Dayrecipe Food Community

DIRECTIONS

For crust:
Finely grind cookies and sugar in processor. Add butter and blend until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crumbs firmly onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Place in freezer.

For filling:
Grind candies in processor, leaving some small pieces. Whisk yolks, sugar and water in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of rapidly simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Whisk constantly until candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 170°F, about 6 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Add half of ground candies and whisk until melted. Let mixture stand until cool, whisking occasionally, about 5 minutes. Mix in remaining candy and peppermint extract.

Using electric mixer, beat cream in large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold cream into yolk mixture. Spoon mixture into crust; smooth top. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.

For sauce:
Bring 1 cup cream and corn syrup to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Cool until barely lukewarm and slightly thickened, whisking occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Spoon 1 cup sauce over frozen filling, spreading to edges. Freeze until firm, at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 week ahead. Cover and keep torte frozen. Cover remaining sauce and refrigerate.)

Rewarm sauce over low heat, stirring frequently. Run sharp knife around pan sides to loosen torte. Release pan sides. Transfer torte to platter.

Beat remaining 1 cup cream in large bowl until stiff peaks form. Spoon into pastry bag fitted with star tip. Pipe rosettes of cream around top edge of torte. Place candies between rosettes. Serve with warm sauce.

DIRECTIONS

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind amaretti cookies in processor (makes about 1 1/2 cups crumbs). With processor running, gradually add melted butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until pale golden, about6 minutes. Cool. Gently press up bottom of pan just to loosen crust from sides (do not remove from pan). Place crust in freezer.

For filling:
Soak currants in 1/2 cup Marsala in small bowl for 1 hour.

Whisk remaining 1 cup Marsala, sugar and yolks in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of rapidly simmering water and whisk until candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 170°F, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in corn syrup, vanilla and nutmeg. Refrigerate zabaglione until cool, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Beat cream in bowl to stiff peaks. Add zabaglione and beat just until smooth. Drain currants and fold into zabaglione (reserve Marsala for another use). Place in freezer until slightly stiffened but not frozen, about 1 hour.

Spoon zabaglione cream into crust, mounding in center. Freeze until almost firm, about 2 hours. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.

For sauce:
Stir Marsala and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is reduced to generous 2/3 cup, about 17 minutes. Add lemon peel and nutmeg and boil 1 minute. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)

Remove tart from pan. Transfer tart to platter. Arrange strawberries around top edge of tart. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing warm sauce separately.

DIRECTIONS

For cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 15 x 10 x 1-inch jelly roll pan. Finely grind nuts with flour in processor. Transfer to medium bowl. Mix in baking powder, spices and salt. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl until well blended. Beat in yolks and extracts. On low speed, add dry ingredients alternately with milk, beating just until combined (batter will be thick). Using clean dry beaters, beat whites in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold 1/3 of whites into batter to lighten. Fold in remaining whites.

Spread batter in prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake on rack 20 minutes. Run sharp knife around cake to loosen. Turn cake out onto foil-lined rack; cool.

For frosting:
Stir white chocolate in top of double boiler over barely simmering water until melted. Cool to barely lukewarm. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until smooth. Beat in white chocolate, then sugar and extracts (if frosting is too soft, chill until firm enough to spread).

Using serrated knife, cut cake crosswise into three 5×10-inch rectangles. Place 1 cake rectangle on platter. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Drizzle 1/4 cup preserves over; spread over frosting. Top with second cake. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over. Drizzle 1/4 cup preserves over; spread over frosting. Top with third cake. Spoon 1 1/4 cups frosting into pastry bag fitted with 1/4-inch star tip. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Drizzle remaining preserves over top of cake; spread evenly to cover top. Refrigerate cake just until frosting begins to firm, about 20 minutes.

Pipe frosting in 7 diagonal lines atop cake, spacing apart. Repeat in opposite direction, piping 6 lines and forming lattice. Press chopped nuts onto sides of cake. Pipe line of frosting around top edge of cake where nuts and preserves meet. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover with dome of foil; chill. Let stand 2 hours at room temperature before serving.)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil; butter foil. Beat whites and cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks. Add 1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff and glossy. Add 4 tablespoons ginger, cornstarch and cardamom; beat 1 minute.

Spoon meringue into pastry bag fitted with plain 1/2-inch round tip. Pipe 3 1/2-inch-diameter meringue ring on prepared sheet. Pipe another ring atop first. Pipe meringue inside ring to create thin base, covering bottom of ring completely. Repeat, forming 6 meringue shells total.

Bake meringues 1 1/2 hours (they will not color). Turn oven off. Leave meringues in closed oven 1 1/2 hours longer. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Store between layers of waxed paper in airtight container.)

Slice 1 1/2 mangoes; chill. Puree remaining 1 1/2 mangoes in processor with 1 tablespoon sugar. Mix in enough water to thin to sauce consistency. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Chill.)

Beat cream, sour cream, vanilla and 1 tablespoon sugar in large bowl to stiff peaks. Drizzle 1/4 cup mango sauce onto each of 6 plates. Place 1 meringue on each plate. Spoon 1/3 cup cream into center of each meringue. Top with pineapple, kiwi and sliced mango. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon ginger.

DIRECTIONS

Butter six 1 1/4-cup soufflé dishes or custard cups. Sprinkle with sugar. Arrange dishes on large baking sheet.

Melt butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat. Add flour; whisk until mixture bubbles, about 2 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high. Gradually whisk in milk. Whisk until mixture boils, thickens and is smooth, about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add 6 ounces Toblerone chocolate (scant 1 1/4 cups), unsweetened chocolate and honey; whisk until melted and smooth. Pour into large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk yolks into chocolate mixture. Beat whites and salt in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add 1 tablespoon sugar; beat until stiff and glossy. Fold 1/4 of whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold in remaining whites. Divide half of mixture among prepared dishes. Sprinkle with 2 ounces chopped chocolate, dividing equally. Spoon remaining batter over. Sprinkle almonds over soufflés. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Wrap in foil and freeze; do not thaw. Uncover before baking.)

Bake soufflés until puffed and almost firm to touch but center still moves slightly when dishes are gently shaken, about 17 minutes for unfrozen, 22 minutes for frozen. Sift powdered sugar over soufflés and serve immediately.