Amaretto Chocolate Ice Cream Bombe
An Amaretto almond liqueur ice cream with a chocolate centre, encased in Italian amaretti cookies and shaped into a festive bombe glacée.
Ingredients
milk
600 ml
caster sugar (for ice cream)
125 g
egg yolk
8
cornstarch
2 tbsp
Italian amaretto liqueur
3 tbsp
heavy cream (for ice cream)
250 ml
caster sugar (for chocolate filling)
100 g
water (for chocolate filling)
125 ml
egg yolk (for chocolate filling)
4
heavy cream (for chocolate filling)
125 ml
dark chocolate (for chocolate filling)
125 g
Italian sponge fingers (savoiardi)
100 g
dark chocolate (for hot chocolate sauce)
250 g
water (for hot chocolate sauce)
175 ml
heavy cream (for decoration)
175 ml
dark chocolate (for decoration)
30 g
Instructions
1
Making the Amaretto Ice Cream
Bring the milk just to the boil, then remove from the heat. Pour out 1/2 of the milk and set aside. Add the caster sugar to the remaining milk and stir until completely dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and cornstarch together until smooth. Gradually pour the sweetened milk into the yolk-cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it comes to the boil and thickens into a custard that coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove from the heat. Pour the reserved 1/2 milk into the custard, then strain through a sieve and leave to cool. Once cooled, if a skin has formed on the surface, whisk it smooth again, then stir in the amaretto liqueur. Pour the cooled custard into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer's instructions until semi-set. Pour the heavy cream into a chilled bowl and whip until thickened. Fold the whipped cream into the semi-set custard and continue churning in the ice cream maker until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Meanwhile, place the mould in the freezer to chill. Pack the ice cream into a bombe mould to a thickness of about 4 cm. Make a well in the centre with a spoon, cover, and freeze until firm, about 30–60 minutes.
2
Making the Chocolate Filling and Freezing
Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and stir occasionally as it comes to the boil. Once boiling, stop stirring and continue to cook until it reaches a soft-ball stage (115°C / 240°F). Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and whisk lightly. Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the yolks, whisking constantly. Continue whisking the yolk-and-syrup mixture on high speed for 5 minutes until thick, pale, and cooled. Pour the heavy cream into a chilled bowl and whip to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the yolk mixture. Finely chop the dark chocolate. Crush the Italian sponge fingers into crumbs. Stir the chopped chocolate and biscuit crumbs into the egg-cream mixture to make the filling. Remove the ice cream-filled dessert mould from the freezer, pour the chocolate filling into the central well, and smooth the surface with a spatula. Cover with baking parchment or aluminium foil and freeze for 8 hours.
3
Preparing the Hot Chocolate Sauce
First, chop the chocolate into pieces with a chef's knife or pulse in a food processor. Place the chocolate and water in a saucepan over low heat and melt until smooth. Continue to cook gently over low heat for 2–3 minutes until the sauce is thick and creamy, then remove from the heat and keep warm.
4
Unmoulding and Decorating
Remove the mould from the freezer, take off the lid or foil, and dip it into a bowl of cold water for 30–60 seconds, then remove and dry the outside of the mould. Run a small knife around the edge to loosen, then peel away the baking parchment. Place a serving plate over the top of the mould, press firmly together, and quickly invert. Cover the mould with a damp cloth for a few seconds to release, then lift off the mould, wipe the edge of the plate clean, and return to the freezer. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the chocolate into curls for decoration. Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle. Place an Italian sponge finger around the edge of the dessert and pipe a small rosette next to it, continuing all the way around. Sprinkle a few chocolate curls over the rosettes to finish.
