Noel Ice Cream Cups Recipes

FROZEN CHOCOLATE-PEPPERMINT BùCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Place chocolate in medium microwave-safe bowl. Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate. Let stand 1 minute, then whisk until melted and smooth. Do ahead can be made 1 week ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm, uncovered, in microwave in 15-second intervals and whisk before using.
• For chocolate leaves:
• Stir chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Using pastry brush, brush chocolate on underside (veined side) of 1 leaf to coat completely (do not allow chocolate to drip over edge of leaf). Place leaf, chocolate side up, on small foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat with remaining leaves. Chill, uncovered, until chocolate coating is cold and firm, at least 1 hour. Working with 1 leaf at a time, carefully peel green leaf away from chocolate. Return chocolate leaf to same sheet; discard green leaf. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and chill.
• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 15 x 10 x 1-inch baking sheet with parchment. Coat paper with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa.
• Sift 1/2 cup sugar, cake flour, 1/4 cup cocoa, baking powder, and salt into small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in large bowl until thick. Beat in oil, 2 tablespoons water, and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients, beating just until blended. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Spread batter evenly on prepared baking sheet.
• Bake cake until puffed and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 12 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 10 minutes. Sift light layer of cocoa over large smooth kitchen towel (not terry cloth). Cut around pan sides. Turn cake out onto prepared towel, leaving 3-inch cloth border on 1 long side. Peel off parchment. Starting at long side with cloth border and using cloth as aid, roll up cake in towel (towel will be rolled up inside). Place cake, seam side down, on work surface; cool completely.
• Microwave ice cream in 10-second intervals until barely softened. Unroll cake on work surface but leave on cloth. Dollop ice cream over cake by spoonfuls. Gently spread ice cream into even layer, leaving 1-inch plain border on long side opposite cloth border. Sprinkle ice cream with crushed candy. Using cloth as aid and starting at cloth border, roll up cake, enclosing ice cream in cake. Place cake, seam side down, on long platter; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze cake at least 8 hours or overnight.
• For meringue:
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually add sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Beat in vanilla.
• Cut off 1/8 of cake at angle at 1 end. Press cutoff part onto center of 1 side of log, cut side in. Spread meringue all over top, sides, and ends of cake. Using fork, make long grooves in meringue down length of cake and in circles on ends to resemble tree bark. Freeze cake until meringue is cold and firm, at least 3 hours. Using torch, brown meringue in random spots. Return cake to freezer. DO AHEAD: can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep frozen.
• Garnish cake with chocolate leaves, fresh mint sprigs, and small candy canes. Cut cake crosswise into 1-inch-wide slices. Drizzle with warm chocolate sauce.

NOEL BARS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Beat eggs and vanilla together in mixing bowl. Add in brown sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and walnuts. Mix until well blended.
• Melt the butter in a 9-inch square pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until firm to the touch.
• While bars are still hot, loosen with a spatula and turn out onto wax paper, buttered side up. Dust with confectioners' sugar while warm and cut into squares.

NOEL CRISPS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and almond extract. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. When the mixture is creamy, stir in chocolate chips, coconut and cherries. Drop the dough by teaspoonful onto a greased cookie sheet.
• Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.

CARAMEL-PECAN BûCHE DE NOëL

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 17x12x1-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment; butter paper. Pulse nuts and flour in processor until nuts are finely chopped (not ground). Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt in very large bowl until foamy. With mixer running, gradually beat in 1/4 cup sugar, beating just until stiff peaks form. Using electric mixer, beat yolks with 1/3 cup sugar and bourbon in large bowl until thickened, about 5 minutes. Add yolk mixture to egg-white mixture. Sprinkle nuts over; gently fold until almost incorporated. Add butter; fold gently just to blend. Pour into prepared baking sheet, spreading batter gently to form even layer.
• Bake cake until edges begin to brown and cake is firm to touch, about 14 minutes. Cool in pan on rack.
• For frosting and caramel sauce:
• Stir 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/3 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, occasionally swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush, about 9 minutes (time will vary, depending on size of pan). Remove from heat; immediately add cream (mixture will bubble vigorously). Whisk in butter, bourbon, and salt. Stir over medium heat until any caramel bits dissolve. Transfer 1 cup caramel sauce to small pitcher. Add chocolate to remaining caramel in saucepan. Let stand off heat 5 minutes; whisk until smooth. Transfer to bowl. Let frosting stand until spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.
• Spread 1 cup frosting over cake in even layer. Beginning at 1 long side and using parchment as aid, roll up cake jelly-roll style. Starting 1 inch in from each end of cake, cut off 3-inch-long diagonal piece from each end. Arrange cake, seam side down, on platter. Spread cut side of each 3-inch cake piece with some of frosting. Attach 1 cake piece, frosting side down, to top of cake near 1 end. Attach second piece to side of cake near opposite end. Cover cake with remaining frosting. Run fork in concentric circles on cake ends. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover loosely with waxed paper and let stand at room temperature.
• Garnish platter with leaves. Sprinkle cake lightly with powdered sugar. Cut cake into slices and serve with bananas, if desired, ice cream, and sauce.