Light Ices

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8½ by 4½ inch (21 by 11 cm) metal loaf tin, about 1 quart
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• •Small heavy saucepan, about 1 quart (1 litre)
• •Digital sugar thermometer, or a glass of ice water for testing the syrup
• •Flexible spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mould

   Line an 8½ by 4½ inch (21 by 11 cm) metal loaf tin with two crossed sheets of food-safe plastic wrap, leaving enough overhang to cover the surface. Smooth the lining against the corners and clear a level space in a freezer set to 0°F (-18°C) or colder. The loaf tin replaces an ornamental ice mould without changing the direct-freezing method.

   A metal tin releases the frozen glace more readily than thick glass or ceramic and carries the cold quickly into the centre.
2. 2

   Whip the cream

   Whip the 1¼ cups (300 ml / 300 g) cold cream until it forms soft peaks that curl over at their tips. Stop before it becomes stiff or grainy, because supple cream folds into the pâte à bombe without crushing its air. If it does turn grainy, don't discard it. Ça se rattrape: add the optional cold cream a teaspoon at a time and fold gently until the texture becomes smooth and soft again. Keep the whipped cream cold while you make the syrup.

3. 3

   Cook the vanilla syrup

   Put the sugar, water, vanilla seeds, and scraped pod in a small heavy saucepan. Warm gently, stirring only until the sugar dissolves, then bring it to a steady boil without further stirring. Cook until the syrup reaches 244°F (118°C), the firm end of the soft-ball stage. If crystals begin forming around the pan wall, cover the pan for 30 seconds so condensation washes them down, or brush the sides with a clean brush dipped in water. Do not scrape crystals back into the syrup. Remove the vanilla pod when the syrup reaches temperature.

4. 4

   Build the pâte à bombe

   Begin whisking the yolks and salt at medium speed until they are blended and slightly thickened. With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup into the yolks in a hair-thin stream between the whisk and the bowl wall, never directly onto the moving whisk. Continue beating at high speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is pale, voluminous, cool beneath your palm, and falls from the whisk in a broad ribbon that rests briefly on the surface. If a little syrup hardens against the bowl wall, leave it there rather than scraping brittle sugar into the smooth base; the pâte à bombe itself is still sound.

5. 5

   Fold without crushing

   Fold one-third of the whipped cream into the pâte à bombe to loosen it, turning the bowl as the spatula cuts down through the centre and lifts from underneath. Add the remaining cream in two portions and fold only until the last white streak disappears. Work gently but decisively. Lingering over the bowl deflates the air, and that air is what keeps a directly frozen ice light rather than hard.

6. 6

   Mould and freeze

   Transfer the mixture immediately to the lined tin, pressing it lightly into the corners without packing it down. Smooth the surface, fold the plastic wrap over it, and freeze on the level shelf for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight. Do not stir or churn it during freezing. Direct moulding is the defining method of these glaces légères, not a step omitted for convenience.

7. 7

   Unmould and slice

   Chill the serving platter and plates. Uncover the tin, invert it onto the platter, and lift away the wrap. If the glace resists, wrap the outside of the tin in a warm damp towel for 5 seconds and try again; if the edges soften before the centre releases, return everything to the freezer for 15 minutes. Let the unmoulded glace stand for 5 minutes, then slice it with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry between cuts. Serve while the slices hold their clean shape but yield easily to a spoon. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The source entry defines a family rather than fixing one flavour or ratio. Vanilla keeps the shared method visible and adds almost no free liquid; generous additions of juice or liqueur would change the freezing balance and belong in a dedicated bombe, mousse, parfait, pudding, biscuit, or iced soufflé formula.
• •Use heavy cream with at least 35 percent fat and keep it properly cold. Low-fat cream cannot hold enough air for this preparation, and a substitute gives neither the volume nor the clean melt the glace requires.
• •Without a thermometer, drop a little syrup into a glass of ice water. It should gather into a soft, flexible ball that keeps its shape when lifted but flattens readily between your fingers.
• •Use pasteurized egg yolks when serving anyone especially vulnerable to foodborne illness. The hot syrup cooks the yolks during proper mixing, but pasteurized yolks add a sensible margin of safety.
• •The glace should be firm enough to slice, not left at room temperature until it slumps. Five minutes usually softens it properly; a particularly cold freezer may demand eight.
• •Serve it alone after a generous dinner, or with black coffee and a small glass of Sauternes. Cooking well is not cooking fancy.

Advance Preparation

• •Freeze the completed glace at least 8 hours before serving. It may be made up to 3 days ahead and kept tightly covered in its mould so it does not collect freezer aromas.
• •Prepare the lined mould, chill the cream, and arrange the mixer before cooking the syrup. Once the syrup begins to boil, the pâte à bombe and folding should proceed without a pause.
• •Chill the serving platter and dessert plates for 30 minutes before unmoulding. The cold porcelain keeps the first slices neat while everyone is served.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 90g)