Vanilla Almond Tortoni Food

TORTONI, FROZEN ALMOND CREAM DESSERT

Steps:

• Put the cookies in a small heavy-duty plastic bag and crush them with a heavy object.
• There should be about 1/4 cup crumbs.
• Combine the cream, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and almond extract in a large chilled bowl.
• Beat with a hand-held electric mixer on high speed until the cream holds soft peaks when the beaters are lifted.
• In a clean bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt on low speed until foamy.
• Gradually increase the speed and beat until the the whites hold soft peaks.
• Fold the whites into the whipped cream.
• Spoon the mixture into 8 wine goblets.
• Sprinkle the tortoni with the amaretti crumbs.
• Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
• Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving.

TORTONI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Break the macaroons into pieces and toast them on a baking sheet until golden, dry and crumbly. Let cool. Grind to fine crumbs in a food processor. You need about 1 cup.
• Combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water in a small, heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook until the syrup reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Meanwhile, in a mixer, whip the egg whites until they form firm peaks. By hand, whip the yolks until fluffy. In the mixer bowl, fold together the whites and yolks.
• When the sugar is ready, turn on the mixer to medium speed and, with it running, slowly pour in the syrup in a fine thread. Reduce the speed to low and whip until the mixture cools to room temperature. Mix in the vanilla.
• Whip the cream and fold it into the egg mixture.
• Line the base of a 2-quart soufflé dish (or other mold) with parchment. Spoon half the crumbs into the base. Cover with the mousse. Top with the remaining crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
• Dip the base of the dish in a bowl of hot water. Run a knife around the edge of the mold, then invert onto a plate. Cut into wedges.

TOASTED ALMOND SUNDAES

Steps:

• Soften ice creams to scoop 10 seconds per pint in the microwave or set on kitchen counter 10 to 15 minutes. Put 1 scoop each of caramel ice cream and vanilla ice cream into dessert dishes. Top each with a shot of liqueur. Heat the dessert sauce 40 seconds in microwave (remove the metal top of jar). Pour caramel sauce over sundaes and top with whipped cream and bits of smoked almonds.

STRACCIATELLA TORTONI CAKE WITH ESPRESSO FUDGE SAUCE

Steps:

• Make crust:
• Butter a 9- by 5-inch loaf pan and line bottom and short sides with a strip of parchment paper, leaving 4 inches of overhang on each end.
• Stir together ground cookies, ground almonds, and butter, then firmly press over bottom of pan. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.
• Make tortoni filling:
• Beat egg whites with sugar, cream of tartar, and 1/8 tsp salt in a large metal bowl set over a large saucepan of simmering water using a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until whites hold soft peaks and an instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 7 minutes.
• Remove bowl from pan and continue to beat meringue until it just holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.
• Beat cream with Amaretto in another bowl at medium speed using cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in half of meringue gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining meringue along with chocolate. Spoon over crust, smoothing top with offset spatula. Sprinkle with almonds. Freeze, uncovered, until firm, about 3 hours.
• Make sauce:
• Bring cream, corn syrup, brown sugar, espresso powder, cocoa, 1/8 tsp salt, and half of chopped chocolate to a boil in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring until chocolate is melted. Reduce heat and cook at a slow boil, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla and remaining chocolate until smooth. Cool to warm.
• To serve:
• Dip bottom of loaf pan in 1 inch warm water in a roasting pan 10 seconds, then lift tortoni out of pan using parchment paper. Transfer to a platter. Peel paper from tortoni.
• Let stand 5 minutes to soften slightly. Cut into 6 triangular wedges. Thin sauce with additional cream if necessary and serve with tortoni.

CHERRY TORTONI

Steps:

• Cook cherries:
• If using frozen cherries, thaw, reserving juices. Simmer cherries, 1/2 cup sugar, and liqueur in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk together cornstarch and water until combined, then whisk into cherry mixture and boil 1 minute. Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill, uncovered, 1 hour.
• Make crust:
• Pulse 1 cup almonds in a food processor until finely ground (do not pulse to a paste). Transfer to a bowl and stir in wafer crumbs and butter with a fork until combined well. Pat crumb mixture evenly onto bottom and 1 1/2 inches up side of buttered springform pan, then freeze while making filling, about 30 minutes.
• Make tortoni filling:
• Beat egg whites with remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water using a handheld electric mixer at medium-high speed until whites just hold soft peaks and instant-read thermometer registers 170°F, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan and continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes more.
• Beat cream with Marsala in another bowl at medium speed until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in ground amaretti and half of whites gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining whites and pour into crust in pan, smoothing top.
• Drain cherries in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve juices. Scatter cherries evenly over top of tortoni, then swirl cherries into tortoni with tip of a sharp knife for a marbled effect. Sprinkle top of tortoni with remaining 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds and freeze, loosely covered, until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Let stand in pan at room temperature 10 minutes to soften slightly before serving. Carefully remove side of pan, then cut tortoni into wedges and serve with cherry juices.

