Bon Appetit Desserts (137 page)

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel

¾ cup fresh lemon juice

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup honey

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons orange marmalade, melted

¼ teaspoon (scant) ground cloves

Lightly toasted slivered almonds

Candied violets (optional)

ICE CREAM
: Bring cream and half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk egg yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in hot cream mixture. Return to same saucepan and 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. Mix in honey and lemon peel. Let steep 10 minutes. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla. Refrigerate until custard is 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.

SAUCE
: Whisk honey, lemon juice, marmalade, and cloves in small bowl.

Scoop ice cream into sundae dishes. Top with sauce, then nuts. Garnish with candied violets, if desired, and serve.

Caramelized Blood Orange and Almond Sundaes

Blood oranges are small, sweet oranges with an attractive scarlet hue. Their peels are thinner and less bitter than navel orange peels, so they’re good to eat. You’ll see for yourself when you try the caramel orange sauce, which needs no more accompaniment than some good vanilla ice cream and a sprinkling of almonds and fleur de sel, a sea salt that provides a lovely finishing touch. Look for the salt at the supermarket or specialty foods stores.
Makes 6

3 blood oranges, divided

⅔ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, diced

1 quart vanilla ice cream

½ cup sliced almonds, toasted

Fleur de sel (optional)

Squeeze juice from 1 orange (about ¼ cup) into small bowl. Cut ends off remaining 2 oranges to expose flesh. Cut oranges lengthwise into quarters; pull out and discard white center pith. Cut orange quarters crosswise into ⅛-inch-thick slices. Place orange slices and any accumulated juices in another bowl.

Sprinkle sugar evenly over bottom of heavy 10-inch-diameter skillet; scatter butter pieces over and drizzle with 2 tablespoons orange juice. Stir over medium heat until mixture begins to melt and bubble, then swirl pan to blend. Cook until syrup is dark amber color, occasionally scraping down sides of skillet with heatproof spatula, about 6 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 tablespoons orange juice and cook until sauce is smooth and thick, about 2 minutes. Add orange slices with juices to sauce in skillet and stir to coat, about 1 minute. Cool.

DO AHEAD
:
Caramelized orange sauce can be made up to 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

Scoop ice cream into bowls and spoon caramelized orange sauce over. Top sundaes with toasted almonds and sprinkle with fleur de sel, if desired.

Iced Maple Cream with Berries

No ice-cream maker required: Whipped cream lightens a maple custard base, turning this frozen treat into something smooth and creamy. Serve it with crisp butter cookies and whatever berries are in season.
6 servings

¾ cup chilled heavy whipping cream, divided

3 large egg yolks

⅓ cup pure maple syrup

¼ teaspoon maple extract

2 tablespoons raspberry jam

3 cups mixed berries (such as blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries)

Whisk ¼ cup cream, egg yolks, and maple syrup in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until thermometer inserted into center registers 175°F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Using electric mixer, beat custard until cool and thick, about 3 minutes.

Whisk remaining ½ cup cream and maple extract in large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into custard. Cover and freeze maple cream until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

Whisk jam in medium bowl to loosen. Add berries; toss to coat and let stand 15 minutes. Spoon berry mixture into dishes; top with maple cream.

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sesame Candy and Halvah

This ridiculously simple dessert is as delicious as any elaborate treat. If you prefer to make your own ice cream, try the classic Vanilla Ice Cream (page 446). Sesame candies, sometimes called “sesame crunch,” are thin crisp bars crammed with tiny sesame seeds. Halvah is a Middle Eastern sweet made from crushed sesame seeds, honey, and (sometimes) dried fruit or pistachios. You can find them at some super-markets and at many delicatessens and Middle Eastern markets.
6 servings

3½ ounces sesame candies

1½ pints vanilla ice cream

Halvah, coarsely crumbled

Honey

Place sesame candies in large resealable plastic bag; crush candies with rolling pin or mallet until broken into small pieces. Divide ice cream among 6 bowls. Top with crushed candies and crumbled halvah. Drizzle with honey and serve.

Coupe Marron with Coffee Ice Cream

This dessert is a riff on a classic French sundae (called
coupe glacée)
made with vanilla ice cream
, marrons glacés
(candied chestnuts), and Chantilly cream (softly whipped cream). Here, purchased coffee ice cream is topped with the chestnuts and a coffee-brandy cream. Look for
marrons glacés
(also labeled chestnuts in vanilla syrup, at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
6 servings

1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream

¼ cup powdered sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

2 teaspoons brandy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 pints coffee ice cream, divided

1 cup chopped
marrons glacés
(chestnuts in vanilla syrup)

Using electric mixer, beat cream, sugar, coffee powder, brandy, and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. Scoop half of ice cream into 6 large wineglasses or bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon chestnuts. Scoop remaining ice cream over, dividing equally. Spoon whipped cream into pastry bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe border of whipped cream around ice cream. Fill center of cream with remaining chestnuts.

Pear Ice Cream with Spiced Pear Compote

This delicious fall treat would be great with a few gingersnaps. Gewürztraminer is an aromatic white wine that works beautifully with the pears and cloves.
8 servings

2¼ pounds ripe Anjou or Comice pears, peeled, halved, cored, thinly sliced (about 4 cups)

1 cup pear nectar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

6 large egg yolks

¾ cup sugar

2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided

1 2-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise

½ cup light corn syrup

2 cups Gewürztraminer

½ cup sugar

2 whole cloves

1 4½-inch piece vanilla bean, split lengthwise

2½ pounds firm but ripe Anjou or slightly underripe Comice pears (about 6 small), peeled, halved, cored, sliced crosswise into ⅓-inch-thick slices

ICE CREAM
: Combine pears, pear nectar, and lemon juice in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil over medium-high heat. Transfer to processor; puree until smooth. Chill until cold.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Bring 1 cup cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk hot cream into yolk mixture. Return to same saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean. Stir over low heat until custard thickens and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 7 minutes (do not boil). Pour custard through strainer into large bowl. Mix in remaining 1 cup cream. Cool custard 15 minutes.

Add corn syrup and 3 cups pear puree to custard and whisk until blended (reserve any remaining pear puree for another use). Chill custard until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.

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

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.