LCBO Food & Drink Early Summer 2017

sweet somethings from page 72

ing sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Stir occasionally just until melted. Remove the bowl from the water and set aside. The chocolate should remain slightly warm. 3 Whisk the yolks just enough to break them up. Add the espresso and vanilla and whisk to combine. Set aside. 4 Place the whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add a pinch of salt and beat the whites on medium- high speed until frothy. Add the sugar gradu- ally and continue beating to stiff peaks, scrap- ing down any sugar that might cling to the sides of the bowl. 5 Whisk the melted chocolate into the yolks- espresso-vanilla mixture until smooth then fold in one-quarter of the beaten egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites lightly but thor- oughly, just until no streaks remain. 6 Divide the batter between the 2 pans and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven tempera- ture to 350°F (180°C) and continue baking 5 more minutes until the top of the cakes are dry and just beginning to crack. (The cakes will not rise very much). Transfer to a rack and cool completely. 7 For the frozen mousse, line the sides of 1 of the cake pans (with the cake layer still intact) with strips of parchment paper. 8 Chop the Toblerone bar into small pieces and set aside. In a large, heatproof mixing bowl, whisk together the 5 egg yolks, water, Kahlúa or Frangelico, vanilla and sugar. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened, lightened in colour and is hot to the touch. Remove from heat and add the chopped Toblerone bar. Whisk until fully melt- ed. Add the toasted hazelnuts. Cool to room temperature. 9 Beat the whipping cream to stiff peaks and fold into the hazelnut mixture. Pour into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Turn the sec- ond cake layer out onto the hazelnut mixture and press down gently to level. Wrap well and freeze overnight. 10  Using a sharp knife, cut the “cake” into 4 even strips. Rotate 90 degrees and make 4 more even cuts, creating 16 squares. Cut the squares into triangles. Return to the freezer and just before serving, dust very lightly with cocoa powder. Makes 32 small ice cream sandwiches

WHAT TO SERVE Warre’s Otima 10 Year Old Port LCBO 566174, 500 mL

$21.95 Tawny port offers enough sweetness and concentra- tion to embrace the sweet, rich, palate-coating nature of this dessert. In addition, the port’s toasted nut, chocolate, mocha and dried fruit flavours will heighten those elements in the ice cream sandwiches. El Dorado Special Reserve 15 Years Old Rum LCBO 705418 $60.95 Served in a snifter or added to coffee, this complex, award-winning rum from Guyana has robust caramel, vanilla, spice and dried fruit flavours that are a warming accompaniment to the flavours and textures of these frozen treats. “PIE” IN A JAR Crispy, flaky, yummy pastry—that’s what makes a GREAT pie. When the pastry and fill- ing are made separately, you are guaranteed fantastic flavours and just the right crunch. There’s nothing unusual about the ingredients in the pastry recipe, what’s special is how it’s put together. With a series of folds, much like a rough puff pastry, the dough develops layers and, upon baking, those layers translate into flakiness. A pastry scraper is a handy tool for picking up and folding the dough. For the fill- ing, you can use your own favourite recipe, perhaps with a little less thickener, or the one below—fresh rhubarb combined with berries and stone fruits such as apricots, plums and nectarines. Use small mason jars, or any small jars you’ve saved from various condiments. PASTRY 1¼ cups (310 mL) all-purpose flour 1½ tsp (7 mL) sugar ½ tsp (2 mL) salt ½ cup (125 mL) cold, unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch (1 cm) pieces 3 tbsp (45 mL) ice water 1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice 1 egg beaten with 2 tsp (10 mL) water for egg wash 2 to 3 tbsp (30 to 45 mL) demerara sugar FRUIT FILLING 2 cups (500 mL) thinly sliced rhubarb 2 cups (500 mL) fresh berries (strawberries halved or quartered depending on the size)

CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT ICE CREAM SANDWICHES There are several variations of the classic flourless chocolate cake, usually used for a roulade, but here it forms the outer layers of a deliciously rich ice cream sandwich. As for the “ice cream,” it’s really a frozen mousse so you don’t need any fancy equipment to make it. If you can’t find thinly sliced hazelnuts, whole hazelnuts, toasted and chopped, are fine to use. CHOCOLATE CAKE LAYERS 6 oz (175 g) semi-sweet chocolate, chopped 6 eggs, separated 1 tbsp (15 mL) espresso or strong coffee 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla Pinch of salt ¾ cup (175 mL) sugar MILK CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT FROZEN MOUSSE 1 bar (100 g) milk chocolate Toblerone 5 egg yolks 1 tbsp (15 mL) water 1 tbsp (15 mL) Kahlúa or Frangelico 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla ½ cup (125 mL) sugar ⅔ cup (150 mL) toasted, sliced or chopped hazelnuts 2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream Cocoa powder for garnish 1 Place the oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the bottom of two 9-inch (23-cm) square cake pans with parchment paper and set aside. 2 Place the chocolate in a medium bowl and set over a pot of barely simmering water, mak-

2 cups (500 mL) diced stone fruit ½ cup (125 mL) sugar or to taste

1 tbsp (15 mL) cornstarch 2 tsp (10 mL) lemon juice Icing sugar for garnish

148  FOOD & DRI NK EARLY SUMMER 2017