The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook (89 page)

frozen chocolate malted

MAKES TWO 1½-CUP SERVINGS

This dessert was inspired by the Frozen Hot Chocolate at Serendipity, a restaurant in New York City.

1¼ cups heavy cream

¼ cup milk

7 tablespoons sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon malted milk powder

3 cups ice cubes

Chocolate shavings, for garnish (optional)

1.
Whip ½ cup cream, and set aside.

2.
Place the milk, remaining ¾ cup cream, sugar, cocoa, and malted milk powder in the jar of a blender, and blend until smooth and frothy.

3.
With the motor running, add the ice cubes, a few at a time, until the mixture is thick and smooth. Pour the mixture into tall glasses, and top with the whipped cream and chocolate shavings, if desired.

cherry ice

SERVES 4

½ cup dry white wine

¹
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cup honey

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 cups pitted cherries, fresh or frozen, plus whole ones for garnish

1.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the wine, honey, and lemon juice until combined. Set aside.

2.
Place the cherries in a food processor; pulse until finely chopped. Transfer to the bowl with the liquid mixture; stir until combined. Pour into a shallow metal pan and place in the freezer. Stir with a fork every 10 minutes until the mixture is slushy and partially solidified, about 35 minutes. Spoon into serving cups; garnish with whole cherries.

chocolate gelato

MAKES 1½ QUARTS

Use the highest-quality chocolate you can find.

3 cups whole milk

1½ cups heavy cream

¹
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cup unsweetened cocoa powder

8 large egg yolks

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cup sugar

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1.
Prepare an ice-water bath, and set aside. In a large saucepan, bring the milk, cream, and cocoa to a simmer over medium-low heat. Combine the egg yolks and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed until pale yellow and very thick, 3 to 5 minutes.

2.
Add half the milk mixture to the yolk mixture, and whisk until blended. Stir the combined mixture back into the remaining milk mixture. Add the chocolate, and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

3.
Pass the mixture through a very fine sieve into a large mixing bowl. Set the bowl in the ice bath, and chill completely. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions until the gelato just holds its shape. Transfer to a metal loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

ABOUT GELATO

Gelato
means “frozen” in Italian, and, in a way, the translation is apt for a dessert whose flavors remain so true to their original sources. Gelato differs from what we think of as ice cream in a few ways, its delicate taste among them. Small bits of chocolate or nuts occasionally make an appearance, but more often the dessert is smooth and simple, its flavors derived from a careful infusion of natural flavors. Steeping the ingredients in warm milk for at least 30 minutes gives the dessert its purer, more intense taste, so pistachio tastes exactly like pistachios, mango like mangoes, and so on.

Gelato also has less butterfat than American ice creams; whereas ice cream is made from cream, gelato is traditionally made with egg yolks and milk. (Another frozen dessert called
gelato alla crema
is made with egg yolks and cream, but this is not what is usually sold as simple gelato.) This, along with the increased amount of air pumped into the mixture during churning, makes for a much lighter, more velvety dessert than rich, dense American-style ice creams.

pear stracciatella ice cream

MAKES 2 QUARTS

In Italian gelato shops, stracciatella describes an ice cream that has chocolate mixed into it—as our recipe does.

4¼ cups sugar

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise

5 Anjou or Bartlett pears, peeled

3 large egg yolks

Pinch of salt

1 cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Poire William (pear brandy; optional)

¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70 percent cacao), melted and cooled

Chocolate Syrup (recipe follows)

1.
Put 4 cups water, 4 cups sugar, and the lemon juice in a large saucepan. Scrape in the vanilla seeds, then add the bean. Bring the mixture to a boil.

2.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the pears to the pan. Cover the surface of liquid with a sheet of parchment paper. Cook the pears until very tender, 15 to 25 minutes (time will vary depending on the ripeness of the pears). Remove from heat. Let the pears cool completely in the poaching liquid.

3.
Transfer the pears to a cutting board. Discard all but ¼ cup poaching liquid. Halve and core the pears. Puree 3 pears in a food processor. Finely chop the remaining 2 pears.

4.
Whisk the yolks, remaining ¼ cup sugar, and the salt in a medium bowl; set aside.

5.
Heat the milk and cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles form on the edges. Add to the yolk mixture; whisk until combined. Pour the mixture back into the pan; cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat the spoon, about 5 minutes.

