If you are like me, and the millions of Americans who indulge in ice cream, you may have found yourself in the ice cream section numerous times this summer. The average American consumes 5.7 gallons of ice cream a year. So, that is about a ½ gallon a month. It looks like I am not so average; when it comes to ice cream I am above average.
I am always on the look-out for new flavors – root beer float, birthday cake, peach cobbler – just to name a few. But what about ice cream desserts. You know, that special molded treat that takes hours to create and makes everyone oh and ah. Baked Alaska, Bombe and Spumoni come to mind.
Baked Alaska and Bombe are made with cooked custard and meringue, which are great if you have the time. Spumoni, on the other hand, is one molded ice cream dessert that stands up to the wow fact and can be easy to make as well.
Spumoni comes from Naples, Italy. There are no hard and fast rules to this dessert. It is basically comprised of three flavors, which traditionally are pistachio, chocolate and cherry plus nuts, candied cherries and whipped cream. You may substitute cherry with strawberry or raspberry. And your choices of molds are several; bombe, metal mixing bowl or loaf pan. In the United States August 21 is National Spumoni Day. Did someone say Celebrate?
Easy Spumoni
For this spumoni I used a loaf pan. You may use a round mold. I like the loaf pan because each serving includes all three flavors.
2 cups pistachio ice cream
¼ cup chopped pistachios
2 cups chocolate ice cream
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries
Line the bottom and sides of one metal loaf pan with wax paper. Evenly spread one layer of pistachio ice cream on the bottom. Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top. Spread chocolate ice cream on top of the pistachio ice cream layer. Place the pan in freezer. Mix whipping cream and sugar and whip to soft peaks. Fold in cherries. Spread whipped cream mixture over chocolate ice cream. Smooth top. Freeze for 2 hours.
Yields: one loaf, 8 servings
I am always on the look-out for new flavors – root beer float, birthday cake, peach cobbler – just to name a few. But what about ice cream desserts. You know, that special molded treat that takes hours to create and makes everyone oh and ah. Baked Alaska, Bombe and Spumoni come to mind.
Baked Alaska and Bombe are made with cooked custard and meringue, which are great if you have the time. Spumoni, on the other hand, is one molded ice cream dessert that stands up to the wow fact and can be easy to make as well.
Spumoni comes from Naples, Italy. There are no hard and fast rules to this dessert. It is basically comprised of three flavors, which traditionally are pistachio, chocolate and cherry plus nuts, candied cherries and whipped cream. You may substitute cherry with strawberry or raspberry. And your choices of molds are several; bombe, metal mixing bowl or loaf pan. In the United States August 21 is National Spumoni Day. Did someone say Celebrate?
Easy Spumoni
For this spumoni I used a loaf pan. You may use a round mold. I like the loaf pan because each serving includes all three flavors.
2 cups pistachio ice cream
¼ cup chopped pistachios
2 cups chocolate ice cream
1 cup whipping cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup chopped maraschino cherries
Line the bottom and sides of one metal loaf pan with wax paper. Evenly spread one layer of pistachio ice cream on the bottom. Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top. Spread chocolate ice cream on top of the pistachio ice cream layer. Place the pan in freezer. Mix whipping cream and sugar and whip to soft peaks. Fold in cherries. Spread whipped cream mixture over chocolate ice cream. Smooth top. Freeze for 2 hours.
Yields: one loaf, 8 servings
