Iced Biscuit Bénédictine

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •9 by 5-inch (23 by 13 cm), 1½-quart (1.5-liter) metal loaf tin
• •Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
• •Digital sugar thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible silicone spatula
• •Kitchen scale
• •Parchment paper or food-safe acetate

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mold

   Line a 9 by 5-inch (23 by 13 cm), 1½-quart (1.5-liter) loaf tin with a smooth parchment sling, leaving enough overhang to lift the biscuit glacé without turning it upside down. If you have food-safe acetate, fit a strip against the short sides for an especially clean finish. Chill the lined tin while you make the three ices.

2. 2

   Reduce the strawberries

   Combine the strawberries, their 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 25 g) of sugar, and 1 teaspoon (5 ml / 5 g) of the lemon juice in a small saucepan. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, crushing the fruit, until glossy and reduced to about ½ cup (120 ml / 125 g). Blend smooth, pass through a fine sieve, and cool completely over an ice bath. Warm purée would collapse the whipped base, so don't hurry this cooling.

   Out of season, use unsweetened frozen strawberries picked ripe. Thaw and drain them before weighing; tired fresh berries bring neither fragrance nor color.
3. 3

   Whip the cream

   Whip the cold cream in a chilled bowl until it holds soft, rounded peaks. Stop while it still looks supple and glossy; stiff cream makes the finished ice feel buttery rather than light. Keep it cold while you prepare the yolks.

4. 4

   Build the pâte à bombe

   Put the yolks in the mixer bowl and begin whisking at medium speed. Heat the ¾ cup (180 ml / 150 g) sugar and ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g) water without stirring until the syrup reaches 244°F (118°C). With the mixer running, pour the syrup in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl, never onto the moving whisk, then whip at high speed until the pâte à bombe is very pale, thick enough to hold a ribbon, and barely warm, about 6 to 8 minutes. If a few cooked threads appear, pass the mixture through a fine sieve while it is still warm and continue whipping. Ça se rattrape.

   If the syrup crystallizes before reaching temperature, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml / 15 g) water, cover the pan for thirty seconds, and begin again without stirring. The brief trapped moisture washes the crystals from the sides.
5. 5

   Fold and flavor

   Fold one third of the whipped cream into the pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the rest with the salt, turning the bowl until no white streaks remain. Put one quarter of this neutral base into a chilled bowl and fold in the cold strawberry purée. Divide the remaining base equally between two more chilled bowls. Fold the Bénédictine into one. Into the other, fold the violet syrup, the remaining ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml / 2.5 g) lemon juice, and 2 teaspoons (10 ml / about 5 g) of the crushed crystallized violets. Cover the three bowls and keep them cold.

6. 6

   Set the strawberry

   Spread the strawberry mixture evenly across the bottom of the chilled mold, working it into the corners and leveling the surface. Freeze for 60 to 90 minutes, until firm enough that a gentle fingertip leaves no dent. This is the step that matters. If you add the next mixture and see pink beginning to marble upward, lift the new mixture straight back into its bowl, smooth the strawberry layer, and freeze it for another 20 to 30 minutes. Ça se rattrape.

7. 7

   Freeze the Bénédictine

   Give the Bénédictine mixture one gentle fold. Spoon it over the firm strawberry layer in small dollops, then join and level them without pressing into the fruit below. Freeze for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Alcohol slows freezing, so judge by touch rather than the clock: the center must feel firm and dry before the violet layer goes on.

8. 8

   Crown with violet

   Gently fold the violet mixture once, spread it over the firm Bénédictine layer, and level the top. Scatter over the reserved crushed crystallized violets, cover without touching the surface, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until solid through the center.

9. 9

   Unmold and slice

   Chill a long serving platter. Wrap the outside of the mold briefly in a cloth dampened with warm water, then lift the biscuit glacé out by its parchment sling so the violet layer remains on top. Peel away the lining and leave the dessert at room temperature for 5 minutes. Cut 8 slices with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry between cuts. If the first slice cracks, wait another 2 minutes; if it smears, return the loaf to the freezer for 10 minutes. Serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Do not increase the Bénédictine. Three tablespoons carry its herbs and honeyed spice clearly, while more alcohol leaves the middle too soft to support a clean slice.
• •Violet syrup, not a handful of florist's flowers. The syrup gives a controlled floral note and the pale violet color the source requires; the crystallized violets reinforce it without turning the dessert perfumed.
• •A metal loaf tin freezes the bands faster and more evenly than glass or thick ceramic. Faster setting means cleaner borders between strawberry, Bénédictine, and violet.
• •Use a scale when dividing the base if you have one. Put roughly one quarter into the strawberry bowl, because the fruit purée supplies the rest of that layer's volume, then divide what remains equally.
• •Cold mutes flavor. Taste each mixture before freezing: strawberry should be distinctly tart, Bénédictine aromatic, and violet lightly floral rather than soapy.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the complete biscuit glacé one or two days before serving. Once frozen solid, wrap the mold closely so the cream does not collect freezer odors.
• •The strawberry purée can be reduced, strained, and chilled a day ahead. Keep it covered in the refrigerator and stir before folding it into the base.
• •For the cleanest slices, unmold the dessert shortly before serving and return it to the freezer on its platter. Let it temper for about 5 minutes only when the plates are ready.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 125g)