6.
Pour the custard through a fine sieve into a large bowl set in an ice-water bath. Let cool, stirring occasionally.

7.
Stir the pear puree, reserved poaching liquid, brandy (if desired), and vanilla extract into the custard. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

8.
When the mixture is frozen but still being churned, add the chopped pear. Pour in the melted chocolate in a slow, steady stream; mix until combined. Freeze in an airtight container up to 2 days. Serve with the chocolate syrup.

NOTE
The yolks in this dish are not fully cooked; it should not be prepared for pregnant women, babies, young children, the elderly, or anyone whose health is compromised.

chocolate syrup

MAKES 2
²
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CUPS

1 cup heavy cream

½ cup light corn syrup

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate (preferably 70 percent cacao), chopped

2 tablespoons Poire William (pear brandy; optional)

1.
Heat the cream and corn syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until the mixture is combined. Add the chocolate; stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

2.
Stir in the brandy, if desired. Let the sauce cool until thick but pourable. Just before serving, whisk until smooth. The syrup can be refrigerated, in an airtight container, up to 1 week. Reheat before serving.

rose water sherbet

MAKES 2½ CUPS

¼ cup sugar

2¼ cups buttermilk

½ cup corn syrup

1 teaspoon rose water, plus more for garnish

Roasted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Edible geranium petals (optional)

1.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in ¼ cup buttermilk. Pour into a bowl with the remaining 2 cups buttermilk. Stir in the corn syrup and rose water.

2.
Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to a loaf pan; cover with plastic wrap, and freeze at least 1 hour and up to 1 week.

3.
To serve, scoop the sherbet into bowls; garnish with a few drops of rose water, chopped pistachios, and flower petals.

coconut ice milk

MAKES 1½ QUARTS

Freshly shaved coconut makes a lovely garnish; you could also sprinkle some shredded packaged coconut over the top.

2 cups unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together the ingredients. Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Transfer to airtight containers, and store in the freezer up to 10 days.

brownie ice cream bars

MAKES 1 DOZEN

1¾ sticks (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter

46 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed light-brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

2 quarts vanilla ice cream

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with parchment paper; set aside. Melt 1½ sticks butter and 6 ounces chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring; set aside.

2.
Whisk together the eggs, salt, sugars, and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in the chocolate mixture; fold in the flour. Pour the batter into the lined baking dish. Bake until the top is shiny, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the dish on a wire rack. Cover; let stand 8 hours (or overnight).

3.
Run a thin knife around the edges of the brownie; invert to unmold onto a cutting board. Remove the parchment. Trim ¼ inch from the edges of the brownie. Line the baking dish with a clean sheet of parchment paper, leaving a 3-inch overhang on the long sides. Return the brownie to the dish, top side up; set aside.

4.
Mix half the ice cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth but not melted; spread over the brownie. Cover; freeze 1 hour.

5.
Mix the remaining ice cream, and spread over the frozen layer of ice cream on the brownie. Cover; freeze 1 hour (or overnight).

6.
Melt the remaining 40 ounces chocolate with the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Let cool.

7.
Transfer the brownie to a cutting board. Dip a knife in hot water; wipe dry. Trim ¼ inch from the edges. Cut the brownie into 12 bars, dipping the knife as needed. Transfer to a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Ladle the chocolate mixture over the bars. Freeze 30 minutes.

ultimate malted brownie sundae

SERVES 8

2 pints vanilla ice cream, softened

¾ cup (about 3 ounces) malted milk powder

½ cup malt balls, coarsely crushed, plus more for garnish

Malted Brownies (recipe follows)

Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows)

1.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the ice cream, malted milk powder, and crushed malt balls. Mix until blended, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to an airtight container, and freeze until firm, about 4 hours, or overnight.

2.
Just before serving, cut the brownies into 24 rectangles, making 4 even columns and 6 even rows.

3.
Assemble the sundaes: Divide half of the ice cream evenly among 8 serving dishes. Top each with a brownie, then with another ice cream layer. Garnish each with 2 more brownies. Drizzle with chocolate sauce; sprinkle with crushed malt balls.

malted brownies

MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN