Iced Biscuit Princesse

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •21 x 11 cm (8½ x 4½ inch) metal loaf pan, about 1.5 litres
• •Small food processor
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Sugar thermometer
• •Light-colored saucepan
• •Long thin slicing knife
• •Baking parchment

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cold

   Line a 21 x 11 cm (8½ x 4½ inch) metal loaf pan with two crossed strips of baking parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift the biscuit out. Clear a level space in a freezer set to minus 18°C (0°F) or colder. Chill the mixer bowl and beaters, and place a parchment-lined sheet pan in the freezer for the cut pieces.

   A metal mold conducts the cold faster than glass or heavy ceramic, giving the aerated biscuit a cleaner, more even set.
2. 2

   Make the Pralin

   Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Toast the whole almonds for 8 to 10 minutes, until pale gold at the centre and fragrant. Keep them warm. Combine the sugar and water for the Pralin in a small light-colored saucepan, cover, and boil for 1 minute so condensation washes stray crystals from the sides. Uncover and cook without stirring until the caramel turns a clear chestnut amber. Stir in the warm almonds, spread the mixture thinly on parchment, and leave it until completely cold. Break it up and pulse it in a small processor to a fine sandy powder. This is Pralin, caramelized almonds ground fine. Stop before it turns oily, because a powder folds through the biscuit more lightly than a paste.

3. 3

   Whip the pâte à bombe

   Put the yolks in the mixer bowl and begin beating at medium speed. Boil the sugar and water for the pâte à bombe to 118°C (244°F). With the mixer running, pour the syrup into the yolks in a thin stream aimed between the whisk and the bowl, never directly onto either. Increase the speed and whip until the pâte à bombe, egg yolks expanded and cooked by hot syrup, is pale, thick enough to hold a ribbon, and no warmer than room temperature. If a little syrup hardens against the bowl, leave those crystals where they are rather than scraping them into the foam; the smooth mixture beneath is still sound.

4. 4

   Fold the biscuit

   Reserve 2 tablespoons of the measured cream, then whip the rest to soft peaks that bend gently when the whisk lifts. Fold the cold Pralin into the pâte à bombe in three additions, using broad turns from the bottom of the bowl. Fold in one-third of the whipped cream to loosen the mixture, then fold in the remainder just until no white streaks remain. If the cream has gone grainy from overwhipping, ça se rattrape: fold in the reserved liquid cream a spoonful at a time until the texture becomes smooth and supple again.

5. 5

   Freeze until firm

   Spoon the biscuit preparation into the lined mold, easing it into the corners without pressing out its air. Smooth the top, cover it directly with parchment, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until firm through the centre. This hard set is not optional. A half-frozen biscuit compresses beneath the knife and sheds its almond jacket.

6. 6

   Praline the almonds

   Toast the slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until evenly golden, then keep them warm. Cook the sugar and water for the jacket in a light-colored saucepan without stirring until amber. Add the warm almonds, turn them through the caramel quickly, and spread the mixture thinly on parchment. Caramel burns fiercely, so use a spatula and keep your fingers away until it is stone cold. Chop the brittle into small splinters, roughly 3 to 6 mm across, with enough texture to crunch but no pieces large enough to make cutting awkward.

7. 7

   Cut and jacket

   Spread the cold pralined almond splinters in a shallow tray. Lift the biscuit from its mold, peel away the parchment, and cut it crosswise into 6 equal pieces with a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry before every cut. Working with one piece at a time, press the almond splinters onto the sides and ends, leaving the top clear for the two ices. Return each finished piece immediately to the frozen sheet pan. If the surface turns glossy or the almonds begin to slide, stop and freeze the pieces for 15 minutes before continuing. Ça se rattrape. Press the almonds on while the biscuit is cold.

8. 8

   Crown and serve

   Chill the serving plates. Let the vanilla ice cream and tangerine ice stand only until a spoon can pass through them cleanly, then set one small scoop of each on top of every frozen biscuit piece. The vanilla should sit beside the tangerine, not cover it, so their colors and flavors remain distinct. Serve at once while the biscuit is creamy, the jacket is crisp, and the ices still hold their shape. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Grind the Pralin only after it is completely cold. Warm caramel releases the almond oil too quickly; you want fine sand that disappears through the cream, not a heavy nut butter.
• •Choose vanilla ice cream made with real cream and a tangerine or mandarin sorbet with a clear citrus fragrance. Orange sorbet will serve in an emergency, but it is sweeter and less aromatic, so the finish will not taste quite the same.
• •For square cuts, use a long thin knife, heat it in hot water, and dry it before every pass. A wet knife leaves ice on the cut face, while a cold knife drags and compresses the biscuit.
• •Chill the plates before service and work in two batches if the room is warm. Frozen desserts reward calm organization, not speed for its own sake.
• •A demi-sec Champagne suits the caramelized almonds and tangerine without bullying the vanilla. Pour modest glasses; the dessert already knows it is the celebration.

Advance Preparation

• •The Pralin and pralined almond splinters can be made up to 3 days ahead. Keep both airtight at cool room temperature so humidity cannot soften the caramel.
• •The molded biscuit can be frozen up to 2 days ahead, covered closely once firm so it does not collect freezer aromas.
• •The pieces may be cut, jacketed with almonds, and returned to the freezer up to 2 hours before serving. Add the vanilla ice cream and tangerine ice only at the table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)