Praline Baskets With Frozen Almond Zabaglione Recipes

FROZEN ZABAGLIONE

Steps:

• Whisk egg yolks, salt, sugar, and Marsala wine together in a metal mixing bowl.
• Set the bowl over a medium-low heat, or over a double boiler. Hold the bowl with one hand using a towel or pot-holder, while whisking constantly with the other. Continue cooking until the mixture is very thick and reaches the ribbon stage, about 10 minutes.
• Remove custard from heat and allow to cool completely, preferably over an ice bath, whisking occasionally, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Pour cold heavy cream into another bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Transfer into the cooled custard and gently fold everything together until just barely combined; do not overmix.
• Transfer into an airtight container, cover the top with plastic wrap, and seal. Place in a freezer until firm, at least 4 hours, or up to overnight.

ALMOND PRALINE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place almonds on a baking sheet, and toast until golden brown and fragrant, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool.
• Butter a 10-by-15-inch rimmed baking sheet. Spread toasted almonds in an even layer on pan. Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan; stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Once sugar is dissolved, cook without stirring until sugar is deep amber. Add lemon juice; immediately pour over almonds, coating with a thin layer. If caramel doesn't cover all the nuts, tilt pan slightly to distribute, or stir in nuts with a wooden spoon, being careful not to touch caramel or hot pan. Cool completely. Gently twist pan to release praline. Break into pieces. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

ALMOND PRALINE CAKES

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir until sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Pour into four 8-oz. ramekins or custard cups coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with almonds; set aside. , In a small bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda; gradually add to creamed mixture alternately with milk. Spoon over almonds. , Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert plates. Serve warm or at room temperature.

PRALINE BASKETS

Steps:

• Put the almonds into the container of a food processor and blend until coarse-fine. The ideal consistency would be like that of whole peppercorns. There should be about three cups.
• Put the ground nuts in a saucepan, preferably with a round bottom, and add the sugar and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and the ingredients are evenly blended. Take care that the mixture does not burn.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Stir in the flour. Let stand until cool. Chill thoroughly. When chilled, the mixture should be easy to shape into round balls.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Divide the mixture into 14 or 16 portions, one portion at a time. Shape each portion into a round ball. It is important that you work with only two or three portions at a time. As the balls are shaped, arrange them, spaced neatly and well apart, on rectangles of parchment paper. Cover with a second sheet of parchment paper and roll each portion into circles measuring about five inches. Remove the upper sheet of parchment. (If parchment paper is not available, arrange the balls, two or three at a time, on a buttered baking sheet and flatten them into five-inch circles with the fingers.) Place in the oven on the center shelf and bake eight to 10 minutes or until golden or caramel brown. Do not burn.
• At this point, you must act quickly but cautiously. Remove the rounds from the oven and let stand briefly. The important thing is to allow the rounds to cool for a few seconds or to the precise moment when a metal spatula can be slid beneath each one. If they are allowed to stand too long, they will become brittle and cannot be shaped or molded. Quickly transfer one round at a time into a round-bottom glass or metal container with a capacity of approximately one and one-half cups. Press down to mold the round into a ''basket.'' Quickly proceed to the second and third round, pressing them into shape. The rounds must remain warm as you shape them. If they break slightly, they may be repaired with the fingers, provided they are still warm enough to be malleable. The baskets will become firm as they cool. As they become firm, remove them and set them aside to be filled as a dessert. They may be filled with a chilled pudding or custard mixture, with scoops of ice cream, with fresh fruit or berries and so on. If desired, the inside of each basket may be brushed with melted chocolate before filling.

ALMOND AND HAZELNUT PRALINE

Steps:

• Line a plate with wax paper.
• Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add sugar, almonds, and hazelnuts, stirring continuously until almonds and nuts are evenly coated with caramel, about 10 minutes.
• Carefully tip nut-sugar mixture onto the wax paper--mixture will be very hot. Let cool for 5 to 7 minutes.
• Break praline in large pieces and serve as-is or place in a food processor with a blade and chop to desired consistency.

