What would a book on ice cream be like without lots of recipes for sauces and toppings of all kinds? A perfect scoop of ice cream is great on its own, but add a ladle of sauce and you’ve got a full-fledged dessert. Whether you’ll be serving a classic hot fudge sundae or a scoop of fresh fruit sorbet resting on a pool of vividly colored berry coulis, the recipes in this chapter are designed to give you lots of options for customizing any ice cream or sorbet as you wish.
One of life’s great pleasures is spooning a homemade topping over mounds of ice cream and watching it ooze down the sides before digging in. Is there anything better than scraping warm, rich Classic Hot Fudge off your spoon and while it mingles with cool, creamy ice cream? Is there anyone out there who doesn’t like a good hot fudge sundae? But in case you’re not in the mood for a full-blown sundae extravaganza, you’ll also find plenty of other chocolate sauces to choose from, including a Lean Chocolate Sauce that’s so chocolaty you’ll feel deprived of nothing. And if you’re looking for a chocolate topping with a kick, espresso-fueled Mocha Sauce will turbocharge any dish of ice cream into something stratospherically good.
Anyone who knows me is aware that I, as a pastry chef, hold a singular, puffy marshmallow in the same high esteem that a savory cook reserves for a rare, pricey truffle. There’s nothing I enjoy more than anything made with marshmallows, and in my headstrong youth I would insist that ice cream parlors replace the whipped cream they normally served on ice cream sundaes with sticky marshmallow sauce on mine. (Unfortunately, I could never convince them to give me both.) I’m sorry, but there’s no substitute for the sweet sensation of diving into billowy Marshmallow Sauce.
Because we Americans are famous for our love of butterscotch and gooey caramel, there’s a Pecan-Praline Sauce loaded with toasted nuts, and a Creamy Caramel Sauce as well. With a nod to ice cream lovers around the world, I’ve also gone global, with recipes such as Candied Red Beans, Cajeta, and Dulce de Leche. I think you’ll enjoy making and eating them all, no matter where you call home.
A chef once asked me if all pastry chefs were crazy. To be honest, we do have that reputation, since many of us are indeed crazed perfectionists. If we get something in our minds, we’re not satisfied until it’s just right. When I imagined the perfect hot fudge sauce, I envisioned it being gooey, shiny, silky smooth, and full of deep, dark chocolate flavor. So I tinkered around until I came up with the perfect version of this sauce.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
¾ cup (180 ml) heavy cream
¼ cup (60 g) packed dark brown sugar
¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
½ cup (125 ml) light corn syrup
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon (15 g) salted butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix the cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.
Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
This sauce is very rich and very thick. If you prefer your hot fudge on the sweeter side, this is the one for you.
MAKES 3 CUPS (750 ML)
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
⅔ cup (130 g) sugar
8 ounces (230 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Heat the cream, butter, corn syrup, and sugar in a large saucepan until it begins to boil. Boil for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, making sure it doesn’t boil over.
Remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
This is my favorite all-purpose chocolate sauce. Although the name says lean, it tastes anything but. It’s a wonderful alternative to richer chocolate sauces spiked with cream or butter, and gets its flavor from lots of chocolate and cocoa powder (an important reason to use the best you can find). This sauce gets gloriously thicker the longer it sits, which I find makes a reasonable excuse for keeping a batch on hand in the refrigerator at all times.
MAKES 3 CUPS (750 ML)
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (100 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 cup (250 ml) light corn syrup
4 ounces (115 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
Whisk the water, cocoa powder, and corn syrup together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces, stirring until melted and smooth. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
The coffee craze shows no sign of slowing down. And fueled by all that caffeine, it probably never will. This sauce combines coffee and chocolate into mocha, named after an Arabian port famous for its coffee. Somewhere along the line, chocolate got added, and “mocha” nowadays means coffee fortified with a good dose of chocolate.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
1 cup (250 ml) espresso or strongly brewed coffee
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
½ cup (50 g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
2 ounces (60 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
4 tablespoons (60 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
Whisk the espresso, sugar, and cocoa powder together in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the sauce cook at a low boil for 30 seconds without stirring.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate pieces and butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Let the sauce stand for at least 1 hour before serving.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
This decadently thick sauce is perfect if you’re nostalgic for the incredibly thick hot fudge sauce served in old-fashioned ice cream parlors, many of which are disappearing. I was inspired to use airy marshmallows (which hopefully won’t be disappearing anytime soon) as a foundation by the sauce served at Edy’s, a well-loved ice cream fountain in Berkeley, California, that (sadly) no longer exists.
Warning: This sauce is very, very thick!
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
⅔ cup (160 ml) milk (whole or low-fat)
2 tablespoons (30 g) salted butter
30 large marshmallows (185 g)
8 ounces (230 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Warm the milk and butter in a medium saucepan. Add the marshmallows and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until they’ve melted. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate pieces. Let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Add the vanilla. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat. If the sauce becomes too thick, stir in a few spoonfuls of milk.
This sauce is easy to put together and is lovely served with any of the dark chocolate ice creams or sorbets in this book. I appreciate it for its creamy sweetness, and it rarely fails to impress. Be sure to use top-quality, real white chocolate, which is actually ivory colored, due to an abundance of pure cocoa butter.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
1¼ cups (310 ml) heavy cream
10 ounces (280 g) white chocolate, finely chopped
Warm the cream in a small saucepan. Once it’s hot but not boiling, remove it from the heat and stir in the white chocolate until it is completely melted and the sauce is smooth. Serve warm or at room temperature.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Rewarm it gently in a double boiler or in a microwave oven. If the sauce gets too thick, thin it out with a tablespoon or two of whole milk.
VARIATIONS: For White Chocolate and Vanilla Bean Sauce, stir in ¾ teaspoon ground vanilla beans or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste.
To make White Chocolate–Chartreuse Sauce, add 1 tablespoon green Chartreuse liqueur.
Marshmallow Sauce on top of Chocolate Ice Cream
I love sticky marshmallow sauce perhaps more than anything else on earth. When it’s spooned over a hot fudge sundae, the combination sends me skyward to heaven. Make it for yourself and see what all the fuss is about.
This sauce must be made just before serving, as it doesn’t hold well. But it never lasts long around my house, and I don’t think you’ll have any trouble finding someone to help you finish it all up rather quickly either.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
¾ cup (185 ml) cold water
1 envelope (¼ ounce, 10 g) unflavored powdered gelatin
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) light corn syrup
1 large egg white
Big pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pour ½ cup (125 ml) of the cold water into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top; set aside. In a small, heavy-duty saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer, mix the remaining ¼ cup (60 ml) water with the sugar and corn syrup. Put the egg white in the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
Bring the sugar syrup to a boil. When the syrup reaches about 225°F (110°C), begin beating the egg white with the salt. Once the syrup reaches 240°F (116°C) and the egg white is stiff, pour the hot syrup into the mixer bowl in a slow stream while beating on medium-high speed. (Aim the syrup between the whip and the side of the bowl to keep the syrup from clinging to the whip.)
Once you’ve added all the syrup, scrape the softened gelatin into the warm saucepan and stir, allowing the heat of the pan to melt the gelatin. Pour the gelatin into the egg white mixture while whipping, as you did with the sugar syrup. Continue to beat until the mixture cools to room temperature, then whip in the vanilla. Serve this sauce as soon as possible after it’s made.
Successful whipped cream means starting with the best-tasting, freshest cream you can find. Buy heavy or whipping cream that hasn’t been ultrapasteurized, if you can.
Before you start whipping, make sure your cream is very cold. If you chill the bowl and whisk beforehand, the cream will whip much faster, which is especially important in warmer weather.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
With an electric mixer, or by hand with a whisk and stainless steel bowl, whip the cream until it begins to mound and hold its shape. Whisk in 1 tablespoon sugar and the vanilla. Taste, then add the additional tablespoon of sugar if you wish. Whip until the cream forms soft, droopy peaks.
NOTE: You can rescue overwhipped cream by gently folding in additional liquid cream with a rubber spatula until smooth.
STORAGE: If you whip the cream in advance and store it in the refrigerator, it may separate as it sits. A light whisking will bring it back.
There’s nothing that beats the taste of darkly caramelized sugar transformed by a pour of cream into a suave, velvety caramel sauce. If you’ve never made caramel before, it’s simple, but do take care, since the sugar gets very hot as it liquefies. Wear an oven mitt when stirring in the cream, and resist the temptation to gaze too closely into the pot while it’s bubbling and boiling away.
MAKES 1½ CUPS (375 ML)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1¼ cups (310 ml) heavy cream
¼ teaspoon coarse salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a large, deep, heavy-duty saucepan or Dutch oven, spread the sugar in an even layer. Cook the sugar over low to medium heat, watching it carefully. When it begins to liquefy and darken at the edges, use a heatproof spatula to very gently stir it to encourage even cooking.
Tilt the pan and stir gently until all of the sugar is melted and the caramel begins to smoke and turns a deep amber color. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in half of the cream, which will steam and bubble up furiously. Carefully stir until the sugar is dissolved, then gradually whisk in the remaining cream and the salt and vanilla. If there are any bits of hardened sugar, whisk the sauce over low heat until smooth. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat. If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it by adding a small amount of milk or additional cream.
This is an oven-baked version of Cajeta. It’s a superb sauce for ice cream when slightly warm, as well as being excellent when layered in ice cream. Baking it in the oven means you don’t need to watch it carefully while it cooks, but do make sure there’s sufficient water in the outer pan while it’s cooking. You can also add a vanilla bean at the beginning or stir in a tablespoon of sherry at the end.
MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML)
One 14-ounce (397 g) can sweetened condensed milk
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Pour the condensed milk into a 9-inch (23-cm) glass or nonreactive metal pie plate, or a similar-sized baking dish and sprinkle the salt over it. Cover snugly with foil and set the baking dish within a larger pan, such as a roasting pan. Add hot water until it reaches halfway up the side of the pie plate.
Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours, checking a few times during baking and adding warm water to the roasting pan if it needs more. Once the milk is the color of dark butterscotch, remove it from the oven. Remove the foil and let it cool to room temperature, then whisk until smooth.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat. If it seems too thick, you can thin it with a small amount of milk.
I think of cajeta as the risotto of dessert sauces, since it’s made on the stovetop and requires vigilant attention while it simmers and transforms itself from ordinary ingredients (milk and sugar) into a deeply browned, sticky-sweet paste. The first cajeta I tasted was made in Mexico from goat’s milk, and it was absolutely the best thing I’d ever tasted. Since you might not be able to find goat’s milk, or it may not be to your taste, cow’s milk makes yummy cajeta as well.
Begin your cajeta in a very large pot, with a capacity of at least 8 quarts (8 liters), since the mixture can bubble up unexpectedly. It should be a heavy-duty pot with a thick bottom. Be sure to pay attention while you’re cooking it, especially during the last 20 minutes, when it’s vital to keep watch. If you don’t stir it constantly during that final stage of cooking, it’s likely to scorch on the bottom. If it does, simply strain it to remove any browned bits.
MAKES 1¼ CUPS (310 ML)
4 cups (1 liter) whole milk (cow’s milk or goat’s milk)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 cinnamon stick, or ½ vanilla bean
Big pinch of salt
In a large, heavy-duty Dutch oven or stockpot, heat the milk, sugar, corn syrup, baking soda, cinnamon stick or vanilla bean, and salt until the mixture comes to a boil. As the milk begins to foam up, begin stirring it with a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon.
Reduce the heat so the milk is at a low, rolling boil and continue to cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom, allowing it to reduce.
After about 20 minutes, the milk will begin to thicken and turn a light beige color. At this point, lower the heat as much as possible (if you have a flame tamer, you may wish to use it), and be vigilant, scraping the bottom constantly as it cooks.
Continue to cook for about 15 minutes more, stirring vigilantly, until the milk is the color of coffee with a touch of cream. Remove from the heat and allow the Cajeta to cool before serving.
Cajeta can be layered into ice cream like Fudge Ripple, in generous spoonfuls as you remove the just-churned ice cream from the machine. This is easiest to do when the cajeta is at room temperature and not chilled.
STORAGE: Cajeta can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring it in a saucepan over very low heat to serve as an accompaniment to ice cream. If it’s too thick, you can thin it with a little milk.
We all need heroes in life. Someone to look up to, whom you idolize, and who does something that radically alters your life forever.
For me, that person is Henri Le Roux, who makes caramel-butter-salt caramels (nicknamed CBS) in the seaside town of Quiberon, on the Atlantic coast of France. The residents of Brittany are famous for consuming shocking amounts of butter, most of it heavily flecked with coarse sea salt to preserve and complement its buttery goodness. When Monsieur Le Roux unwrapped one of his buttery, meltingly tender salted caramels and popped it in my mouth, I knew I’d found my hero.
To get the same flavor, be sure to use a good-quality kosher or coarse sea salt, such as fleur de sel (see Resources), recognizable by its delicate, shimmering crystals. It makes quite a difference.
