Bon Appetit Desserts (136 page)

This delicious sauce has just a hint of salt to balance the sweetness. Caramel sauce isn’t difficult to make once you get the hang of it; see page 31 for some tips that demystify the process.
Makes about 1¼ cups

¾ up sugar

¼ cup water

¾ cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (¼ stick) unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

Using wooden spoon, stir sugar and ¼ cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush. Increase heat to medium and boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan and swirling pan, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Immediately add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk to blend. Add butter and salt and whisk until sauce is smooth.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 week ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm slightly before using.

Orange Muscat Ice-Cream Sundaes with Spiced Apricots

Essensia gives the ice cream and the apricot topping a sophisticated flavor If you can’t find Essensia, use another Orange Muscat. Crumbled amaretti cookies add a nice crunch to this dessert.
Makes 6

1 cup half and half

⅔ cup sugar

6 large egg yolks

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1½ cups Essensia (sweet dessert wine) or other Orange Muscat wine

2¼ cups water

¾ cup sugar

3 ¼-inch-thick orange slices with peel

½ cinnamon stick

1½ pounds apricots, halved, pitted, quartered

¼ cup Essensia or other Orange Muscat wine

Amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons), crushed

ESSENSIA ICE CREAM
: Bring half and half and sugar to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot half and half mixture. Return to same saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 3 minutes (do not boil). Strain custard into large bowl. Whisk in cream, then Essensia. Refrigerate custard until cold, at least 3 hours.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Process custard in ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to container; cover and freeze until firm.

DO AHEAD
:
Ice cream can be made 4 days ahead. Keep frozen.

APRICOT TOPPING
: Combine water, sugar, orange slices, and cinnamon in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and simmer 10 minutes. Add apricots. Adjust heat so liquid barely simmers and cook until apricots are just tender, about 1 minute. Using slotted spoon, transfer apricots to medium bowl. Boil syrup, orange slices, and cinnamon until syrup is reduced to 1 cup, returning any juices that accumulate in apricot bowl to saucepan, about 15 minutes. Add Essensia to syrup. Pour syrup with orange slices and cinnamon over apricots. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled.

DO AHEAD
:
Topping can be made 2 days ahead. Discard orange slices and cinnamon before using.

Scoop ice cream into sundae dishes. Spoon apricots with some syrup over. Sprinkle sundaes with crushed amaretti and serve.

Strawberry Sorbet Sundaes with Prosecco Sabayon

This is no ordinary sundae: Instead of ice cream, there’s cool strawberry sorbet. Instead of sauce, a strawberry compote and sabayon (light, foamy custard) made with Prosecco, the Italian sparkling wine. And on top? No cherry—but crunchy sugary almonds.
Makes 6

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

1 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

4 cups sliced hulled strawberries (about 16 ounces), divided

4 tablespoons sugar, divided

3 tablespoons Prosecco or other sparkling white wine

½ cup chilled heavy whipping cream

4 large egg yolks

¼ cup sugar

½ cup Prosecco or other sparkling white wine

2 pints strawberry sorbet

SUGARED ALMONDS
: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; spray parchment with nonstick spray. Toss almonds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat, then add sugar and toss to coat evenly (sugar coating will resemble wet sand). Spread almonds in single layer on prepared sheet. Bake until almonds are golden, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheet, then break up any large clusters of almonds and cool completely.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 1 day ahead. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

COMPOTE
: Combine 1 cup strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar, and Prosecco in processor. Puree until smooth. Pour puree through strainer set over bowl, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid and pulp as possible. Discard solids in strainer. Toss remaining 3 cups strawberries and 2 tablespoons sugar in medium bowl; let stand at room temperature until juices form, tossing occasionally, about 30 minutes. Mix strawberry puree into sliced strawberries.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

SABAYON
: Beat cream in medium bowl until peaks form; refrigerate until ready to use. Fill large bowl halfway with ice water. Whisk egg yolks and sugar to blend in medium metal bowl; add Prosecco and whisk to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until sabayon is thick, resembles softly beaten whipping cream, and thermometer inserted into center registers 160°F, about 6 minutes. Set bowl with sabayon on ice in bowl of cold water and whisk until sabayon is cool, about 6 minutes. Fold in chilled whipped cream.

DO AHEAD
:
Sabayon can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.

Spoon ¼ cup strawberry compote into each of 6 dessert glasses or bowls. Top each with scoop of strawberry sorbet; sprinkle each with 1 tablespoon sugared almonds. Repeat layering with ¼ cup strawberry compote, scoop of sorbet, and 1 tablespoon sugared almonds. Top each sundae with large spoonful of sabayon, then 1 tablespoon sugared almonds, and serve.

Cherry “Pie” à la Mode Sundaes

Is it a deconstructed cherry pie? Or a sundae served on puff pastry? Either way, it’s delicious. The cherry compote calls for two kinds of cherries: the familiar frozen, dark sweet variety as well as sour Morello cherries, sold in jars in a sweet syrup. They can be found at Italian markets and specialty foods stores.
Makes 6

1 24- to 29-ounce jar dark Morello cherries in light syrup, drained, syrup reserved

1 10- to 12-ounce bag frozen pitted unsweetened dark cherries, thawed, drained, juices reserved

¼ cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 sheet frozen puff pastry (half of 17.3-ounce package), partially thawed, trimmed to 9×6-inch rectangle

1 large egg, beaten to blend

6 teaspoons raw sugar

1 pint vanilla ice cream

CHERRY COMPOTE
: Combine reserved syrup from Morello cherries, reserved juices from frozen cherries, sugar, and cinnamon in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Boil until syrup is reduced to 1 cup, about 20 minutes. Combine all cherries and cornstarch in large bowl; toss to coat. Add cherry mixture to syrup in saucepan and cook until compote thickens and boils, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.

DO AHEAD
:
Compote can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Rewarm before using.

PASTRIES
: Preheat oven to 400°F. Line large rimmed baking sheet with silicone pan liner or parchment paper. Cut puff pastry into three 6×3-inch rectangles (reserve remaining dough for another use). Cut each rectangle diagonally into 2 triangles. Transfer triangles to prepared baking sheet. Lightly brush pastry triangles with egg and sprinkle with raw sugar. Using fork, pierce entire surface of dough. Bake until pastries are golden brown, about 12 minutes.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool completely. Store in resealable plastic bag at room temperature. Rewarm pastries in 350°F oven 8 to 10 minutes before continuing.

Spoon warm cherry compote into 6 shallow bowls. Top each with 1 pastry. Spoon vanilla ice cream alongside and serve immediately.

Lemon and Honey Ice-Cream Sundaes

For a delicately flavored ice cream, use a mild honey (such as orange blossom). Candied violets, which are available at specialty foods stores and cookware shops, are a nice finishing touch. Or top the sundaes with edible flowers, which are available at farmers’ markets and in the produce section of many supermarkets.
Makes 6

2 cups heavy whipping cream

2 cups half and half

6 large egg yolks