Coffee Praline Checkerboard Bombe Food

COFFEE PRALINE CHECKERBOARD BOMBE

Steps:

• Coat two 9-by-5-inch straight-sided loaf pans with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper by cutting two strips for each, one the width and the other the length of the pan, and overlapping them inside the pans (make them long enough to generously hang over edges of pans).
• Beat coffee ice cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until soft but still holding its shape, 1 to 2 minutes; work in batches if necessary. Spread ice cream into one of the prepared pans to about 2 inches thick; smooth top with a small offset spatula. Transfer pan to freezer; let ice cream solidify, about 2 hours. Repeat process with praline ice cream, filling remaining pan. Freeze ice cream until it hardens, about 2 hours.
• When ice cream has hardened, remove pans from freezer. To unmold, dip pans into very hot water for a few seconds; invert onto a cutting board. Remove parchment. Working quickly, cut each block lengthwise into two long equal-size square logs. Using a long spatula, transfer the pieces to a piece of plastic wrap. Stack them on top of each other, alternating colors, to form the checkerboard. Wrap quickly in plastic; return to freezer to chill. When checkerboard is hardened, about 2 hours, remove from freezer; unwrap onto a clean cutting board sprinkled with sliced almonds, if using, to keep ice cream from slipping. Slice crosswise into 12 pieces, and transfer to a serving tray or plates.

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BOMBE

Steps:

• Line bowl with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang all around.
• Stir walnuts and chocolate cookies into cherry ice cream in another bowl. Transfer ice cream to lined bowl and spread evenly over bottom and up sides, leaving a crater in center. Freeze until firm, about 45 minutes.
• Scoop chocolate ice cream into crater in cherry ice cream, then smooth top with an offset spatula. Freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, melt chocolate with butter and oil in a heatproof medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water, stirring. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
• Invert bombe onto a rack set over a baking sheet and remove plastic wrap. Make a small indentation in top and place maraschino cherry into ice cream so that the cherry is submerged but stem sticks straight up (like a fuse).
• Ladle chocolate sauce on top of bombe (avoiding cherry stem), letting it drip over sides to coat thoroughly. Freeze until chocolate coating is set, about 30 minutes.
• To serve, cut into wedges.

MACADAMIA NUT AND BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE ICE-CREAM BOMBE WITH MACADAMIA NUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Make the macadamia nut ice cream:
• In a heavy skillet melt the butter over moderate heat and in it cook the macadamia nuts, stirring, until they are light golden. Transfer the nuts with a slotted spoon to a small bowl, reserving the butter, and let them cool. In a large metal bowl whisk together the eggs, the sugars, the cream, the milk, the salt, and the reserved melted butter, transfer the mixture to a large saucepan, and cook it over moderately low heat, stirring until it registers 175°F. on a candy thermometer. Return the mixture to the metal bowl, cleaned, and chill it until it is cold. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according the manufacturer's instructions, adding the macadamia nuts, patted dry, when it is frozen partially. Makes about 1 quart.
• Make the ganache:
• In a saucepan combine the chocolate and the cream, bring the cream just to a boil, stirring, and remove the pan from the heat. Stir the mixture until it is smooth and stir in the Kahlúa. Transfer the ganache to a metal bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
• Make the chocolate ice cream:
• In a small bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water melt the chocolate, stirring, until it is smooth. In a large saucepan whisk together the melted chocolate, the cream, the milk, the eggs, the sugar, and a pinch of salt and cook the mixture over moderately low heat, stirring, until it registers 175°:F. on a candy thermometer. Stir in the vanilla and stir the mixture until it is combined well. Chill the mixture, its surface covered with plastic wrap, until it is cold. Freeze the mixture in an ice-cream freezer according the manufacturer's instructions. Makes about 1 quart.
• Make the macadamia nut praline:
• In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar with 1/3 cup water, bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved, and cook the syrup, swirling the pan gently, until it turns pale golden. Stir in the macadamia nuts, return the syrup to a boil, and boil the mixture until the syrup is golden. Pour the praline immediately onto an oiled baking sheet and let it cool completely. Break the praline into pieces and in a food processor grind it fine in batches .
• Line a lightly oiled 2-quart steamed-pudding mold, including the center stem, or a 2-quart metal bowl with plastic wrap, into it pack the macadamia nut ice cream, and spread the ganache over the top. Freeze the mold for 5 minutes, or until the ganache is set. Pack the bittersweet chocolate ice cream into the mold, cover the mold with the lid or plastic wrap, and freeze the bombe for at least 8 hours and up to 3 days.
• In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar with 1/3 cup water, bring the mixture to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring and washing down any sugar crystals clinging to the side of the pan with a brush dipped in cold water until the sugar is dissolved, and cook the syrup, swirling the pan gently, until it turns pale golden. Pour the mixture immediately onto an oiled baking sheet and let it cool completely. Break the sugar candy into small pieces.
• To unmold the bombe, dip the mold several times into a bowl of warm water, run a long thin knife around the outer rim of the mold and the rim of the center stem, and invert the bombe onto a platter, Coat the bombe with the ground macadamia nut praline.The bombe may be made 3 hours in advance and dept frozen. Garnish the top of the bombe and the platter with the sugar-candy.

COFFEE-PRALINE CRUNCH ICE CREAM CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare the fudge sauce: Set a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl. In a medium saucepan, combine the heavy cream, sugar, butter and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• Whisk in the cocoa powder and cook for another minute or two, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is thick and glossy. Run the sauce through the sieve into the bowl, working out any lumps directly in the sieve. Stir in vanilla. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. (You should have about 2 cups.) About 30 minutes before you assemble the cake, remove the ice cream from the refrigerator to soften.
• To assemble the cake, spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan lightly with nonstick cooking spray. (This is just to help keep the plastic in place.) Press plastic wrap into the pan, making it as smooth as possible against the bottom and sides of the pan, leaving a 3-inch overhang on each of the two long sides.
• Spread one third of the softened ice cream (about 2 cups) evenly over the bottom of the pan. (If your ice cream is still too firm to spread, cut it into slices, arrange them in a layer and smooth using an offset spatula.) Lay 3 crackers over the top, breaking them to fit as needed. Top with 1/3 of the fudge sauce (about ⅔ cup), using an offset spatula to spread evenly, and half of the praline, patting into an even layer. Top with another 1/3 of the ice cream, 3 more crackers, 1/3 more fudge sauce and the remaining praline. Finish with the remaining 1/3 of ice cream and 4 more crackers. Use the plastic overhang to wrap the cake up tightly and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours and preferably overnight.
• To serve, unwrap the plastic wrap, then quickly rub the outside of the pan with a warm, moistened kitchen towel to loosen. Flip out onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. Top with whipped cream and more chopped praline. Cut slices with a knife dipped in hot water. (If too hard to slice, let sit for a few minutes to soften.) Serve with the remaining fudge sauce, warmed, if desired.