Bon Appetit Desserts (145 page)

DO AHEAD
:
Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before serving.

WHIPPED CREAM
: Using electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in medium bowl until peaks form.

Spoon whipped cream decoratively over pie. Sprinkle chocolate-almond bark over. Cut pie into wedges and serve, passing warm sauce separately.

Heavenly Haystack Ice-Cream Pie

An eye-catching dessert that’s super-easy to make—it’s prepared with purchased ice cream and just a few other ingredients. The crispy “haystacks” are a mixture of white chocolate and toasted coconut, nestled in the middle of the ice-cream pie. The “heavenly” part will be evident after the first bite.
10 to 12 servings

6 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped

4 teaspoons vegetable oil

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, toasted, divided

2 quarts chocolate ice cream, slightly softened, divided

Chocolate Crumb Crust (see recipe on page 500)

Stir white chocolate and oil in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until chocolate is melted and smooth. Mix in 1 cup coconut. Remove bowl from over water. Cool 10 minutes.

Spread half of chocolate ice cream evenly in prepared crust. Drop all of white chocolate mixture by teaspoonfuls over ice cream. Freeze until haystacks are firm, about 10 minutes. Spread remaining ice cream over. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup coconut evenly over. Freeze pie until just firm, about 1 hour. Wrap pie and freeze overnight.

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

Let pie stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen pie. Remove pan sides. Cut pie into wedges and serve.

Frozen Italian Zabaglione Tart with Marsala-Lemon Sauce

You won’t need an ice-cream maker here; the zabaglione filling is simply frozen in a mixing bowl before being spooned into a crunchy crust made from amaretti cookies. Marsala, a sweet fortified wine from Italy, is the base for a pretty and delicious sauce.
8 servings

1 5.5-ounce package amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons) 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, hot

1½ cups Marsala, divided

½ cup dried currants

¾ cup sugar

10 large egg yolks

2 tablespoons dark corn syrup

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1⅓ cups chilled heavy whipping cream

2 cups Marsala

½ cup sugar

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg

5 strawberries, hulled, halved

CRUST
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind amaretti cookies in processor. With processor running, gradually add hot melted butter and blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until pale golden, about 6 minutes. Cool. Gently press up bottom of pan just to loosen crust from sides, then lower crust back into place (do not remove from pan). Place crust in pan in freezer.

FILLING
: Combine ½ cup Marsala and currants in small bowl; let steep 1 hour.

Whisk remaining 1 cup Marsala, sugar, and egg yolks in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of rapidly simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk until thermometer inserted into center registers 170°F, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate zabaglione uncovered until cool, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Beat cream in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add zabaglione and beat just until smooth. Drain currants (reserve Marsala for another use). Fold currants into zabaglione. Freeze until slightly firm but not frozen, about 1 hour.

Spoon zabaglione cream into crust, mounding in center. Freeze tart until almost firm, about 2 hours. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.

SAUCE
: Stir Marsala and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous ⅔ cup, about 17 minutes. Add lemon peel and nutmeg and boil 1 minute. Cool sauce slightly.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before serving.

Push up pan bottom to release tart from pan. Transfer tart to platter. Arrange strawberries around top edge of tart. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing warm sauce separately.

Frozen Grand Marnier Torte with Dark Chocolate Crust and Spiced Cranberries

Frozen desserts are great for entertaining—they can be made well in advance and safely stashed away in the freezer, freeing up valuable refrigerator space. This easy torte has it all: chocolate cookie crust, rich creamy orange filling, and a glistening tumble of cranberries on top. The crust and filling need to freeze overnight, and the finished torte with topping needs to chill for at least another six hours, so plan ahead.
12 servings

1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies

½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

3 tablespoons sugar

7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

8 large egg yolks

1 cup sugar

¼ cup water

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

½ cup chilled sour cream

5 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

½ cup ruby Port

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 cup sugar

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

5 cups fresh or partially thawed frozen cranberries, divided

White chocolate curls (optional)

CRUST
: Finely grind cookies, chocolate chips, and sugar in processor. Add melted butter; blend until wet crumbs form. Set aside ½ cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides.

FILLING
: Whisk egg yolks, sugar, and ¼ cup water in medium metal bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water and whisk vigorously until candy thermometer registers 175°F, about 8 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add nutmeg and allspice. Using electric mixer, beat until thick and cool, about 5 minutes.

Using electric mixer, beat cream, sour cream, Grand Marnier, orange juice concentrate, and orange peel in large bowl until peaks form. Add egg yolk mixture and fold together. Pour ⅔ of filling into crust. Sprinkle with reserved ½ up crumb mixture. Gently spoon remaining filling over. Cover torte and freeze overnight.

DO AHEAD
:
Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.

TOPPING
: Whisk Port and cornstarch in large skillet to blend. Add sugar, honey, nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon. Bring mixture to boil over high heat, stirring often. Add 3 cups cranberries; cook until mixture boils and cranberries begin to pop but still hold shape, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining 2 cups cranberries. Chill topping at least 6 hours or overnight.

Release pan sides from torte. Transfer torte to platter. Spoon topping over filling. Garnish torte with white chocolate curls, if desired.

Frozen Orange Mousse Torte with Boysenberry Sauce

The frozen mousse filling has an intense orange flavor, thanks to orange juice, orange peel, and Grand Marnier. In the simple, pressed-in crust, pistachios provide an appealing crunch. You’ll need to start this recipe one day ahead, since the mousse needs to freeze overnight.
12 to 14 servings

1½ cups unsalted natural pistachios

¼ cup (packed) golden brown sugar

2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour

½ teaspoon finely grated orange peel

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup sugar

½ cup fresh orange juice

6 large egg yolks

¼ cup Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel

Lightly sweetened whipped cream (optional)

1 orange, thinly sliced into rounds, then cut into small triangles (optional)

Whole pistachios (optional)

Boysenberry Sauce (see recipe)

CRUST
: Preheat oven to 350°F. Blend pistachios, sugar, flour, and orange peel in processor until nuts are coarsely chopped. Add melted butter and blend until moist crumbs form. Press nut mixture onto bottom (not sides) of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides. Bake crust until golden, about 8 minutes. Freeze while preparing mousse.