Italian Spumoni Bars Food

ITALIAN SPUMONI COOKIES

Steps:

• Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 5-10 minutes to soften. In a large bowl, beat cookie dough and 3/4 cup flour until combined. Divide dough into three portions., Add remaining flour, cherries and if desired red food coloring to one portion. Add cocoa and liqueur to the second portion. Add pistachios and if desired green food coloring to the remaining portion., Roll each portion between two pieces of waxed paper into an 8x6-in. rectangle. Remove waxed paper. Place cherry rectangle on a piece of plastic wrap. Layer with chocolate and pistachio rectangles; press together lightly. Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight., Preheat oven to 375°. Cut chilled dough in half widthwise. Return one rectangle to the refrigerator. Cut remaining rectangle into 1/4-in. slices. Place 1 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough., Bake 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 2 minutes before removing to wire racks. Store in an airtight container.

SPUMONI (ITALIAN ICE CREAM LIKE DESSERT)

Steps:

• Chill a 1 quart spumoni mold well.
• If you don't have a spumoni mold, a 1 quart gelatin mold will work very well.
• First Mixture: Combine milk, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla in a sauce pan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until thickend (like a pudding).
• Cool mixture.
• Place cooled mixture in a freezer tray and freeze until medium hard (about 2 hours).
• It should be soft enough to spoon out easily, but hard enough to hold its shape.
• Second Mixture: In Bowl, beat heavy cream and sugar together until stiff.
• Gently mix in the cherries, orange peel and almonds.
• Chill the second mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator.
• Filling Mold: When first mixture is ready (semi-frozen), remove from freezer tray and line the inside of the chilled mold with it.
• With the back of a spoon, shape a hollow in the middle of the first mixture.
• Fill the hollow with the second mixture.
• Cover the top of the mold with plastic wrap or waxed paper, and freeze for about 2 hours (until very firm).
• To serve, dip mold briefly in warm water and unmold onto a serving plate.
• Cut spumoni into 6-8 portions.

VALERIE'S SPUMONI

Steps:

• Lightly grease a 9-by-5-inch aluminum loaf pan with cooking spray. Line the pan with plastic wrap on all sides, leaving a 2-inch overhang; the cooking spray will help the plastic stick directly to the sides of the pan.
• In a food processor, pulse the chocolate wafers until very fine, like sand. Add the chocolate sauce and pulse a few more times until the mixture comes together. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and firmly press into the bottom of the pan to create a crust. Freeze for 30 minutes to set.
• Meanwhile, remove the chocolate-chocolate chip gelato from the freezer to soften. After 30 minutes, remove the loaf pan from the freezer and spread the chocolate gelato over the crust; use a small offset or rubber spatula to spread the gelato into a flat, even layer. Return the loaf pan to the freezer for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, let the vanilla bean gelato soften at room temperature.
• When the vanilla gelato has softened, transfer it to a bowl and stir in the sliced Amarena cherries, the Amarena syrup and the red food coloring if using. Mix until the cherries are evenly dispersed and the food coloring is completely incorporated. Remove the loaf pan from the freezer and evenly spread the cherry gelato over the chocolate gelato. Place back in the freezer for at least 1 hour more; it takes longer for the cherry layer to set.
• Thirty minutes before the cherry layer is set, remove the pistachio gelato from the freezer to soften. When softened, spread in an even layer over the cherry gelato; the pistachio layer should come up nearly to the top of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
• When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap from the top of the pan and invert the spumoni onto a cutting board. Gently lift the loaf pan away and remove the remaining plastic wrap. Slice the spumoni into 3/4-inch slices, using a chef's knife dipped in warm water; dip the knife in the warm water between each slice. Serve immediately.

SPUMONI SLICES - ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES

Steps:

• Beat shortening and margarine or butter about 30 seconds or till softened.
• Add half the flour, the sugar, egg, 2 tablespoons milk, vanilla, baking soda, and 1/4 teaspoons salt.
• Beat till thoroughly combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.
• Stir in remaining flour.
• Divide dough into thirds.
• Into one portion, mix chocolate and 2 teaspoons of the milk.
• Into second portion, mix cherries.
• Into third portion mix nuts, remaining milk, flavoring, and enough green food coloring to tint dough.
• To shape dough, line bottom and sides of an 8 x 4 x 2 inch loaf pan with clear plastic wrap.
• Press pink dough evenly in pan.
• Top with chocolate dough.
• Top with green dough.
• Cover and chill for 4 to 24 hours.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Invert pan; remove dough.
• Remove plastic wrap.
• Cut dough into 1/4 inch thick slices; cut each slice crosswise into three pieces.
• Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet.
• Bake in 375 oven 8 to 10 minutes or till edges are lightly browned.
• Remove and cool on rack.
• Drizzle with powdered sugar icing tinted green or with melted chocolate.

COOKIES AROUND THE WORLD 3 OF 5

Steps:

• BASIC COOKIE DOUGH.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Beat in egg and vanilla.
• Add flour slowly and mix well.
• FINNISH ALMOND BRITTLE.
• Add almond extract to 1/2 cookie dough.
• Cover and chill for at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375.
• Roll dough 1/4 inch on lightly-floured cloth-coverd board.
• Cut into strips 2 1/2 by 3/4 inch.
• Bake on ungreased baking sheet 10-12 minutes, until very light brown.
• Cool.
• For frosting, blend confectioners sugar, vanilla, milk, food color.
• Frost cookies.
• Sprinkle with almonds.
• ITALIAN SPUMONI BARS.
• Divide 1/2 cookie dough into 3 parts.
• Part 1- mix in premelted chocolate.
• Part 2- mix in pistachio nuts and green food color.
• Part 3- mix in rum flavoring and red food color.
• shape each part into rectangle, 8 by 3 inches.
• Layer rectangles, placing green dough in center.
• Press together.
• Wrap and chill at least 2 hours.
• Heat oven to 375.
• Cut dough crosswise into 1/8 inch slices.
• bake on ungreased backing sheet 5-7 minutes, until no imprint remains when touched lightly.