MAKES 1½ CUPS (375 ML)
6 tablespoons (85 g) butter, salted or unsalted
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1¼ teaspoons coarse salt
Melt the butter in a large, deep heavy-duty saucepan or Dutch oven. Stir in the sugar and cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar is a deep golden brown and starts to smoke.
Remove from the heat and immediately whisk in half of the cream until smooth (wear an oven mitt, since the mixture will steam and splatter and may bubble up furiously). Stir in the rest of the cream, then the vanilla and salt. If there are any lumps of caramel, whisk the sauce gently over low heat until they’re dissolved. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
Do you have OSD? When you see something in a saucepan, do you find that you can’t stop yourself from giving it a stir? If so, you’ve probably got obsessive stirring disorder, and you need to curb that kind of behavior to caramelize sugar properly.
Mix the sugar as little as possible, just enough to keep it from burning. Stirring encourages the jagged little crystals to join together and crystallize, which you want to avoid. If crystallization does start to happen, remove the pan from the heat and tenderly stir it to dissolve the crystals before adding the water and lemon juice. This lemony sauce is superb when drizzled over any lemon-flavored ice cream served in Profiteroles, or along with ice cream–filled Crêpes.
MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup (250 ml) water
2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or skillet, spread the sugar in an even layer. Pour ½ cup (125 ml) of the water over it, along with a few drops of the lemon juice. Heat the sugar, without stirring, over medium heat until the mixture begins to bubble and the sugar starts to dissolve. Tilt the pan gently if the sugar is cooking unevenly, or use a heatproof utensil to ever so gently stir the syrup.
Once the sugar begins to smoke and becomes a deep amber color, remove it from the heat and add the remaining ½ cup (125 ml) water. Let the steam subside, then whisk the caramel until smooth (wear an oven mitt, as the hot caramel can splatter).
Stir in 2 tablespoons lemon juice and let the mixture cool to room temperature. Strain it if there are any bits of undissolved sugar. Once the caramel reaches room temperature, taste it and add the additional lemon juice if you wish. Serve at room temperature or warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
VARIATION: To make Whiskey (or Rum) Caramel Sauce, replace the lemon juice with 1 tablespoon of whiskey (or rum). Once the mixture reaches room temperature, taste and add more liquor if desired.
Although I like to make this chunky sauce all year long and I use it to top everything from Super Lemon Ice Cream in the winter to Fresh Apricot Ice Cream in the summer, you can make it more winter-holiday-friendly by adding a handful of dried cranberries in place of some of the pecans, using the variation at the end of the recipe. Then try it ladled over Cinnamon Ice Cream for a real treat. If possible, make this sauce in advance and let it sit for a few hours, so all the ingredients have a chance to mingle and meld together deliciously.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
4 tablespoons (60 g) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
½ cup (125 ml) water
¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
1¼ cups (125 g) pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped
⅛ teaspoon coarse salt
3 tablespoons (45 ml) whiskey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
In a medium, heavy-duty saucepan, melt the butter. Stir in the sugar and corn syrup and cook, stirring regularly, until the mixture becomes deep amber, the color of coffee with a touch of cream.
Remove from the heat and whisk in the water. Since the mixture can splatter, you may wish to wear an oven mitt. (The sugar might seize when you add the water, but it will smooth out as you stir it.) Bring the sauce to a low boil, whisking, until the sugar is dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
Remove from the heat and stir in the cream, pecans, salt, whiskey, and vanilla. Serve warm.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Rewarm it gently in a microwave or by stirring in a saucepan over very low heat.
VARIATION: To make Pecan, Cranberry, and Praline Sauce, substitute ¼ cup (30 g) of chopped dried cranberries for ¼ cup (30 g) of the pecans.
The sweet-tart taste of candied pineapple spiked with real vanilla makes a lovely accompaniment paired with any tropical fruit–flavored ice cream or sorbet. Be sure to cook the pineapple long enough so the juices and sugar mingle together and caramelize to a dark amber color for maximum flavor.
MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS (600 G)
1 large pineapple, peeled, cored, and eyes removed
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
Dice the pineapple into ½-inch (2-cm) pieces. Mix with the sugar and the vanilla bean in a large, nonstick saucepan or skillet. Cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the pineapple becomes very juicy and shiny.
Continue cooking the pineapple until most of the liquid is gone; this will take about 20 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring and turning the pineapple constantly at this point, until the pineapple becomes sticky and the syrup thickens.
