Madeleine Glacée

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5 to 1.75 litre narrow scallop-shell Madeleine-mould or fluted metal loaf tin
• •Electric hand mixer
• •Large chilled mixing bowl
• •Flexible silicone spatula
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Chilled oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Macerate the fruit

   Put the candied fruit in a small nonreactive bowl, pour over the kirsch, and stir until every dice is moistened. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, stirring once or twice. Taste one piece before proceeding: it should yield easily under the teeth and smell clearly of cherry spirit. If it remains stubbornly chewy, chop it finer and give it another hour. Frozen fruit magnifies every hard edge, so this waiting is part of the dish.

   Use true candied or glacé fruit, such as cherries, orange peel, lemon peel, and angelica. Ordinary dried fruit absorbs differently and can remain leathery after freezing.
2. 2

   Chill and soften

   Place the clean Madeleine-mould, a large mixing bowl, the beaters, and the serving platter in the freezer for 20 minutes. Let the vanilla ice cream soften only until a spatula can pass through it without force, usually 10 to 15 minutes at room temperature, then work it briefly in the chilled bowl until smooth. It must be thick and pliable, never liquid. If a melted puddle forms around the edge, return the whole bowl to the freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.

3. 3

   Whip the Chantilly

   Combine the cold cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in the chilled bowl. Whip at medium speed until the Chantilly holds a soft ridge and the tip of a lifted peak bends over. Stop there; stiff cream will leave fatty flecks through the frozen dessert. If the Chantilly just begins to look grainy, whisk in a spoonful of the softened ice cream and stop. Ça se rattrape. Once distinct butter granules appear, however, the cream has gone too far and must be remade.

4. 4

   Fold the mixture

   Drain the macerated fruit in a sieve for 10 minutes without pressing it dry; the kirsch absorbed inside is what keeps it tender, while loose spirit would make the dessert slow to set. Measure exactly 2 cups (475 ml) of finished Chantilly by volume. Fold one third into the softened vanilla ice cream to loosen it, then fold in the remaining Chantilly in two additions with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Fold in the fruit just until evenly dispersed. If the mixture becomes soupy, chill it for 10 to 15 minutes, then fold once more before filling the mould.

5. 5

   Pack and freeze

   Spoon a first layer into the frozen mould and press it carefully into every scallop ridge so no hollow pockets remain. Add the rest without crushing out the air, level the surface, and tap the mould twice on a folded towel. Lay parchment directly against the mixture, cover tightly, and freeze at the coldest back part of the freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. The centre must be completely firm before unmoulding.

6. 6

   Unmould and serve

   Take the chilled platter from the freezer. Wrap the mould for 5 to 8 seconds in a towel dipped in warm water and wrung nearly dry, then invert it firmly onto the platter. If the Madeleine glacée clings, repeat with the warm towel for another few seconds; don't soak the mould or its scallop ridges will melt away. If the surface softens during the struggle, return the unmoulded dessert to the freezer for 10 minutes. Cut generous slices with a warm, dry knife and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source ratio is measured by bulk, not weight: 4 cups of vanilla ice cream to 2 cups of finished Chantilly. Measure after whipping, without packing the cream into the cup.
• •Choose dense full-fat vanilla ice cream with a clean dairy flavour. A very airy or low-fat carton collapses quickly during folding and freezes coarse instead of creamy.
• •Kirsch is structural as well as aromatic. It softens the candied fruit and lowers the freezing point inside each dice; drain the loose spirit, but never squeeze the fruit dry.
• •A large narrow scallop-shell Madeleine-mould gives the proper silhouette. If one can't be found, a 1.5 to 1.75 litre fluted metal loaf tin preserves the ridged form and releases more cleanly than glass.
• •Keep the dessert tightly covered because frozen cream readily takes on freezer smells. Once sliced, press parchment against the exposed face before returning it to the cold.

Advance Preparation

• •Macerate the candied fruit the evening before assembly. It can remain covered in the kirsch in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• •The completed Madeleine glacée may be frozen, tightly covered, up to 3 days before serving. Unmould it only when the table is ready.
• •Chill the serving platter and dessert plates for 20 minutes before service so the first slices retain their shape.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 155g)