PRALINE BASKETS WITH FROZEN ALMOND ZABAGLIONE

Steps:

• Prepare the praline baskets and set aside.
• Use a heavy, deep, preferably round-bottom mixing bowl to prepare this dessert.
• Put the yolks in the bowl and add the sugar and water. Set the bowl in a basin of simmering water or over a very low flame and beat as vigorously as possible with a wire whisk. Beat until the mixture is quite foamy and thickened. Immediately beat in the almond- or hazelnut-flavored liqueur.
• Place the bowl in a basin of cold water containing ice and continue beating until cool.
• Whip the cream until stiff. Add one-third of the whipped cream to the sauce and beat it in. Fold in the remaining cream. Spoon the mixture into a metal or glass dish and place in the freezer. Let stand until frozen. Scoop equal portions of the zabaglione into the praline baskets and serve.

PRALINE NAPOLEONS WITH ALMOND CREAM FILLING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place pastry on a lightly floured work surface. Roll out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut out twelve 4 1/2-by-2 3/4 inch rectangles; transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and prick with a fork. Brush with egg, and cover with parchment. Top with a baking sheet. Chill in freezer until firm, about 15 minutes.
• With top sheet still in place, bake until pastry is crisp and golden, 30 to 32 minutes. Remove top sheet and parchment. Let pastry cool completely on bottom parchment on a wire rack.
• Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with a nonstick baking mat. Stir together sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until sugar begins to melt and turn light amber, about 3 minutes. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush as needed to prevent crystals from forming. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture turns dark amber, about 8 minutes.
• Remove from heat; stir in almonds. Pour mixture onto prepared sheet. Using an oiled offset spatula, spread to 1/8 inch thick. Let cool completely. Transfer half of the praline to a plastic bag; using a rolling pin, gently crush into very small pieces; set aside. Break remaining praline into large pieces using your hands.
• Transfer the almond cream filling to a pastry bag fitted with a petal tip (such as Wilton #127). Pipe filling onto 6 pastry rectangles; sprinkle each with crushed praline. Layer with another pastry rectangle and filling. Top each with a piece of praline.

CHOCOLATE ZABAGLIONE CAKE

Steps:

• First make a biscuit base (digestives are the cheap and easy option, you can also use biscottis or almond thins for a more italian feel, but these might need water or more butter to soften). Crumble the biscuits finely, then use your fingers to mash in the butter. Spread the mixture flat over the bottom of your cake dish.
• Bake this in the oven for about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, separate the eggs, and whisk together the yolks, sugar and marsala. This gradually gets thicker the harder you whisk.
• Melt the chocolate and stir this in to the egg mixture.
• Pour the eggy alcoholic chocolate over the cooled biscuit base.
• Bake in a hot oven (180/Gas 5) for 10-15 mins until the egg has solidified on the surface and gone a light brown. The centre should be gooey and rich and chocolatey and amazingly indulgent. If you chill the 'cake' down over night, the centre firms up a little and seemingly gets even richer.

ALMOND PRALINE

Steps:

• Line a baking sheet with foil. In a dry heavy saucepan cook sugar over moderately low heat, stirring slowly with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly), until melted and pale golden. Cook caramel, without stirring, swirling pan, until deep golden. Add almonds, stirring until coated well, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Working quickly, with a metal spatula spread mixture onto foil about 1/4 inch thick and cool until set, about 3 minutes. Chill praline on foil until hard, about 15 minutes. Chop praline. Praline may be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.

HONEY-ALMOND CAKES WITH PINEAPPLE ZABAGLIONE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter six 3/4-cup custard cups or ramekins. Blend almond paste and sugar in processor until well blended. Using electric mixer, beat butter in medium bowl until smooth. Beat in almond paste mixture, then honey and Tuaca. Add eggs 1 at a time, blending well between additions. Whisk flour and salt in small bowl; mix into almond paste mixture. Divide batter among prepared cups. Bake until golden brown and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool slightly in cups. (Can be made 6 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm in 325°F oven for 10 minutes, if desired.)
• Whisk first 3 ingredients in medium bowl set over pan of barely simmering water until very thick, whisking constantly, about 7 minutes.
• Pour warm zabaglione over warm or room-temperature cakes, sprinkle with toasted almonds, and serve.
• *Available in the baking-products section of most supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.
• **A citrusy, vanilla-flavored Italian liqueur; available at specialty liquor stores.

OLIVE GARDEN ZABAGLIONE ALMONDE

Steps:

• Follow directions on pudding box for making the pudding. Add whipped topping and almond extract to pudding and beat a few minutes. Put half of mixture, divided in to four bowls. Mix sliced strawberries with sugar and divide between the 4 bowls. Add the remaining pudding over strawberries and sprinkle with nutmeg. Chill.