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!!
~~

Can't See the Forest for the Cherries - Black Forest Cake

My nephew Blaine is celebrating his 17th birthday.  Due to the fact that he is enthralled with all things "cherry and chocolate" I decided he was in need of a Black Forest cake for said birthday.

So what exactly is a Black Forest Cake?  It is a decadent combination of Morello Cherries and massive quantities of chocolate cake all bound together with lightly sweetened whipped cream and liberally laced with that famous liqueur of the Black Forest in Germany... Kirschwasser.

What is Kisrchwasser?

Kirschwasser is German for "Cherry Water", and while it may be as clear as water, the stuff packs a punch.  This double distilled brandy made from the sour Morello cherry is, more often than not, simply referred to a Kirsch.  In a nutshell, what the Marasca Cherry is to Maraschino (the Italian liqueur, not those unnaturally red things in the jar), the Morello Cherry is to Kirschwasser.   This "not too sweet with a subtle cherry/almond flavored" liqueur is a vitally necessary ingredient to make a traditional Black Forest Cake; for that is where both the cake and Kirschwasser hail from...  The Black Forest, or Schwarzwald, in southwestern Germany.  They make an awesome ham too, but that is another post.

Here in America, this liquor is often missing from Black Forest Cake, which is a pity, as even a little adds a subtle almond-ish nuance that is quite pleasing.  So stop reserving your bottle for those fondue parties and break it out for your cakes as well....  LOL

OK, I will confess, this is not the normal way I make Black Forest Gateau (cake).  The reason for this modified recipe is to cut down on the amount of liquor I was using.  Oh, it still exists in the cherry filling, but the filling is cooked so at least some of the alcohol has boiled off.  There is also Kirshwasser in the stabilized whipped cream, but it's only 2 TB in 3 cups of heavy cream.  I figured that was a low enough amount that it could be safely served to a 17 year old.  After all, I would not want to contribute to the delinquency of a minor or anything... ;)

The main change was the cake.  Normally I would use a chocolate genoise or chocolate sponge, but since I was not going to be liberally brushing the cake with Kirchwasser this time, I opted for the Best Chocolate Cake Ever! instead.  It's deeply chocolaty and moist, without the additional liquor.

Black Forest Cake (Gateau)

1 recipe of Best Chocolate Cake Ever!, baked in 2 9-inch rounds

Morello Cherry Filling

700 g Morello Cherries (drained with juice saved)
3/4 cup reserved Cherry Juice
1/4 cup Kirschwasser
5 tsp Cornstarch
pinch of Cinnamon

Drain the cherries and reserve 3/4 cup of the juice.

Pour the juice in a small sauce pan and place over medium heat.

In a small bowl, combine Kirschwasser and cornstarch to make a slurry.

Season with a pinch of cinnamon, then add the slurry to the cherry juice.

Cook until thick and bubbly, then remove from the heat and fold in the cherries.

Set aside to cook while you make the stabilized Kirschwasser whipped cream.

Stabilized Kirschwasser Whipped Cream

2 TB Kirshwasser
2 tsp gelatin (Unflavored of course)
1 tsp meringue powder
3 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
1/8 cup powdered sugar

Bloom gelatin in Kirshwasser for 5 minutes.

Set gelatin in simmering water until melted and clear then set aside to cool slightly.

Begin whipping the Heavy Cream along with the Confectioners' Sugar and Meringue powder in an ice bath, until JUST beyond soft peaks.

Add the bloomed gelatin, use hand whisk until desired consistency is reached.

Assemble the cake

First, slice the cakes in half horizontally, leaving you with 4 layers.

Place the bottom layer on a cardboard cake round or a plate, and cover with about 3/4 cup of the Kirschwasser cream.

Spoon half of the cooled cherry mixture over the cream,

Top with a second layer of cake then cover this with about 3/4 cup of the Kirschwasser Cream (no cherries this time)

Then add the 3rd layer of cake and smear with 3/4 cup of the Kirschwasser Cream.

