To Life!
FOOD
Cold Finish
Summertime calls for a frozen dessert.
Annabel Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
W
hen it's hot, nothing ends a meal
like something cold. Frozen
desserts are easy to make and
usually quite impressive to look at. Think
brownie sundae.
Any brownie benefits from a scoop of your
favorite ice cream and a drizzle of hot fudge.
Its decadent, cool and, above all, a cinch to
put together.
Change the "base" by substituting another
sweet for the brownie — lemon shortbread,
chocolate chip cookies, cream puffs or simple
sugar cookies — and you've got a whole new
dessert. Swap ice cream flavors and toppings
and you've invented something else.
In fact, most frozen desserts, with the
exception of souffles and homemade ice
cream, are really just assembly jobs. Even
more complicated recipes will accept ice
cream, sorbet or frozen yogurt as substitutes
for nearly every fussy filling.
The recipes below are sweet and cool end-
ings for any meal. Some include shortcut
ingredients, such as purchased pound cake
and pie filling and others ask a little more of
your cooking skills. Still, they are all make
ahead and will keep for a while, so you're not
rushing at the last minute.
Frozen Peanut Butter Pie
This is not an ice-cream pie. You could
substitute 2 pints of peanut butter ice
cream for the filling to make this one,
however. Don't feel like making a crust?
Use premade crust — graham cracker or
other. This can also be made in ramekins
for individual desserts or layered in wine
or parfait glasses. Its very rich, like a
peanut butter cheesecake.
25 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as
Oreos
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine,
melted
1 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream, not
whipped (or 4 cups whipped topping)
8 oz. (1 package) cream cheese or light
cream cheese, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup crumbled peanut butter cups
(optional)
1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts or 1
cup Spanish peanuts
Garnish: Ganache sauce (recipe below) or
your favorite hot fudge, warmed
Make the crust: Combine cookies and
butter in the bowl of a food processor
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August 3 • 2006
and pulse until the mixture is crumbly.
Press this mixture in a 9- or 10-inch pie
plate and freeze (no need to cover).
Make the filling: In a clean, dry bowl,
whip cream until soft peaks form. Slowly
add the sugar while beating until the
whipped cream forms stiff peaks.
Melt peanut butter in microwave-safe
dish for 1 minute on high-heat. Fold the
peanut butter into the whipped cream.
Fold the crumbled peanut butter cups, if
using, into the mixture. Transfer the fill-
ing to the prepared crust. Sprinkle nuts
over the pie. Do not cover.
Freeze several hours until firm. Cover
well with plastic wrap and keep frozen up
to two weeks.
Just before serving, remove from
freezer and drizzle warm ganache or
fudge over. Cut pie into wedges and
serve with more sauce if desired. Makes
8-10 servings.
Frozen Coffee Mousse
This may also be made in individual
ramekins.
Crust:
25 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as
Oreos
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter or margarine,
melted
Souffle:
2 cups heavy whipping cream (not
whipped)
1 Tbsp. instant espresso powder
1 Tbsp. Kahlua
1 large egg
3 large egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp. water
Garnish: Ganache (see recipe below)
Chocolate coffee beans, optional
Line the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch
springform pan with a circle of parch-
ment paper. Set aside.
Combine cookies and butter in the
bowl of a food processor and pulse until
the mixture is crumbly. Press this mix-
ture in the bottom of the prepared pan.
Set aside.
In a large, clean, dry bowl, use an elec-
tric mixer (with whiSk attachment, if pos-
sible) to beat cream until soft peaks form
Add the coffee powder and Kahlua and
continue beating untilthe whipped cream
forms stiff peaks. Chill while you continue
the recipe.
Combine the egg and yolks in a bowl
and beat for 2 minutes until thickened.
Turn off mixer.
Combine sugar and water in a small
saucepan and bring to a boil over medi-
um-high heat and cook until the sugar
is dissolved and a candy thermometer
registers between 250-260F.
Turn the mixer back on to medium-
high speed and slowly drizzle in the hot
sugar mixture. Continue beating the
mixture for 3 minutes more, or until the
mixture cools to the touch.
Fold the whipped cream into the egg
mixture until uniform. Transfer this
mixture to the pan and spread over the
crust. Cover the springform with foil and
chill overnight, up to a week.
To serve, run a knife around the edge
of the pan and carefully remove the
springform ring. Cut the souffle into
wedges and serve drizzled with ganache
sauce and topped with chocolate coffee
beans. Makes 8-12 servings.
Strawberry Granita
Granita is a shaved or scraped frozen
dessert — like an icy sorbet. The same
recipe can be used with any fruit (I like
kiwi and mango). Use this same recipe in
an ice-cream maker and you will have a
creamier textured sorbet.
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1 pound fresh or frozen strawberries
(not in syrup), hulled
Combine water and sugar in a small
saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil
and cook for 2 minutes, or until sugar
dissolves. Remove from heat and cool.
Place strawberries in the bowl of a
food processor and process until smooth.
Add the sugar syrup and process until
combined. Pour the mixture into a shal-
low pan and freeze until very slushy,
about 30 minutes.
Use a metal spatula or sturdy fork
to stir the granita. Freeze another 30
minutes and repeat the process. Repeat
again (the mixture will become more dif-
ficult to stir as it hardens).
Cover and keep frozen until ready to
use, up to 2 days. To serve, allow to thaw
for about 5 minutes before scraping the
mixture into dessert bowls. Makes 4-6
servings.
Mille Feuille with Ice Cream,
Orange Cherry Compote and
Candied Pistachios
2 sheets (1 pound) frozen puff pastry,
thawed
2 cans (8 oz. each) mandarin oranges,
drained
1 can (about 21 oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier or other orange
liqueur, or to taste
2 pints good-quality, vanilla ice cream
Garnish: Confectioner's sugar
Candied Pistachios, recipe below
Preheat oven to 425F. Unfold one
dough sheet on a clean surface and
cut into 9 squares. Repeat with other
sheet. Place the squares on one or two
ungreased baking sheets, and bake for
12 to 15 minutes, until golden. Set aside
to cool.
Meanwhile, combine the mandarin
oranges and cherry pie filling in a bowl
and fold gently with a rubber spatula
until uniform. Fold in the juice and
liqueur. Place a pastry square on 8 des-
sert plates. Top the squares with a scoop
of ice cream and top with another pastry
square.
Spoon the sauce around the pastry
(not over) and sprinkle the top pastry
very well with confectioner's sugar.
Sprinkle each dessert with a few can-
died pistachios (recipe below) and serve.
Makes 8 servings.
Candied Pistachios
4 cups shelled pistachios
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/4 cup sugar
Preheat oven to 325F. Line a baking
sheet with parchment. Set aside.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl
and toss well with your fingers. Spread
the pistachios on the prepared baking
sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Cool com-
pletely before breaking up the pistachios.
Store in an airtight container for up to
one month. Makes 4 cups of pistachios.
Ganache Sauce
1 1/2 cups chopped semisweet chocolate
(chips work well)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
Combine all ingredients in a micro-
wave-safe bowl and .cook on high heat
for 2 minutes. Stir until the mixture is
smooth and uniform. If the chocolate is
not completely melted, cook for 20 sec-
onds more.
Use immediately or chill for up to 2
weeks, reheating in the microwave oven
on high in 30-second intervals and stir-
ring. Makes 1-2 cups ganache sauce.
More recipes can be found at
JNonline.us.