Remove from the heat and let the pineapple cool in the pan. Remove the vanilla bean before serving (it can be rinsed and saved for another use). Serve warm or at room temperature.
STORAGE: Candied Pineapple can be stored in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Let it come to room temperature before serving, or rewarm it in a microwave or a saucepan over very low heat.
NOTE: If you wish to use canned pineapple, use 4 cups (600 g) of diced pineapple, drained, from unsweetened pineapple packed in its own juice.
Not only does this chewy candied peel make a tasty tangle atop a scoop of citrus-flavored sorbet or ice cream, but it’s also terrific drained, finely chopped, and folded into just-churned Super Lemon Ice Cream, Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, or Cheesecake Ice Cream.
If you don’t have a candy thermometer, simply cook the peel until most of the liquid has boiled away and the fine threads of peel are shiny and translucent.
MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP (200 G), DRAINED
4 large lemons or oranges, preferably unsprayed
2 cups (500 ml) water
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Pinch of salt
With a vegetable peeler, remove stirps of peel 1 inch (3 cm) wide from the lemons or oranges, cutting lengthwise down the fruit. Remove just the colorful outer peel, leaving behind the bitter white pith. Using a very sharp chef’s knife, slice the peel lengthwise into very thin strips no wider than a toothpick.
Put the strips of peel in a small, nonreactive saucepan, add enough water to cover them by a few inches, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle boil and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, strain the peel, and rinse with fresh water.
Combine the 2 cups (500 ml) water, sugar, corn syrup, and salt in the saucepan. Fit the pan with a candy thermometer and bring to a boil. Add the blanched peel, reduce the heat, and cook at a very low boil for about 25 minutes, until the thermometer reads 230°F (110°C). Turn off the heat and let the peel cool in the syrup.
Once cool, lift the peel out of the syrup with a fork, letting the syrup drain away, and serve atop ice cream or sorbet.
STORAGE: Store the peel in the syrup. Candied Citrus Peel can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
When I see the first gorgeous baskets of strawberries at the markets, I know that spring has truly arrived and winter is a thing of the past. Since their season lasts throughout summer, you’ll find that this sauce goes perfectly well with any of the summer fruit and berry ice creams, sorbets, or frozen yogurts in this book.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
1½ pounds (675 g) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Purée the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice in a food processor until smooth. Press the purée through a strainer to remove the seeds. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
This sauce is so intensely flavored that just a minimum amount is needed for maximum impact. It goes particularly well over anything sharp and lemony, such as Super Lemon Ice Cream or Lemon Sherbet.
MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML)
2 cups (225 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup (60 ml) water
A few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice
Purée the raspberries in a blender or food processor with the sugar and water until smooth. Press the mixture through a mesh strainer to remove any seeds. Mix in the lemon juice. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
All raspberry sauces need not be created equal. Unlike the previous sauce, this one is loaded with big, chunky raspberries. It was inspired by a sauce that baking guru Nick Malgieri whizzed up during a cooking demonstration, and I’ve been making it ever since.
MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML)
2 cups (225 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 g) sugar
A few drops freshly squeezed lemon juice
Purée 1 cup (115 g) of the raspberries with 3 tablespoons (45 g) sugar in a food processor until smooth. Put the remaining raspberries in a bowl. Set a mesh strainer over the bowl and press the purée through the strainer over the raspberries. Stir the purée together with the whole raspberries, mashing the berries just a bit as you stir. Add the lemon juice. Taste, then add the additional tablespoon of sugar if you wish. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Coulis is a fancy word that simply means a sauce made with fresh, uncooked ingredients. Feel free to change the mix of berries as you wish, depending on what’s available. If you find fresh red currants at your market, the tangy little berries are a wonderful addition.
MAKES 2 CUPS (500 ML)
8 ounces (230 g) fresh strawberries, rinsed and hulled
1 cup (115 g) raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup (115 g) blackberries, fresh or frozen
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 g) sugar
Slice the strawberries and toss them in a bowl with half of the raspberries and half of the blackberries. Purée the remaining berries in a blender or food processor with 3 tablespoons (45 g) of sugar. Mix the berry purée with the sliced berries. Taste, then add the remaining tablespoon of sugar if you wish. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
VARIATION: Add a splash of liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, Cognac, or kirsch to the sauce.
I’m a big fan of the all-American blueberry, and why not? They’re so easy to transform into a versatile sauce that’s equally at ease atop Philly-friendly Cheesecake Ice Cream or alongside Hollywood–healthy Vanilla Frozen Yogurt.