FROZEN PUDDING TORTONI

Steps:

• Beat pudding mix, half-and-half and extract in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.
• Spoon into 8 individual dessert dishes or paper-lined medium muffin cups. Sprinkle with chopped cookies.
• Freeze 3 hours or until firm. Freeze leftovers.

ALMOND TORTONI

Steps:

• In a small bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Gradually beat in sugar, and continue beating until thick and glossy; set aside.
• Whip cream in a large bowl. Carefully fold in sherry, almond extract, macaroon crumbs, ground almonds, and chopped red and green cherries. Gently fold egg white into cream mixture.
• Spoon into 8 paper baking cups placed in medium size muffin tray. Sprinkle with slivered almonds. Cover muffin tray with clear plastic wrap, then wrap with aluminum foil. Freeze overnight.
• To serve: Let sit for 5 minutes at room temperature, then garnish with maraschino cherry halves.

DISARONNO COCONUT MACAROON TORTONI

Steps:

• Chop the macaroons (the macaroons I buy are the soft macaroons from Target, chocolate dipped ones or plain ones).
• Place on a parchment or foil lined cookie sheet and bake them at 225 degrees for 45 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring several times while baking. You want then dried and crunchy.
• Cool and place in Ziploc bag.
• Toast the sliced almonds until lightly browned.
• Cool and then coarsely crush them.
• Mix them in with the toasted macaroons.
• Freeze the macaroon/almond crumbs until needed (this can be done hours/days in advance or while you are making the sugar/water/egg mixture and it's cooling). I will usually double this part of the recipe and keep a bag for later. It's a time saver for when I make it again.
• Boil the water and sugar until it reaches 235 degrees (if you don't have a thermometer, until the syrup spins a thread when dropped from the tip of a spoon), this will take a little while, be patient.
• Just before sugar water is to temperature, beat the egg yolks with mixer until it starts to get pale and fluffy.
• Drizzle the hot syrup into eggs gradually while beating.
• Cook the egg mixture over a double boiler for 7 minutes while constantly mixing on a low speed.
• Whip into the egg mixture 1/4 cup of DiSarrono (if you prefer no alcohol you can substitute 1 tsp almond extract).
• Chill in refrigerator for 40-50 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, whip the cream, vanilla and powdered sugar (and 1/2 tsp almond extract for no alcohol recipe) until stiffly whipped.
• Whip in 1/4 cup DiSaronno.
• Remove egg mixture from refrigerator and mix in 2 1/2 cups macaroon/almond crumbs.
• Gently fold-in egg/macaroon mixture into whipped cream mixture.
• Place foil cupcake wrappers or pretty martini/parfait glasses or serving dishes on cookie sheets.
• Using a large ice cream scoop or spoon, mound individual portions into each dish.
• Crush remaining macaroon/almond crumbs and sprinkle generous amount on top of each portion.
• Place one cherry on top of each one.
• Freeze for at least 4 hours.
• After tortoni is frozen, place servings into large Ziploc bags and keep in freezer and use as desired.
• This Tortoni can be frozen in a single resealable container. Just scoop frozen tortoni into serving dishes and sprinkle with crumbs and place cherry on top.
• Note: copy cat recipe for DiSaronno works well for this Tortoni. 1/2 cup sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup boiling water, 1/2 cup dark corn syrup, 1 1/2 cups 80-proof vodka, 1 tablespoon pure almond extract, 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix sugars and boiling water in glass pitcher or bowl. Stir until dissolved. Add corn syrup, stir well. Add vodka, almond and vanilla extracts. Cool and store in sealed container (empty vodka bottle re-labeled). Makes 3 cups.

TORTONI

Steps:

• Mix evaporated milk and sugar.
• Add macaroon crumbs.
• Let soak for one hour.
• Fold in the whipped cream, salt, and vanilla.
• Fill individual souffle cups.
• Sprinkle with additional crumbs and chopped cherries.
• Freeze.
• Serve with additional dollop of whipped cream.