestyle, and your passion for frozen desserts.
ICE AND ROCK SALT MACHINES
: Want a workout along with your ice cream? Then this is the machine for you. Pour the custard into the metal container, place the metal container into the larger bucket-style container, then pack layers of ice and rock salt between the two containers. (The salt helps lower the temperature and keeps the brine solution nice and chilly—between 8° and 12°.) The next step? Hand-cranking the machine until the ice cream freezes. For folks looking for less exercise, this type of machine is also available with an electric motor. These machines often make a large quantity of ice cream.
MACHINES WITH A SEPARATE CANISTER
: This affordable type of machine is widely available in many models and brands. To make ice cream, first place the container (which is filled with a liquid coolant) in the freezer for at least 24 hours. Once the container is completely frozen, pour in the custard, flip the switch, and let the ice-cream-making begin. This style of ice-cream maker requires freezer space for the container and some pre-planning, but it’s a good choice for those who make ice cream a few times a month.
ALL-IN-ONE UNITS
: For ice cream on demand, this is your machine; it’s more expensive, but the extra cost means that you can go from custard to ice cream in less than an hour. These machines have built-in compressors, which eliminates the need to pre-freeze the canister. They are larger than other machines, so are not the best bet for small kitchens. But if you’re an ice-cream fanatic and have the space, consider investing in an all-in-one machine.
Brandied-Prune Ice CreamDon’t be put off by the thought of prunes for dessert. Jazz them up with some brandy and you’ll be amazed at what they do to vanilla ice cream. You can use a purchased premium ice cream or, for an entirely homemade treat, make our Vanilla Ice Cream (page 446). Pair this sophisticated dessert in the fall with a simple walnut cake (such as the Walnut-Orange Cake on page 79) or a slice of apple pie. And if you have Armagnac (the excellent full-flavored brandy from Gascony), use it. It’s the classic French pairing for prune ice cream.
12 servings
1 cup pitted prunes, cut into quarters
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons brandy
1 quart vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
Combine prunes and ½ cup brandy in heavy large saucepan. Cover and simmer over medium heat until brandy is absorbed, about 4 minutes. Cool.
Place softened ice cream in large shallow plastic freezer container. Mix in prunes and remaining 2 tablespoons brandy. Cover and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Lemon-Ginger Frozen YogurtThe fresh, sophisticated flavors of this frozen yogurt are so irresistible that its healthful properties come as a bonus. If you like, set out a toppings bar with granola, fresh fruit, and berries. You can use agave nectar—a low-glycemic sweetener—instead of corn syrup; it’s available at some supermarkets, in the aisle where other syrups are sold.
6 servings
¾ cup water
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup light corn syrup or agave nectar
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
Bring ¾ cup water, sugar, corn syrup, and ginger to boil in medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil 2 minutes. Strain ginger syrup into medium bowl and chill until cool.
DO AHEAD
:
Syrup can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.
Whisk yogurt, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon peel into ginger syrup. Process mixture in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately or transfer to airtight container and freeze up to 3 hours.
Serving Tip:
Soft Touch
For the best texture, serve this frozen yogurt right out of the machine or after it’s been frozen for just a few hours. Overnight freezing will make it too hard. In that case, you’ll need to thaw it briefly in the microwave, stopping to stir, or let it sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.
Zabaglione GelatoMarsala is a Sicilian fortified wine and is traditionally used in zabaglione, the light dessert custard. In this recipe, rum is also added for an even more intense flavor.
Makes about 3½ cups
4 large egg yolks
½ cup sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons imported dry Marsala
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl until thick, about 2 minutes. Heat milk and cream in medium saucepan over medium heat until mixture bubbles at edges. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture; return to same saucepan. Stir over medium heat until custard leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 6 minutes (do not boil). Strain into medium bowl. Mix Marsala, rum, and vanilla into custard. Cover and refrigerate custard until cold.
Process custard in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to airtight container and freeze.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Don’t Hurry
The first rule of making frozen desserts: Don’t try to rush it. When preparing ice cream or gelato, the cooked custard has to be well chilled before being churned in the ice-cream maker, and the finished product usually has to freeze for at least a few hours before serving. Ice-cream pies and cakes have to freeze for several hours or overnight. Follow the instructions in the recipe carefully: Your patience will be rewarded.
Pistachio GelatoGreen food coloring makes this creamy gelato say “pistachio,” but it can also be prepared without. For a sophisticated ice-cream-sandwich presentation, serve scoops of the gelato inside halved small sweet brioche buns.
6 servings
¾ cup unsalted natural pistachios
¾ cup sugar, divided
2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon almond extract
5 large egg yolks
2 drops green food coloring (optional)
Additional chopped unsalted natural pistachios
Finely grind pistachios and ¼ cup sugar in processor. Combine pistachio mixture, milk, and almond extract in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil. Whisk egg yolks and remaining ½ cup sugar in large bowl to blend. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return mixture to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens slightly and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 8 minutes (do not boil). Remove from heat. Whisk in food coloring, if using. Refrigerate custard until cold, about 3 hours.
Process custard in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer gelato to airtight container and freeze.
DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Scoop gelato into glasses or bowls. Garnish with additional chopped pistachios.