Or forge a Franco-American alliance by adding crème de cassis, the deep, dark black currant liqueur from Dijon (see the Variation at the end of the recipe).
MAKES 1 CUP (250 ML)
2 cups (225 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
¼ cup (50 g) sugar
1½ teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons kirsch
In a medium, nonreactive saucepan, heat the blueberries and sugar until the blueberries begin to release their juices. Mix the cornstarch with the cold water and lemon juice until lump free, then stir the slurry into the blueberries.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in the kirsch. Serve chilled or at room temperature.
STORAGE: This sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
VARIATION: To make Blueberry-Cassis Sauce, increase the amount of cornstarch to 2 teaspoons. After you mix the cornstarch into the cooked blueberries, stir in ¼ cup (60 ml) crème de cassis, then simmer as indicated in the recipe.
One of my great pleasures in life is stopping at one of the “shave ice” stands (as the locals call them, inexplicably dropping the “d”) in Hawaii. I watch as they tuck sweet red beans in the bottom of a paper cone and then pile on the shaved ice. I always choose lilikoi, or passion fruit syrup, to be drizzled over the ice. It has remarkable complexity and tastes as if every possible tropical flavor has been packed together into one intensely flavored fruit. Then a shot of sweet milk is poured over it all. I slurp the whole thing down, then I’m ready to tackle the surf again. Or, more likely, just take a snooze under the shade of a palm tree.
The inspiration likely came from Japan, where red beans are spooned over ice cream or puréed for beautifully intricate pastries called wagashi. You can easily make them at home from adzuki beans, available in well-stocked supermarkets and natural food stores. Their sweet-starchy flavor is justifiably popular and is especially good paired with Asian-inspired ice creams, like Green Tea Ice Cream and Toasted Coconut Ice Cream. I find chewing on these sticky little beans positively addictive.
MAKES 1½ CUPS (550 G)
½ cup (100 g) dried adzuki beans, rinsed
4 cups (1 liter) water
Pinch of baking soda
½ cup (100 g) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) light corn syrup
Sort the beans and discard any foreign matter, then rinse them in a colander. Put them in a large saucepan and cover with plenty of water. Soak for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Drain the beans in a colander, then return them to the saucepan and add the 4 cups (1 liter) water and the baking soda. Bring the beans to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. (If the water boils away too quickly, add another ½ cup (125 ml) to keep the beans submerged.)
When the beans are cooked through, add the sugar and corn syrup. Continue to cook the beans, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes, until the liquid is thick and syrupy. Serve warm or at room temperature.
STORAGE: These beans will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Sour Cherries in Syrup on top of White Chocolate Ice Cream
If you’re as wild about sour cherries as I am, you’ll be as happy as I was to discover that big jars of them are available in Eastern European markets and specialty grocers (see Resources). They come packed in light syrup and are a fraction of the cost of their pricey Italian counterparts, and they’re simple to candy yourself.
Once cooked and cooled, if you wish to mix the cherries into ice cream, drain them of their syrup completely (until they feel dry and sticky), and then fold them into your favorite flavor. I recommend White Chocolate Ice Cream, or try the Toasted Almond and Candied Cherry Ice Cream. Or simply use one, or more, to top off an ice cream sundae. (Save any leftover syrup to mix with sparkling water to make homemade sour cherry soda.) This recipe calls for 3 cups of cherries, which includes their syrup.
MAKES 2 CUPS (600 G)
3 cups sour cherries from a jar, with their light syrup, about 1½ pounds (675 g)
1 cup (200 g) sugar
Mix the cherries with their syrup and the sugar in a large, nonreactive saucepan. Fit the pan with a candy thermometer and cook over medium heat, stirring infrequently, until the syrup reaches 230°F (110°C). Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Serve a few cherries with their thick, ruby-colored syrup over ice cream.
STORAGE: These cherries can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Allow them to come to room temperature before serving.
I can’t say I make it a habit of, or admit to, meeting women online. But luckily for me, my first time was the charm. I fell for Heidi Swanson, who entices men (and women) with her gorgeous web site, www.101cookbooks.com. An accomplished photographer and cookbook author, her recipes are tried-and-true and are always accompanied by stunning photos and clever commentary.
