Iced Biscuit Sigurd

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •8-inch (20 cm) square metal pan
• •Parchment paper
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Sugar or instant-read thermometer
• •Electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Flexible spatula
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the mould

   Line an 8-inch (20 cm) square metal pan with two crossed strips of parchment, leaving enough overhang to lift out the frozen biscuit. Purée the strawberries until smooth, then press them through a fine sieve to remove the seeds. Keep the purée cold. Stir the pistachio paste until completely smooth, but do not add coloring; pistachio is muted green, not emerald.

   Metal conducts cold more quickly than glass or heavy ceramic, giving the aerated mixture a finer, more even set in a home freezer.
2. 2

   Whip the cream

   Whip the cold cream until it forms soft peaks that bend at their tips. Stop there. Stiff cream is difficult to fold and leaves buttery flecks through the biscuit. If it begins to look grainy, whisk in a teaspoon of cold unwhipped cream or cold milk until it smooths. Divide the whipped cream into two equal portions, cover, and refrigerate.

3. 3

   Build the pâte à bombe

   Put the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring them to a boil without stirring. When the syrup reaches about 230°F (110°C), begin beating the yolks at medium speed. At 244°F (118°C), remove the syrup from the heat and pour it in a thin stream down the inside of the bowl while beating, keeping it away from the moving whisk. Increase the speed and whip until the pâte à bombe is thick, pale, and cool enough that the bowl no longer feels warm, about 7 minutes. If a little syrup hardens into threads against the bowl, set the bowl briefly over barely warm water and keep whisking until they dissolve; do not scrape hard sugar shards into the foam. Divide the pâte à bombe equally between two bowls and cover one portion.

4. 4

   Set the strawberry base

   Whisk the cold strawberry purée into one portion of pâte à bombe until the color is even. Fold in one portion of whipped cream in three additions, turning the bowl and cutting through the center with the spatula so the air survives. Spread this strawberry biscuit preparation evenly in the lined pan and level the surface without pressing it flat. Freeze for 40 to 50 minutes, until the surface no longer ripples when the pan is nudged but remains slightly tacky.

5. 5

   Add the pistachio top

   Loosen the pistachio paste with two spoonfuls of the reserved pâte à bombe, then whisk that mixture back into the remaining pâte à bombe. Fold in the second portion of whipped cream. Test the strawberry layer with one small spoonful of pistachio preparation. If it sinks, lift it off and return the pan to the freezer for 20 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Once the base holds, spoon the pistachio mixture gently across the surface and level it from edge to edge.

6. 6

   Freeze the biscuit

   Freeze the layered biscuit uncovered until the top is firm, about 1 hour, then cover without letting the wrapping touch the surface. Continue freezing until solid through the center, at least 4 hours in total. Press the middle lightly through the covering: it should feel firm, with no soft pocket beneath the pistachio layer.

7. 7

   Cut and sandwich

   Lift the biscuit from the pan by its parchment and peel the paper away. Dip a long knife in hot water, wipe it completely dry, and cut the square into two 4-inch-wide strips, then cut each strip into four rectangles. Clean and warm the knife between cuts. If the layers smear or compress, return the block to the freezer for 15 minutes before continuing. Place each rectangle between two dry gaufrettes without pressing hard. Serve immediately, before the wafers soften. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use fragrant ripe strawberries. When the market offers pale, tired fruit, choose unsweetened frozen berries instead, thaw them in a sieve, and blot away excess liquid. An honest preserved berry gives more flavor than a sad fresh one.
• •Buy pure pistachio paste made from pistachios, not a sweetened sandwich spread. Added sugar changes how firmly the layer freezes, while added oil can leave it greasy.
• •The gaufrettes must be thin, crisp, and unfilled. Keep them in an airtight tin at room temperature, because even the humidity of the refrigerator begins softening them.
• •Cut the biscuit before guests sit down, but keep the pieces frozen on parchment. Sandwich them only as dessert goes out. The five minutes saved by assembling early cost the texture that defines Sigurd.
• •For a celebration, a well-chilled demi-sec Champagne has enough sweetness to stand beside the strawberry and pistachio without flattening either.

Advance Preparation

• •The strawberry purée can be prepared, covered, and refrigerated one day ahead. Stir it before using.
• •The finished layered biscuit can remain frozen in its pan for up to two days, tightly covered once solid.
• •The biscuit may be cut into rectangles up to one hour before serving. Freeze the pieces in a single layer with parchment between them, and keep the gaufrettes separate until the final moment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 145g)