Ice Cream Bombes With Brandied Dried Cranberries And Cherries Recipes

BRANDIED CHERRIES

Steps:

• Cut cherries in half and pit them, working over a bowl to catch the juices.
• Set aside.
• In a small heavy saucepan over medium high heat, bring the sugar and 1/4 cup of brandy to boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
• Continue boiling, without stirring, until the liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes.
• Add the cherries and their juices to the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the cherries are just heated through and slightly softened, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of brandy and remove from the heat.
• Set aside for at least 5 minutes to cool slightly and allow the flavors to meld.
• Spoon the warm cherries and sauce over the ice cream.

ICE-CREAM BOMBES WITH BRANDIED DRIED CRANBERRIES AND CHERRIES

Steps:

• With scissors carefully cut through rims of cups and cut evenly around each cup to create a 2 3/4-inch-deep cup.
• In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and remove double boiler or pan from heat. With a small pastry brush, lightly coat insides of cups with chocolate just to cover and on a tray freeze cups, right side up, until chocolate is firm, about 3 minutes. Add more coats of chocolate in same manner until an 1/8-inch-thick chocolate coating is formed inside each cup.
• Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons ice cream into bottom of each cup, smoothing surface with the back of a long-handled small metal spoon. Freeze cups until firm, about 30 minutes. Top ice cream in each cup evenly with 1 heaping tablespoon caramel sauce and sprinkle evenly with 1 tablespoon ground praline. Freeze cups 15 minutes. Top praline in each cup with a scant 1/4 cup ice cream, filling just to rim and smoothing with a spatula. Freeze cups until ice cream is frozen hard, about 1 hour. Ice-cream bombes may be prepared up to this point 5 days ahead and kept frozen, covered, in plastic cups.
• To unmold bombes, carefully tear rim of each cup and continue tearing to remove cup. Ice-cream bombes may be unmolded 4 hours ahead and kept frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap.
• Arrange bombes, ice-cream sides down, on each of 6 dessert plates. Spoon brandied dried fruit over and around bombes and garnish with praline shards.

BRANDIED DRIED CRANBERRIES AND CHERRIES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan simmer all ingredients except brandy, stirring,
• 5 minutes, and remove pan from heat. Stir in brandy and cool. Brandied fruits may be made 2 days ahead and chilled, covered. Bring brandied fruits to room temperature before serving.

DRIED CHERRY OR CRANBERRY LOAF

Steps:

• Place cherries (or cranberries) in a container with a very tight fitting lid.
• Pour liqueur and hot water over the cherries, seal the lid tightly, and shake to coat cherries well with the liquid.
• Set aside 3 hours or overnight so cherries will absorb the liquid.
• Preheat oven to 350 F (or 325 F for a pan with a black surface).
• Grease a loaf pan and lightly dust with plain dry breadcrumbs, shaking out excess.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder, and the salt.
• In another bowl, cream the butter and the cream cheese until smooth.
• Add the sugars, and the finely grated lemon zest and beat until well combined and pale yellow.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• Add the flour mixture, beating on low speed, just until the flour is combined.
• Stir in the cherries and any liquid still in the soaking container.
• Pour batter into the pan and smooth top with a rubber spatula.
• Bake in the center of the oven for 45-60 minutes- or until a toothpick insterted in the center tests clean, checking as early as 40 minutes into the baking time- if it is getting too brown, cover loosely with foil and continue baking until the toothpick tests done.
• Expect the top of the loaf to crack.
• Let cool in the pan 15 minutes, then remove from pan and set onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Wrap in plastic and let set overnight before slicing.
• For extra decadence, drizzle a little more liqueur over the crack before wrapping in plastic- don't pour too much or you'll soak the bread.

CHRISTMAS PUDDING ICE CREAM BOMBE

Steps:

• Take the ice cream out of the freezer for 20 mins to soften. Put the mixed dried fruit in a small pan and stir through the brandy, clementine zest and juice and cinnamon, then heat until just steaming. Set aside to cool.
• Oil and line a medium pudding basin (approx 900ml) with two layers of baking parchment. Cut into the sides of the parchment, so it fits closely around the sides of the basin - you want it to be as smooth as possible as it will imprint into the bombe. Two layers of parchment will help you remove it once frozen.
• Mix the softened ice cream, infused fruit and any remaining liquid with the free from Christmas Pudding in a large bowl. Mix gently until the fruit and pudding are evenly distributed in the ice cream. Spoon into the basin, and smooth over the top. Cover and freeze for 6 hrs until solid. Will keep frozen for up to three months.
• About 20 mins before serving, heat the cream in a small pan until steaming. Put the chopped chocolate in a bowl, then pour the hot cream over it, stirring until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth and glossy. Leave to cool slightly. Remove the bombe from the freezer 10 mins before serving.
• To serve, invert the bombe onto a serving plate and remove any parchment - dip the base of the basin into warm water to help remove it if needed. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top, easing it gently down the sides of the bombe a little before it sets. Top with the dried cranberries or glacé cherries, and the holly or bay leaves, if using. Spray everything with gold lustre, if you like, and serve whole at the table before cutting into portions.

BOOZY CHRISTMAS BOMBE

Steps:

• Put the dried fruit into a large bowl, add 2 tbsp brandy and the sugar, then cover with cling film. Microwave on High for 2 mins until the sugar has melted and the fruit plumped up. Give it a stir, then leave to cool and soak overnight. If you're short of time, carry on with step 2 and leave to soak for as long as it takes to complete step 2.
• Put the cream, remaining brandy and icing sugar into a large bowl and whip to soft peaks. Pour the custard into another bowl and fold the cream into it. Tip into a freezer container and freeze the mix for 4 hrs, stirring the frozen edges into the rest of the mixture every hour or so until the whole tub is soft, but frozen (or use an ice cream machine, churning for 20-30 mins until thick). Meanwhile, line a 1.2-litre pudding basin with cling film.
• Once the ice cream mix is thick, quickly fold the soaked fruit (and any liquid from it) and frozen cranberries through it and spoon into the lined basin. Freeze overnight or for at least 6 hrs. To serve, leave bombe at room temperature for 10 mins and turn out onto a serving plate.
• To make the cranberry brandy butter sauce, in a heavy-based pan gently heat muscovado sugar and butter until the sugar dissolves.
• Splash in brandy, add cranberries and boil gently till the cranberries pop, but still hold their shape and colour the sauce. If you want to, sieve the seeds out of the sauce and add some more cranberries for a really glossy finish. Serve hot or warm.