Iced Biscuit Marquise

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1.5-liter (6-cup) metal loaf tin or narrow charlotte mould
• •Ice cream maker, or a shallow metal pan and food processor
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Small saucepan and sugar thermometer
• •Blender and fine-mesh sieve
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mould

   Line a 1.5-liter loaf tin with two overlapping sheets of plastic wrap, smoothing them firmly against the base and corners and leaving enough overhang to lift the marquise later. Set the lined tin in the freezer while you make the two ices. A cold mould catches the first layer quickly and keeps it level.

2. 2

   Build strawberry ice

   Toss the strawberries with the sugar and leave them for 20 minutes, until the fruit releases a glossy red syrup. Purée until completely smooth, then pass it through a fine sieve to remove the larger seeds. Chill the purée for at least 1 hour. If using frozen strawberries, thaw them fully and include every drop of their juice.

3. 3

   Churn until dense

   Churn the cold strawberry purée in an ice cream maker until dense, smooth, and able to hold the track of the paddle, usually 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer it to a shallow covered container and hold it in the freezer. It should be spreadable rather than solid when the layering begins.

   Without an ice cream maker, freeze the purée in a shallow metal pan and scrape it thoroughly with a fork every 30 minutes until evenly slushy. Process it briefly until smooth, then return it to the freezer. The texture will be slightly firmer, but the strawberry band will remain bright and clean.
4. 4

   Cook the pâte à bombe

   Beat the yolks in a medium bowl until thick and pale. Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring them to a boil without stirring, and cook the syrup to 118°C (244°F). With the mixer running, pour the syrup into the yolks in a thin stream down the side of the bowl, never directly onto the beaters. Continue beating until the mixture forms a heavy ribbon and the bowl no longer feels warm, about 5 to 7 minutes. This is the pâte à bombe, the cooked yolk foam that gives biscuit glacé its tender body. If it remains warm and loose, set the bowl over ice and keep beating gently until it thickens. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Fold the kirsch cream

   Whip the cold cream to soft peaks that curl rather than stand stiffly. Stir the kirsch gradually into the cooled pâte à bombe, then fold in one-third of the whipped cream to lighten it. Fold in the remainder with broad, calm strokes, stopping as soon as no white streaks remain. If the mixture turns soupy, the base was still too warm; set it over ice for 5 to 10 minutes and fold once more when it begins to mound.

6. 6

   Set first kirsch band

   Spread half the kirsch biscuit glacé in the frozen mould, taking it cleanly into every corner and leveling the top. Tap the tin once against a folded towel to release hidden air pockets. Cover and freeze for 90 minutes, or until the surface feels firm and does not cling to a fingertip. Kirsch lowers the freezing point, so this layer needs patience. Hold the remaining mixture, covered, in the freezer.

7. 7

   Add first strawberry band

   Let the strawberry ice soften for a few minutes if necessary, then stir it just enough to make it spreadable. Lay half of it gently over the firm kirsch layer, beginning at the edges and working inward so you do not disturb the band below. Freeze for 45 to 60 minutes. If the red ice begins sinking into the kirsch, stop and lift it back into its container before it spreads, then freeze the mould for another 30 minutes and resume. Ça se rattrape.

8. 8

   Repeat the kirsch band

   Stir the remaining kirsch mixture gently if its edges have firmed, preserving as much air as possible. Spread it over the strawberry ice to form the third band, level the top, and freeze again for 90 minutes. This alternation twice is not decorative fuss. It is the structure named by the original entry, and it stays.

9. 9

   Freeze the marquise

   Finish with the remaining strawberry ice, smoothing it into the fourth and final band. Fold the plastic wrap over the surface and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until the marquise is firm through its centre. Do not shorten this final set; the outside can look ready while the kirsch bands remain too soft to slice.

10. 10

    Unmould and slice

    Chill the serving platter. Unfold the plastic wrap and lift the marquise from the tin; if it resists, wrap the outside of the tin in a warm towel for 5 seconds, then try again. Peel away the wrap and cut with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry between slices. Serve after 3 to 5 minutes out of the freezer, when the kirsch bands are tender and the strawberry remains distinctly cold. Four bands to every slice. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a dry, clear Alsatian kirsch, not a sweet cherry liqueur. Kirsch brings perfume and warmth without syrup; a sweet liqueur makes the biscuit glacé softer still and blunts the strawberry.
• •If fresh strawberries smell of nothing, use frozen fruit picked ripe and thaw it with all its juices. The classical pantry solved the season long ago, and a fragrant preserved berry is better than a pale fresh one.
• •A domestic freezer at about -18°C (0°F) gives the cleanest bands. If yours runs warmer or is opened frequently, add 30 minutes to each kirsch-layer set.
• •Warm the knife, not the dessert. Dip a long blade in hot water, wipe it dry, and make one confident cut; a wet knife leaves icy marks and repeated sawing compresses the bands.
• •For guests who should avoid undercooked egg, choose pasteurized yolks. The hot syrup cooks the pâte à bombe, but pasteurized eggs provide the prudent extra margin.

Advance Preparation

• •Complete the marquise one or two days before serving. Once fully firm, lift it from the tin, wrap it closely, and return it to the freezer so the surface does not pick up freezer aromas.
• •The finished marquise keeps well for up to one week, tightly wrapped. Leave it in the mould until the day of serving if freezer space is tight.
• •Chill the serving platter and dessert plates for 20 minutes before unmoulding. Cold porcelain buys you an unhurried few minutes at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 130g)