Praline Baskets With Frozen Almond Zabaglione Recipes

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.

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.

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.

FROZEN BANANA & PRALINE PARFAIT

Steps:

• To make the praline, put the sugar into a heavy-based pan with 3 tbsp water. Place over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved and is clear. Don't stir, or it will crystallise. Increase the heat and bubble to a dark caramel (see video technique), about 5 mins. Remove from the heat, stir through the nuts, then tip onto a lightly greased non-stick baking tray. Spread to level and leave to cool. Be careful as the tray will get very hot.
• When the praline is cold and brittle, break it into pieces. Then, using the end of a rolling pin, smash it up until fairly well crushed. If this is proving hard work, tip into a food processor and pulse until it's the texture of coarse breadcrumbs.
• Line a 1.2-litre loaf tin with a strip of baking parchment (this size tin gives a neat shape, but you can set the parfait in any shaped tin, or individual pudding basins or ramekins). In a bowl, mash the bananas with half the lemon juice until you have a rough purée, then set aside.
• Put the cream into a bowl and whip until it holds its shape but is still a little soft. In another very clean bowl and using a very clean electric whisk, beat the egg whites with a squeeze more lemon juice until stiff. Slowly add the sugar until you have a stiff, shiny meringue.
• Gently fold the whipped cream and meringue together, then add the banana and most of the praline, leaving about 4 tbsp to serve. Spoon into the loaf tin, smooth the top and freeze until firm, preferably overnight.
• To serve, remove the parfait from the freezer 10 mins before serving and leave in the fridge to soften slightly. Meanwhile, slice the bananas on a slant, allowing 3 slices for each serving. Lay the slices on a baking tray set on a wooden board and scatter heavily with the sugar. Use a blowtorch to caramelise the banana, then set aside. Be very careful as the tray will be extremely hot. If you don't have a blowtorch, place the slices into a hot, dry frying pan and sear the sugar-coated sides until caramelised. Lift and flip them over to a tray.
• To plate up, sprinkle a neat line of praline just off-centre on each plate. Arrange the slices of caramelised banana at opposing angles. Unmould the parfait, then use a warmed knife to neaten the sides and cut into finger-thick slices. Lay the slice on the opposite side of the plate to the banana and serve straight away.

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.

FROZEN ESPRESSO ZABAGLIONE

Steps:

• Put egg yolks in a medium-size mixing bowl. Add sugar and whisk together for a minute, until frothy. Whisk in espresso and Cognac, then place bowl over double boiler. (For a makeshift double boiler, put 3 inches of water in a saucepan approximately the same size as bowl. Put the saucepan on stove, bring the water to a boil, then reduce heat to a rapid simmer.)
• Whisk rapidly until egg yolk mixture is warmed through. Continue whisking as the mixture begins to thicken. After 2 minutes or so it should have doubled in volume and have the consistency of softly whipped cream. Remove from heat and whisk for a minute more.
• Pour custard into individual demitasse cups or into a serving dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours or overnight.
• Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving. Dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar if desired.

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.

CLASSIC PRALINES

Steps:

• Rub a marble, glass or Formica surface with the oil.
• Use a saucepan with a very heavy bottom to prepare this candy. Put the sugar and water in saucepan, and bring to boil. Cook over moderate heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or to a temperature of about 250 degrees on a candy thermometer.
• Remove syrup from heat and add nuts, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until syrup becomes grainy. Return saucepan to heat and cook, stirring, until syrup hardens and becomes white. Continue to cook, stirring, until sugar grains melt and become liquid again. This requires time and patience. The cooking time will vary, depending on the intensity of the heat. Cook, stirring, until syrup takes on a dark, translucent, caramel color. This may require 10 to 15 minutes. Do not allow syrup to scorch or burn, or it will become bitter.
• Immediately pour and scrape the candy onto the lightly oiled surface. Smooth over the top. Let stand until cool and totally hardened.
• Candy may be broken into pieces or left whole; pieces may be pulverized in a food processor for use on top of ice cream or as a garnish or ingredient in such things as souffles in butter creams.

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.

FROZEN ITALIAN ZABAGLIONE TART WITH MARSALA-LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• For crust:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind amaretti cookies in processor (makes about 1 1/2 cups crumbs). With processor running, gradually add melted butter and process until crumbs begin to stick together. Press crust mixture onto bottom and up sides of 9-inch-diameter tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust until pale golden, about 6 minutes. Cool. Gently press up bottom of pan just to loosen crust from sides (do not remove from pan). Place crust in freezer.
• For filling:
• Soak currants in 1/2 cup Marsala in small bowl for 1 hour.
• Whisk remaining 1 cup Marsala, sugar and yolks in large metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of rapidly simmering water and whisk until candy thermometer inserted into mixture registers 170°F, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in corn syrup, vanilla and nutmeg. Refrigerate zabaglione until cool, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Beat cream in bowl to stiff peaks. Add zabaglione and beat just until smooth. Drain currants and fold into zabaglione (reserve Marsala for another use). Place in freezer until slightly stiffened but not frozen, about 1 hour.
• Spoon zabaglione cream into crust, mounding in center. Freeze until almost firm, about 2 hours. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours or overnight.
• For sauce:
• Stir Marsala and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until syrup is reduced to generous 2/3 cup, about 17 minutes. Add lemon peel and nutmeg and boil 1 minute. Cool slightly. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before serving.)
• Remove tart from pan. Transfer tart to platter. Arrange strawberries around top edge of tart. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing warm sauce separately.

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.