I'LL ADMIT that Nigel Slater's Lemon Ice Cream Tart is a little weird. But trust me -- it's a culinary masterpiece. The "ice cream" is softly-whipped heavy cream, flavored with orange and lemon zest, and fortified with white wine and a splash of brandy. Feeling adventurous? Watch me make this dreamy decadence:
First, grab a 16-oz box of gingersnap cookies.
Then open the box and immediately eat approximately 10 cookies. Why? Because you will need only 14 ounces -- or approximately 38 cookies -- for this recipe.
Working in two or more batches, dump the cookies into the bowl of a food processor...
And grind them into coarse crumbs.
Tip: If you don't have a food processor, just pour the cookies into a bag, and smash them to smithereens with a rolling pin.
Next, in a medium sauce pan set over a low flame, melt 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) of unsalted butter.
Add the crumbled cookies to the butter...
And toss the works with a bright red spatula.
Line a 9-inch diameter, removable-bottom tart pan with a cut-out round of wax paper or baking parchment.
Tip the buttered crumbs into the pan...
And press them against the bottom and sides.
Freeze this work of art for at least one hour.
Meanwhile, thoroughly wash the skins of two lemons and one orange...
And then zest their fragrant flesh.
In the bowl of a standing mixer that you've outfitted with the "whipping" attachment (or, you can use a large bowl and a hand-held mixer), add each of the following:
2/3 cup of white wine...
The zest of the two lemons...
The zest of the single orange...
The juice of the lemons (squeeze these through a towel, as above, to filter out seeds)...
A generous tablespoon of good-quality brandy...
5 tablespoons of super-fine sugar (do not use regular granulated sugar)...
And 2 cups of heavy cream.
At medium speed (number 4 on my Kitchen Aid mixer), beat the cream until it becomes thick and voluptuous, but not stiff. In other words, the cream should just hold its shape when scooped up with a blue spatula.
The blue spatula that you are bound to lick when my back is turned.
Scoop the cream onto the frozen crust.
Note: If your tart pan is shallow, like mine, you will probably find that you have too much cream. Go ahead and mound the amount you feel comfortable with, and then do what I did -- eat the remainder. It's devilishly- delicious!
Freeze the tart for at least 4 hours.
If your freezer looks like mine, you'll have to displace your bottle of vodka in order to accommodate your tart pan.
At serving time, unmold the tart while it is still frozen. Peel away the round of parchment (or wax) paper.
If you wish, sprinkle a little orange zest over the top.
Now cut the tart into serving pieces...
And prepare yourself for a heavenly indulgence.
A snappy crust, a soft, dreamy filling, and a sophisticated taste that no self-respecting foodie can resist-- what more can you ask of this ice cream tart? Promise me you'll try it some day.
For your convenience, here's a printer-friendly, copy-and-paste version of the above recipe:
Lemon Ice Cream Tart with Gingersnap Crust
Adapted from Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries (Viking; 2005)
Ingredients for at least 8 servings
For the crust:
10 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
14 oz gingersnap cookies
For the filling:
2/3 cup white wine
2 generous tablespoons brandy
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
grated zest of an orange
5 tablespoons superfine sugar
2 cups heavy cream
Making the crust - Working in two or more batches, coarsely grind the cookies in a food processor. Or, place them in a bag and pound them with a rolling pin. Pour the crumbs into the melted butter, and mix until thoroughly coated. Tip the crumbs into a 9-inch diameter, removable-bottom tart pan, pressing them against the bottom and sides of the pan. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
The filling - Pour the filling-ingredients into the bowl of a standing mixer that you've outfitted with the whipping attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand-held mixer). Beat at medium speed until the cream turns voluptuously-thick, but not stiff. Scoop onto the frozen crust, and freeze for at least 4 hours.
Serving - While still frozen, unmold the tart, and peel off the parchment (or wax) paper. Let thaw for about 5 minutes, and then garnish the top, if you wish, with a little orange zest. Then slice the tart into serving pieces.
Think you'll try this poetic dessert? You can let me know by leaving a comment. As always, I love to hear from you.
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