Brandy Mascarpone Semifreddo Recipes

Steps:

• Make the cherry-port sauce: Bring port and granulated sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. Boil until reduced by one third, about 5 minutes. Stir in cherries. Simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Let stand, covered, until plump, about 10 minutes. Refrigerate until thick, about 40 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the semifreddo: Whisk mascarpone, cream, confectioners' sugar, and a pinch of salt until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold in chocolate. Spread mixture into a 5-by-9-inch loaf pan; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until edges beginto harden and semifreddo is very cold, at least 50 minutes. Scoop into 4 serving dishes. Spoon cherry-port sauce over tops. Serve with chocolate wafer cookies.

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl; beat using an electric mixer until frothy and pale. Add brandy and mascarpone cheese. Continue beating until mixture becomes firm, about 5 minutes.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until stiff peaks form. Beat cream in a separate chilled glass or metal bowl using an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold egg whites and whipped cream into mascarpone mixture with a spatula or wooden spoon.

Steps:

• 1. In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of the heavy cream with the gelatin over low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin dissolves. Let cool completely. 2. Fill a large bowl with ice water. In a medium stainless steel bowl, whisk the egg yolks with 1 cup of the sugar and the vanilla extract. Set the bowl over a pan filled with 1 inch of simmering water and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture is pale and thick and registers 160° on an instant-read thermometer, about 10 minutes. Set the bowl in the ice water and let the egg-yolk mixture cool, stirring occasionally. 3. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream with the mascarpone and the remaining 2/3 cup of sugar at medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the cream-gelatin mixture and brandy and beat until firm peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-fourth of the whipped cream mixture into the cooled egg-yolk mixture, then fold it into the remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain. 4. Scrape the semifreddo mixture into a 10-cup silicone kugelhopf mold or another 8- to 10-cup mold, spreading it in an even layer. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the semifreddo and freeze for at least 24 hours, until very firm. 5. Carefully peel the mold from the semifreddo, shaking gently onto a platter. Cut into wedges and serve with the Stewed Winter Fruits in Spiced Wine Syrup. MAKE AHEAD The brandy-mascarpone semifreddo can be frozen, in its mold, for up to 2 weeks. At room temperature, the semifreddo will keep its shape for about 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Whip the egg whites into soft peaks with a pinch of salt.
• In another bowl whisk the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla for a few minutes, then add the mascarpone cheese.
• When the cheese and egg yolks are fully mixed together, add one table spoon of the egg whites and stir this in with a metal spoon.
• Add the cheese mixture to the egg whites and stir in carefully, trying not to knock out the air from the beaten egg whites.
• Then pour the mixture into a nice, freezer proof bowl and put into the freezer for 3 to 4 hours. The mixture shouldn't be too hard, so don't leave it in the freezer for longer than this - good excuse to eat it asap really! :).

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F; have ready a buttered 8-inch square glass cake pan.
• First, prepare the brownies.
• In a small saucepan, melt the butter and bring it to just below a boil; have the chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl--pour the hot butter over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds.
• Stir until chocolate is completely melted.
• Sift in the sugar and cocoa powder (I do this through a sieve, not with a sifter).
• With a wooden spoon, beat in the mascarpone, eggs (30 minutes on the counter brings them to room temperature) and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
• Gently fold the flour and salt into the batter.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly--this is important since, if the batter isn't spread evenly, it won't bake evenly.
• Place into preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean (45 minutes did it for me).
• Place pan on a cooling rack and let brownies cool for 10-15 minutes, while you now make the ganache.
• Place chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl; in a small saucepan, bring the cream and the butter to just below the boiling point, over medium heat.
• Pour this hot cream-butter mixture over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth; ganache is now ready to use and can be spread over the brownies.
• Should you wish to wait a bit, make sure the ganache is warm when you spread over the brownies, as it does firm up which makes spreading hard to do.
• Don't cut into the brownies until ganache has firmed up; I find it best to put the brownies into the fridge to speed this along; once the ganache is firm the brownies do not need to be kept in the fridge, though.