Bombe Diplomate

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-cup (1.5 L) metal bombe mould or deep round stainless-steel bowl
• •Stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment
• •Sugar or instant-read thermometer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Flexible spatula and small offset spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill mould and fruit

   Put a clean 6-cup metal bombe mould or deep round bowl in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Cut the candied fruit into neat 5 mm dice, blot away any syrup, spread the pieces in one layer on a small tray, and freeze them for 45 minutes, until rigid, separate, and hard-cold. Do not soak them in the liqueur. Alcohol would keep them soft, and soft sticky fruit is precisely what drags the air out of the filling.

   Glacé cherries, candied orange peel, and citron make a balanced mixture. Wet cocktail cherries carry too much syrup and should stay out of this bombe.
2. 2

   Clothe the mould

   Let about 2 cups of the vanilla ice cream soften in the refrigerator until spreadable but still matte and firm. Chemiser le moule (clothe the mould) by applying the cold-moulding principle from Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): press the ice cream evenly over the bottom and sides of the frozen mould in a layer about ½ inch (1 cm) thick, leaving no metal showing. If the ice cream turns glossy or slides, freeze the mould for 10 minutes, then patch the thin places. Reserve the remaining ice cream for the cap and freeze the clothed mould until hard, about 45 minutes.

3. 3

   Cook the syrup

   Put the yolks in the stand-mixer bowl before beginning the syrup. Combine the sugar and 3 tablespoons of water in a small heavy saucepan, warm gently until the sugar dissolves, then boil without stirring to 244°F (118°C), the petit boulé or soft-ball stage. If crystals gather before the syrup reaches temperature, cover the pan for 30 seconds so condensation washes down the sides. If the syrup seizes completely, add the reserved tablespoon of water and dissolve it again over low heat. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Build the pâte à bombe

   Beat the yolks at medium speed until loosened and lightly foamy. With the mixer running at medium-low speed, pour the hot syrup in a thin, steady thread down the inside wall of the bowl, never directly onto the whisk, where it would spin into hard sugar threads. Increase the speed and beat for 7 to 10 minutes, until the pâte à bombe is very pale, tripled in volume, and thick enough to fall from the whisk in a ribbon. The bowl must feel no warmer than your hand before the cream goes in. Beat in the Maraschino gradually; if the bowl is still warm, keep beating until it cools.

5. 5

   Fold the filling

   Whip the cold cream to soft peaks that bend over rather than stand stiff. Fold one-third into the cooled pâte à bombe to lighten it, then fold in the remainder in two additions, reaching down to the bottom and turning the bowl as you work. Add the frozen candied fruit with the last few folds. Stop as soon as the fruit is dispersed. If the filling becomes shiny and loose, put the bowl in the freezer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture holds a soft mound, then give it one final fold. Do not beat it back together.

6. 6

   Fill and freeze

   Spoon the Maraschino filling into the hard vanilla shell, easing it against the sides to prevent empty pockets without compacting away its air. Leave about ½ inch (1 cm) at the rim. Soften the reserved vanilla ice cream just enough to spread, then cover the filling with it, joining this cap firmly to the frozen shell all the way around. Cover the surface closely with baking parchment, wrap the mould, and freeze for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until solid through the center.

7. 7

   Unmould and slice

   Chill the serving platter for 15 minutes. Dip only the outside of the mould in lukewarm water for 5 seconds, dry it, invert it onto the platter, and lift. If the bombe does not release, repeat for 2 seconds rather than soaking it; patience preserves the vanilla shell. If an edge softens after release, return the platter to the freezer for 15 minutes. Cut with a knife dipped in hot water and wiped completely dry between slices, revealing the pale Maraschino center and suspended candied fruit. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use a dense, full-fat vanilla ice cream with a clean dairy flavor. The source treats vanilla ice cream as a finished component, so buying it is faithful to the entry; a light or heavily aerated ice cream makes a weak shell.
• •Maraschino is a clear cherry liqueur, not the syrup from cocktail cherries. Keep to the measured amount. More alcohol tastes forceful and prevents the center from freezing properly; kirsch is drier and would make a different bombe.
• •Measure the mould's capacity with water before beginning, then dry and freeze it thoroughly. A 6-cup metal bowl is the honest home equivalent of a bombe mould, and its rounded bottom gives the proper domed shape.
• •The candied fruit must be tiny, dry, and frozen hard before folding. Large or warm pieces sink, tear through the foam, and make the center dense.
• •Use pasteurized eggs when serving pregnant, elderly, very young, or immunocompromised guests. The hot syrup heats the yolks substantially, but the final temperature depends on careful pouring and mixing.

Advance Preparation

• •Dice, blot, and freeze the candied fruit a day ahead. Transfer it to an airtight container once hard so it remains dry and separate.
• •The vanilla ice-cream shell can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Cover the mould closely once the lining has frozen hard so the surface does not collect frost.
• •Assemble the complete bombe the day before serving. It is at its best within 3 days, but it can remain frozen for up to 1 week if wrapped tightly against freezer air.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)