Ice Cream Bombes With Brandied Dried Cranberries And Cherries Food

CREAMY CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a heavy saucepan stir together sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch salt and boil over moderate heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Boil mixture, without stirring, until a golden caramel. Remove pan from heat and stir in cream. Cool sauce. Sauce may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring sauce to room temperature before using.

ICE CREAM BOMBE

Steps:

• Freeze an 8-inch bowl. When it's cold, place the mango sorbet in the bowl and press it against the sides of the bowl. If you have a 6 1/2-inch bowl the same shape as the 8-inch bowl (such as from a set of nesting bowls), cover it with plastic wrap and press it into the sorbet to make the layer even. Freeze the sorbet for 30 minutes or until firm. Remove the 6 1/2-inch bowl.
• Spread an even layer of softened raspberry sorbet on top of the mango sorbet (a 4 1/2-inch nesting bowl wrapped in plastic wrap helps with this) and freeze for another 30 minutes or until firm. Remove the 4 1/2 inch bowl.
• Finally, spoon in enough softened strawberry ice cream to fill the bowl. Freeze until hard.
• To unmold, dip the bowl up to the rim in warm water. Run a knife around the edge to loosen the bombe and unmold upside down onto a flat plate. You may need to run a flexible metal spatula along the edge of the bombe to release it. Freeze until ready to serve. Serve in wedges.
• Mango Sorbet:
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 large ripe mangoes, peeled and seeded
• 1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Place the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan and cook until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.
• Place the mangoes in a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree. You should have about 5 cups of mango. If you want a smoother sorbet, you can process the puree through a food mill fitted with a medium blade.
• Combine the mango, sugar syrup, orange juice, and salt and refrigerate until cold. Freeze in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions. (The sorbet will be soft.) Serve directly from the ice cream machine.
• Yield: 1 1/2 quarts; 6 servings

BRANDIED DRIED CRANBERRIES AND CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan simmer all ingredients except brandy, stirring,
• 5 minutes, and remove pan from heat. Stir in brandy and cool. Brandied fruits may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring brandied fruits to room temperature before serving.

SPICED BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar and spices with a cup of water. Bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Turn off heat and add cherries and brandy to pot. Let cool, then store mixture in a jar in refrigerator for at least 2 days before eating, and up to several months. These are great over ice cream.

PECAN PRALINE

Steps:

• Lightly oil a baking sheet.
• In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderate heat, stirring with a fork, until melted and cook, without stirring, swirling pan, until a golden caramel. Stir in pecans with salt until coated well. Immediately pour mixture onto baking sheet, tilting baking sheet to make a thin layer, and cool completely, about 20 minutes. Carefully remove praline in shards from baking sheet. Break about one eighth shards into smaller pieces and in a food processor pulse until ground coarse. Break remaining praline into 12 shards for garnishing desserts. Praline may be made 2 days ahead, ground praline kept in an airtight container at cool room temperature (if it clumps, regrind in food processor before using), and shards kept between sheets of wax paper in another airtight container at room temperature.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING ICE CREAM BOMBE

Steps:

• Take the ice cream out of the freezer for 20 mins to soften. Put the mixed dried fruit in a small pan and stir through the brandy, clementine zest and juice and cinnamon, then heat until just steaming. Set aside to cool.
• Oil and line a medium pudding basin (approx 900ml) with two layers of baking parchment. Cut into the sides of the parchment, so it fits closely around the sides of the basin - you want it to be as smooth as possible as it will imprint into the bombe. Two layers of parchment will help you remove it once frozen.
• Mix the softened ice cream, infused fruit and any remaining liquid with the free from Christmas Pudding in a large bowl. Mix gently until the fruit and pudding are evenly distributed in the ice cream. Spoon into the basin, and smooth over the top. Cover and freeze for 6 hrs until solid. Will keep frozen for up to three months.
• About 20 mins before serving, heat the cream in a small pan until steaming. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl, then pour the hot cream over it, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Leave to cool slightly. Remove the bombe from the freezer 10 mins before serving.
• To serve, invert the bombe onto a serving plate and remove any parchment - dip the base of the basin into warm water to help remove it if needed. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top, easing it gently down the sides of the bombe a little before it sets. Top with the dried cranberries or glacé cherries, and the holly or bay leaves, if using. Spray everything with gold lustre, if you like, and serve whole at the table before cutting into portions.

BOOZY CHRISTMAS BOMBE

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit into a large bowl, add 2 tbsp brandy and the sugar, then cover with cling film. Microwave on High for 2 mins until the sugar has melted and the fruit plumped up. Give it a stir, then leave to cool and soak overnight. If you're short of time, carry on with step 2 and leave to soak for as long as it takes to complete step 2.
• Put the cream, remaining brandy and icing sugar into a large bowl and whip to soft peaks. Pour the custard into another bowl and fold the cream into it. Tip into a freezer container and freeze the mix for 4 hrs, stirring the frozen edges into the rest of the mixture every hour or so until the whole tub is soft, but frozen (or use an ice cream machine, churning for 20-30 mins until thick). Meanwhile, line a 1.2-litre pudding basin with cling film.
• Once the ice cream mix is thick, quickly fold the soaked fruit (and any liquid from it) and frozen cranberries through it and spoon into the lined basin. Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hrs. To serve, leave bombe at room temperature for 10 mins and turn out onto a serving plate.
• To make the cranberry brandy butter sauce, in a heavy-based pan gently heat muscovado sugar and butter until the sugar dissolves.
• Splash in brandy, add cranberries and boil gently till the cranberries pop, but still hold their shape and colour the sauce. If you want to, sieve the seeds out of the sauce and add some more cranberries for a really glossy finish. Serve hot or warm.