Glace Comtesse Marie

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-inch (15 cm) square metal cake tin, about 2 1/2 inches (6 cm) deep
• •Small offset spatula or the back of a dessert spoon
• •Sturdy piping bag
• •1/2-inch (12 mm) deeply grooved star piping tube
• •Flat freezer-safe serving platter
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the equipment

   Set the freezer to 0°F (-18°C) or colder. Chill the empty metal mould and serving platter for 30 minutes. Fit a sturdy piping bag with a 1/2-inch (12 mm) deeply grooved star tube and freeze the empty bag and tube as well. Keep the vanilla ice cream hard while you build the strawberry shell, reserving one-quarter of it for the final decoration.

   Metal conducts cold quickly and releases cleanly after a brief warming. Glass freezes slowly and may crack during unmoulding, so leave it in the cupboard.
2. 2

   Clothe the mould

   Move the strawberry sorbet to the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes, just until a spoon cuts through it cleanly without releasing liquid. Chemiser le moule, to clothe the mould, by pressing sorbet about 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) thick over the bottom and up all four sides of the frozen tin. The source points to the coating action in Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916); that entry works with jelly over broken ice, while this honest frozen equivalent uses a chilled metal mould and staged freezing. Keep the corners filled and the cavity centered.

   Don't line the tin with plastic film. It makes release easy but leaves every wrinkle printed across the strawberry shell.
3. 3

   Set and inspect

   Freeze the clothed mould for 20 minutes, then inspect it under a strong light. Patch any translucent or thin areas with more strawberry sorbet, smoothing with a chilled offset spatula, and freeze for another 40 minutes. If the sorbet slides down the sides, it became too warm. Return both mould and sorbet to the freezer for 10 minutes, then rebuild the weak section. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Pack the vanilla

   Soften the 3-cup filling portion of vanilla ice cream in the refrigerator until spreadable but still firm. Spoon it into the frozen strawberry shell in several additions, pressing each into the corners so no large air pockets remain. Stop level with the rim and smooth the surface flat. If the pink shell begins to soften or bleed into the vanilla, stop immediately and freeze the mould for 15 minutes before continuing. A faint marbling can be patched; a melted shell cannot hold its square.

5. 5

   Freeze until solid

   Press a small sheet of baking parchment directly against the level vanilla surface, wrap the mould well, and freeze for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The centre must be hard before unmoulding. A merely firm filling may buckle under the weight of the strawberry shell, so give the cold time to reach the middle.

6. 6

   Turn out cleanly

   Remove the parchment and set the chilled serving platter upside down over the mould. Wrap the mould for 5 to 8 seconds in a cloth dipped in warm water and wrung nearly dry, then invert mould and platter together. Lift straight upward. If the Glace Comtesse Marie refuses to release, don't tug or twist it. Freeze it again for 20 minutes, then warm every face of the mould evenly for two seconds longer.

7. 7

   Pipe the vanilla

   Return the unmoulded dessert and platter to the freezer while the reserved vanilla ice cream softens in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes. It should yield under a spoon but never look glossy or wet. Pack half into the frozen piping bag and pipe firm grooved ribbons, shells, or rosettes across the top, adding decoration to the upper sides if the shape allows. Work with the second half only after the first bagful is used. If the ridges slump, scrape the soft decoration back into a cold bowl, freeze it with the bag for 10 minutes, and pipe again. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Set and serve

   Freeze the decorated Glace Comtesse Marie for 30 minutes to set the piping. Before serving, transfer it to the refrigerator for 10 minutes so a knife can pass through without cracking the shell. Cut with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry before every slice. The first cut reveals the whole design: pink strawberry ice, a generous vanilla centre, and the white fluted crown. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose a smooth strawberry sorbet with a strong fruit flavour and no frozen berry pieces. Seeds are harmless, but chunks tear the shell and leave weak spots at unmoulding.
• •Use dense vanilla dairy ice cream, not a very airy tub that collapses as it softens. The vanilla forms both the solid centre and the decoration, so it needs enough body to hold a piped ridge.
• •Chill the piping bag and grooved tube thoroughly. A warm bag melts the thin outer layer of ice cream against your hands, and the ribbons slump even while the centre remains hard.
• •For an anniversary table, serve small slices with demi-sec Champagne. The wine has enough sweetness for the vanilla, while its acidity keeps the strawberry tasting bright.

Advance Preparation

• •The mould can be clothed and filled up to two days ahead. Keep it tightly wrapped so the ices don't collect freezer odours.
• •The dessert may be unmoulded and piped several hours before dinner. Freeze it uncovered until the decoration is hard, then protect it with a deep inverted container that doesn't touch the piping.
• •If making either ice at home, churn and hard-freeze it the day before assembly. This formula begins with finished strawberry and vanilla ices, just as the source entry does.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 163g)