Hey! You! Get Off of my Raspberry Cloud

My initial intention was to link the teaser picture of the Raspberry Cloud, from my last Wordless Wednesday post, to Corningware411.  Alas, I have decided that since Culinary Alchemy has been sadly bereft of any entries for over a month, it was time to post something here.  In all honesty, you really don't have to use a CorningWare 10x14 Roasting pan to make this.  I made a double batch for my family's 4th of July celebration and decided that a 10x14 would be a better choice, but a 9x13 would have been a perfectly serviceable receptacle.

I am going to give the recipe in a single batch measurements, so the pictures will not really match as far quantities are concerned.  Thus a 9x9 pan will be the choice for the following amounts.

So what exactly is a Raspberry Cloud.....?

Well, it's a layered dessert consisting of a vanilla cookie crust (graham cracker is too intrusive) smothered with a pillowy soft meringue, which is then frozen.  This makes it kind of like a semifreddo, but just before serving you add a layer of fresh berries (though you can use frozen in a pinch) and surmount that with lemon juice laced whipped cream.  Which moves it from semifreddo to Awesome-freddo!  (I know, that is a total mistranslation, but I liked the way it sounded)

It is light, refreshing and delicious on a hot summer's day.  As luck would have it, here in the Pacific NW, raspberries are at their peak at the beginning of July, thus making this a natural fit for Independence Day celebrations.   Even if my blog post about it is a week late...   :)

Raspberry Cloud

1 1/2 cups (6 oz) (170g) Vanilla Wafer Crumbs (about 30 cookies)
1/4 cup (2 oz) (56g) unsalted Butter, melted
4 large Egg Whites
1/2 cup (3.5 oz) (100g) Granulated Sugar
16 oz (453g) (~ 1 1/3 pints) fresh Red Raspberries (though you can use frozen raspberries)
2 tsp Granulated Sugar
8 oz (236ml) Heavy Cream
1 TB Confectioners' Sugar
1 TB Lemon Juice

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Smash your cookies with a mallet or process them in the food processor (I prefer the more violent method employing a storage bag and the flat side of a meat mallet)

Place them in a bowl and add the melted butter, stirring with a fork until the crumbs are evenly coated.

Dump the mixture unceremoniously into a 9x9 baking dish or pan.

Press firmly.

Separate the eggs and save the yolks for another purpose.

Begin whisking the whites, on medium speed, until they reach soft peaks.

With the mixer still running, begin sprinkling in the 1/2 cup of Granulated Sugar a little at a time.

Continue mixing until the whites reach firm/stiff peaks.

Spoon over the cookie crust and spread it evenly.

Bake in the oven until the meringue is nice and golden brown, about 15-20 minutes.

Allow this to cool to room temperature (don't worry if it looks super puffy or uneven when you remove it from the oven, as it cools it will sink slightly) before placing in the freezer for 2 hours.

Right before you are ready to serve, place your berries in a bowl.

Sprinkle them with 2 tsp Granulated Sugar and toss, then set them aside while you prepare the whipped cream.

In a chilled stainless steel bowl, combine Heavy Cream and Confectioners' Sugar.

Whisk until stiff, then gently fold in the lemon juice. (Do NOT add the juice before whipping, or the cream will curdle)

Remove the baking dish from the freezer and scatter the Raspberries over the Meringue.

Spread the Whipped Cream evenly over the top. (don't worry if some of the berries show through, that's part of it's charm)

Garnish with more berries and some mint if desired.

Personally, I prefer to dig in immediately, while the Vanilla Wafer Crust and Meringue still retain the chill from being in the freezer.

Mangia!!
~~

Vanilla Ice-Ice Baby! - Vanilla Bean Semifreddo

We all have cravings for Ice Cream at sometime or another. But let's face the facts, making your own can be a little time consuming. You have to deal with making a custard and chilling it. You have to make sure that your Freeze bowl is in the freezer ahead of time (if you have a Cuisinart, Kitchen Aid or Salton) or worse, you have to deal with Ice and Rock Salt. Oye!

Not that I am really knocking Ice Cream or Gelato in any way. It's just that one does not always have the time. But there is an easier path to frozen deliciousness my friends, oh yes. With a tiny bit of preparation first thing in the morning, while you are drinking your coffee; you can be feasting on frozen fodder after dinner.  All possible because of a frigid frappe that's not quite as well known in the USA as it is in Italy. I speak of the Semifreddo.

Though technically meaning Semi-Frozen/cold, most Semifreddo are indeed frozen treats, being based on either a Custard, Ice Cream or Gelato with copious quantities of whipped cream folded into it.  The idea is that the glacial treat will melt more readily in your mouth and "appear" light and refreshing on the palate.  Granted, this recipe is a bit of a cheaters Semifreddo, forgoing the Custard/Ice Cream/Gelato altogether and relying solely on the air capturing qualities of Whipping Cream.  OK, I guess I should mention that there is a slight amount of cornstarch, courtesy of the Confectioners' sugar, to help stabilize the whipped cream while it is freezing.

What you will end up with is very similar to a frozen mousse.  Quite delicious, and EXTREMELY fast.

Vanilla Bean Semifreddo

16 oz (2 cups) (475 ml) Light Whipping Cream
1/2 cup + 2 TB (10 TB)(2.75 oz)(78 g) Confectioners' Sugar
The caviar scraped from 1 Vanilla Bean (I like Mexican beans for this, but Tonga is nice too)

Butterscotch Sauce (if desired)

Before grabbing your cup of coffee, place a metal bowl in the freezer as well as the molds/container you wish to store your Semifreddo in. (this will make 32 oz of Semifreddo)

Consume your cup of coffee while leisurely perusing the business section of the morning paper or while you check your email. (5 - 10 minutes)  ;)

 

Remove the metal bowl from the freezer and add the Light Whipping Cream, Confectioners' Sugar and Vanilla Caviar then beat until soft peaks form.

Remove the molds (or storage container) from the freezer and spoon into either 8 4-oz molds or into the storage container, then cover as necessary (I was lucky cause these molds have lids)

Place on a baking sheet and move to the freezer for at least 8 hours. (After dinner)

When you have finished your evening meal, simply reach into the freezer and un-mold the Semifreddo onto a plate (this may require briefly dipping the mold in warm water to loosen the semifreddo)

Begin applying the Butterscotch Sauce. (or Raspberry Coulis or any other sauce of deliciousness you have handy... Heck, you can even eat it plain if you like.)

Garnish if desired (I used a hydrangea blossom, but it's not edible)

A tasty treat with 1/2 the fat.  Seriously.  16 oz of light whipping cream makes 32 oz Semifreddo, meaning about 1/2 of the desert is simply air.  So go ahead, have another scoop. :)

Mangia!!
~~