Spoon the remaining cherry mixture over the cream.

Cover with the final layer of cake and coat the whole thing with the remaining Kirschwasser Cream.

Place Candied Crab Apples (or Candied Cherries) on top.

Sprinkle with copious amounts of shaved Chocolate.

Cut a big huge piece for your nephew.....

And let him chow down while you sing happy birthday!

Mangia!!
~~

Let Them Eat Pie - German's Sweet Chocolate Pie

My whole entire extended family absolutely LOVES Classic German's Chocolate Cake. It has been my dad's traditional birthday cake for as long as I can remember. In fact, I just made one for his Birthday about 2 weeks ago. On the other hand, everyone in my family is crazy about pie... insanely so, sometimes. As a result of this, something began churning in the back of my mind.

I thought it would be a great idea, for my niece's birthday, (who loves German Chocolate Cake & Coconut Cream pie) to combine the deliciousness of this illustrious cake with the unparalleled awesomeness of pie.

I was excited at first, because inside the box of Baker's German's Chocolate, was a recipe for a "German Chocolate Pie"... But once I began reading the recipe, I decided that it was in serious need of some help. So many opportunities to make a truly awesome cake-esque pie, but the recipe kind of falls flat. No Pecans, No Caramel, No Coconut. It's was a little crazy. Aren't Chocolate, Coconut, Pecans and Caramel the time revered combination when one is speaking of "German's Chocolate"?

So I took a few liberties; OK, I took a LOT of liberties, and came up with this.

German's Sweet Chocolate Pie

1/2 Cup Pecans
4 TB Granulated Sugar; divided
Pinch of Kosher Salt
1 pkg Honey Graham Crackers
5 TB Unsalted Butter
4 oz Baker's German's Chocolate (1 bar)
4 TB Whole Milk; divided
4 oz Cream Cheese
Another pinch of Kosher Salt
2 1/2 cups Heavy Cream; divided
1 1/2 TB Confectioners' Sugar
2 TB Shredded Sweetened Coconut
2 TB Caramel Sauce (I cheated and used a pre-made)
optional - a few gratings of Dark chocolate (for Garnish)

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees.

Place pecans and 2 TB of the sugar and a pinch of salt in a small food processor and grind finely.

Grind Graham crackers as well and combine with the Pecans in a small bowl.

Melt 5 TB butter and add to the Graham/pecan mixture, stirring with a fork until uniformly "moist".

Press into a 9 inch Pie plate.

Bake for 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown.

Remove from the oven and let cool while making the filling.

Melt the German's Chocolate with 2 TB of the milk and set aside to cool slightly.

In a medium bowl, combine the remaining 2 TB of Milk, 2 TB Sugar, Cream Cheese and a pinch of Kosher Salt; mixing until well combined.

Add the luke warm Chocolate and stir to combine.

Cover with plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.

Beat 1 cup of Heavy Cream until stiff peaks are achieved.

Remove the Chocolate mixture from the refrigerator and stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream to
lighten it.

Fold in the remaining whipped cream in 2 batches.

Pour into the prepared and cooled Pecan crust, smoothing the top (cause we aren't done yet)

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before continuing.

Place the remaining 1 1/2 cups of Heavy Cream and Confectioners' sugar in a bowl and whip until firm.

Place in a piping bag and pipe rosettes over the entire pie surface.

Drizzle Caramel sauce over the Rosettes by placing a whisk in the jar and wiggling it above the pie.

Oh, and I chose this caramel sauce because the ingredient list was the same as what I would have used had I made it myself.

Then Sprinkle with Coconut. (and Chocolate Shavings if you like)

Refrigerate again for at least 2 hours, covered; Freezing for 1 hour is better though.

To Serve, remove from refrigerator/freezer and let warm slightly before cutting (about 10 minutes).

Success----- Happy Niece!

Mangia!!
~~