DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before serving.
WHIPPED CREAM: Using electric mixer, beat cream and sugar in medium bowl until peaks form.
Spoon whipped cream decoratively over pie. Sprinkle chocolate-almond bark over. Cut pie into wedges and serve, passing warm sauce separately.
The Perfect SliceYou’ve created a beautiful frozen torte, terrine, or pie—don’t let all your hard work go to waste by serving messy portions. To cut the cleanest slice, dip a chef’s knife into hot water, wipe it dry, and then cut a piece of the pie. Continue dipping and wiping the knife between each slice.
An eye-catching dessert that’s super-easy to make—it’s prepared with purchased ice cream and just a few other ingredients. The crispy “haystacks” are a mixture of white chocolate and toasted coconut, nestled in the middle of the ice-cream pie. The “heavenly” part will be evident after the first bite. 10 to 12 servings
6 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), chopped
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 cups shredded sweetened coconut, toasted, divided
2 quarts chocolate ice cream, slightly softened, dividedChocolate Crumb Crust (see recipe on page 500)
Stir white chocolate and oil in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until chocolate is melted and smooth. Mix in 1 cup coconut. Remove bowl from over water. Cool 10 minutes.
Spread half of chocolate ice cream evenly in prepared crust. Drop all of white chocolate mixture by teaspoonfuls over ice cream. Freeze until haystacks are firm, about 10 minutes. Spread remaining ice cream over. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup coconut evenly over. Freeze pie until just firm, about 1 hour. Wrap pie and freeze overnight.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.
Let pie stand at room temperature 10 minutes. Cut around pan sides to loosen pie. Remove pan sides. Cut pie into wedges and serve.
You won’t need an ice-cream maker here; the zabaglione filling is simply frozen in a mixing bowl before being spooned into a crunchy crust made from amaretti cookies. Marsala, a sweet fortified wine from Italy, is the base for a pretty and delicious sauce. 8 servings
Crust
1 5.5-ounce package amaretti cookies (Italian macaroons) 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, hot
Filling
1½ cups Marsala, divided
½ cup dried currants
¾ cup sugar
10 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons dark corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⅓ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
Sauce
2 cups Marsala
½ cup sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 strawberries, hulled, halved
CRUST: Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind amaretti cookies in processor. With processor running, gradually add hot melted butter and blend 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, then lower crust back into place (do not remove from pan). Place crust in pan in freezer.
FILLING: Combine ½ cup Marsala and currants in small bowl; let steep 1 hour.
Whisk remaining 1 cup Marsala, sugar, and egg yolks in large metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of rapidly simmering water (do not allow bowl to touch water). Whisk until thermometer inserted into center registers 170°F, about 4 minutes. Remove bowl from over water. Whisk in corn syrup, vanilla, and nutmeg. Refrigerate zabaglione uncovered until cool, whisking occasionally, about 20 minutes.
Beat cream in another large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add zabaglione and beat just until smooth. Drain currants (reserve Marsala for another use). Fold currants into zabaglione. Freeze until slightly firm but not frozen, about 1 hour.
Spoon zabaglione cream into crust, mounding in center. Freeze tart until almost firm, about 2 hours. Cover and freeze until firm, at least 6 hours and up to 1 day.
SAUCE: Stir Marsala and sugar in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil until sauce is reduced to generous ⅔ cup, about 17 minutes. Add lemon peel and nutmeg and boil 1 minute. Cool sauce slightly.
DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat before serving.
Push up pan bottom to release tart from pan. Transfer tart to platter. Arrange strawberries around top edge of tart. Cut into wedges. Serve, passing warm sauce separately.
Frozen desserts are great for entertaining—they can be made well in advance and safely stashed away in the freezer, freeing up valuable refrigerator space. This easy torte has it alclass="underline" chocolate cookie crust, rich creamy orange filling, and a glistening tumble of cranberries on top. The crust and filling need to freeze overnight, and the finished torte with topping needs to chill for at least another six hours, so plan ahead. 12 servings
Crust
1 9-ounce package chocolate wafer cookies
½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
3 tablespoons sugar
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
¼ cup water
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground allspice
2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
½ cup chilled sour cream
5 tablespoons Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur
3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
Topping
½ cup ruby Port
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup sugar
¼ cup honey
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 cups fresh or partially thawed frozen cranberries, divided
White chocolate curls (optional)
CRUST: Finely grind cookies, chocolate chips, and sugar in processor. Add melted butter; blend until wet crumbs form. Set aside ½ cup crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2¾-inch-high sides.