When we actually met, she was just as charming in person as online—which I hear makes me luckier than most of the other fellows out there. Here’s a recipe I’ve adapted from her site. It makes a healthy, delightfully crunchy topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt for dessert, and since the recipe makes a bit more than you might need, you can keep some on hand for a great breakfast treat as well.
MAKES 5 CUPS (600 G)
3 cups (300 g) rolled oats (not instant)
½ cup (70 g) raw sunflower seeds
½ cup (40 g) sliced almonds
½ cup (40 g) dried shredded coconut, unsweetened or sweetened
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
Big pinch of salt
6 tablespoons (90 ml) good-flavored honey
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup (80 g) diced dried fruit (see Note)
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
In a large bowl, mix together the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, coconut, sesame seeds, and salt.
In a small saucepan, warm the honey and vegetable oil. Pour the warm honey mixture over the dry ingredients and stir until they’re well coated. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes, or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from the oven and cool. Once the granola is completely cool, stir in the dried fruit.
NOTE: Use any combination of raisins, date pieces, apricots, cherries, cranberries, pineapple, and papaya (cut larger fruits into ½-inch [2-cm] dice).
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 months.
These cashews are simple to make and can be sprinkled over ice cream sundaes. Be sure to keep them in an airtight container at room temperature to keep them as crisp as possible.
MAKES 1 CUP (200 G)
2½ tablespoons good-flavored honey
Big pinch of coarse salt
1 cup (150 g) whole cashews, lightly toasted
Very lightly grease a baking sheet with vegetable oil, or line it with a silicone baking mat.
Heat the honey and salt in a 10-inch (25-cm) skillet, preferably nonstick. Once the honey starts to bubble, mix in the cashews. Cook over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 3 to 3½ minutes, until the cashews are thickly glazed with the honey (take care not to let them burn).
Tip the cashews onto the prepared baking sheet and gently stir the nuts as they cool, scraping up the excess honey that collects beneath them on the baking sheet and basting the cashews with it for about 30 seconds. Let cool completely.
Once cool, break the clumps of cashews apart and immediately store in an airtight container.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature. Serve the same day.
There are really simple to make and will make you feel like an accomplished candy maker with minimal effort, and they’re very good too. I like these crunchy, salty peanuts liberally scattered all over the top of a towering hot fudge sundae.
You’ll notice that I use raw peanuts, not ones that have been previously salted and roasted. If you wish, you can use unsalted preroasted peanuts (which, amusingly, are often called cocktail peanuts) and reduce the baking time to 15 minutes.
MAKES 2 CUPS (400 G)
2 cups (300 g) raw (unroasted) peanuts
¼ cup (60 ml) light corn syrup
2 tablespoons packed light or dark brown sugar
1½ teaspoons coarse salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Very lightly oil a baking sheet with peanut or vegetable oil, or line it with a silicone baking mat.
In a bowl, mix together the peanuts, corn syrup, and light brown sugar until the peanuts are sticky and coated with syrup. Sprinkle the salt over the peanuts and stir a few times.
Spread the nuts evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring three times during baking, until the nuts are deep golden brown and glazed. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container to preserve their crispness.
STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
After dinner at the marvelous L’Os à Moelle in Paris, I finished up with a dessert of housemade ice cream topped with the most perfect, crispy caramelized almonds I’d ever imagined.
After leaving, I passed the kitchen window, where chef Thierry Faucher was leaning outside taking a break. I waved, and he waved back. So I got up the nerve to ask him how he made those fabulous almonds. He hefted a pitcher of liquid, and told me they were simply coated with equal parts water and sugar. The next morning, I immediately started tinkering around and came up with just the right proportions for making these incredibly addictive crispy flakes of almonds.
MAKES 2 CUPS (200 G)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups (160 g) sliced almonds, blanched or unblanched
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a small skillet, heat the water and sugar, stirring a bit, just until it begins to boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the almonds to coat them with the syrup.
Spread the almonds on a nonstick baking sheet, or a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring twice during baking and separating any clumps.
Remove from the oven when the almonds are a medium golden brown. Cool completely.
STORAGE: Store French Almonds in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
VARIATION: For Candied Oats, toast 1 cup (100 g) rolled oats in a small baking pan in a 350°F (175°C) oven for 7 minutes. Heat 1½ tablespoons of water, 1½ tablespoons of sugar, and a big pinch of cinnamon in a small saucepan. Mix the syrup with the oats, spread the mixture on a nonstick baking sheet, and bake for 30 minutes, stirring a few times during baking.
