September 5, 2009: Cassata

Nothing gets me onto a calendar recipe quicker than the promise of icecream! This cassata is a triple-layered dessert made primarily of vanilla icecream, and I decided to churn my own rather than softening a tub of pre-bought stuff. Since just Michael and I would be doing most of the eating on our own, I halved the recipe and still had enough to enjoy over about 10 days.

Cassata typically features glace fruits, though Michael and I agreed that we'd prefer ordinary mixed dried fruit. Either way the fruit is soaked in brandy, making for a colourful and sweet first layer. I've had limited success using choc chips in icecream (they usually become hard and flavourless) so I was curious to try the recommended method - chocolate is melted with a little butter, allowed to cool, and then some of the vanilla icecream is stirred in, making for some quick-set chocolatey chunks. Though the icecream froze a bit hard, the flavour was there and this was Michael's and my favourite part of the dessert. (Next time I'll try stirring the chocolate through a larger proportion of ice-cream for a thicker, milder chocolate layer.)

After a sizable layer of plain vanilla icecream, there's a topping of slivered almonds and crushed biscuits (I used a couple of the ginger drop biscuits I'd baked earlier). The recipe suggests decorating the top with extra whipped cream but you probably know by now that that's not really my style. Besides, this cassata's pretty enough once you've cut a slice through those icecream layers.


Cassata

1 litre vanilla icecream (I used the vanilla component of this recipe)
1/4 cup chopped mixed glace or dried fruit
1 tablespoon brandy
150mL cream
1 teaspoon castor sugar
60g dark chocolate
2 teaspoons butter
1 teaspoon cocoa
30g slivered almonds
30g dry biscuits

If you're making the vanilla icecream from scratch, put the canister in the freezer and prepare the custard a day ahead.

Either churn you prepared vanilla custard or take your pre-bought vanilla icecream out of the freezer to soften. In a small bowl, stir together the fruit and brandy and let them stand for 10 minutes. Line a cake tin with foil or baking paper. Whip the cream and sugar together, then fold in the brandied fruit. Pour it into the cake tin and smooth it over a little. Put the cake tin in the freezer to firm up that first layer.

In a medium-sized saucepan, gently melt the chocolate and butter together, then allow the mixture to cool. When the icecream's ready stir some of it, along with the sifted cocoa, into the chocolate - the chocolate should harden up and create a choc-chip effect. (The original recipe suggests using a half-cup of the icecream for this step, but I'd use half of the vanilla icecream next time, I think.) Retreive the cake tin from the freezer, spread this chocolate layer over the first one, and return the cake tin to the freezer for about 15 minutes. When the second layer of icecream has begun to firm up, spread over the remaining vanilla icecream and return the cake tin to the freezer.

Toast the almond slivers gently in a dry pan. Crumble in the biscuits and lightly toast them. Press the almonds and crumbs into the top layer of the cassata and freeze it until firm.

To serve, gently but firmly slice the cassata using a wet knife.