RECIPES: Strawberry bonbons

STRAWBERRY BONBONS

Makes 12 bonbons.

From Times test kitchen director Donna Deane. This recipe makes 1 quart of ice cream, more than is needed for the bonbons.

• 1 pint strawberries, stemmed and cleaned

• 1 c. milk

• 1 c. heavy cream

• 1/4 c. corn syrup

• 2 egg yolks

• 1/4 c. sugar

• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped and seeded

• Grated peel and juice of 1 small lime

• 12 vanilla wafers

• 4 to 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

Directions

To make the ice cream: Purée the strawberries in a food processor or blender and set aside. You will have about 1 cup.

In a saucepan, heat the milk, heavy cream and corn syrup over medium heat until just simmering. In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla, then slowly whisk into the milk mixture. Continue to heat, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 5 to 6 minutes.

Strain the custard into a bowl over an ice bath, and stir occasionally until the mixture is chilled. Stir in the puréed strawberries and the lime peel and juice.

Freeze the mixture in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions, then spoon into a chilled glass dish. Cover and freeze until solid.

To assemble the bonbons: Spoon a small (1-ounce) scoop of ice cream onto each of the vanilla wafers. Place the wafers on a large baking sheet and freeze while you melt the chocolate. Place the chocolate in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and melt gently over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly, then spoon 2 heaping teaspoons chocolate over each of the frozen bonbons. Serve the bonbons immediately, or place back in the freezer until ready to serve.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories166Fat9 gSodium22 mgSaturated fat5 g

Carbohydrates25 gProtein1 gCholesterol12 mgDietary fiber1 g

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH HAZELNUT SEMIFREDDO

Serves 10.

Note: Step-by-step instructions on how to make this are at latimes.com/frozendesserts. From Times test kitchen director Donna Deane.

• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate

• 1/4 c. butter, plus extra for buttering the pan

• 4 egg yolks

• 11/2 c. sugar, divided

• 11/2 tsp. vanilla, divided

• 7 egg whites, divided

• 1/8 tsp. salt

• 1/4 c. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

• 3/4 c. toasted hazelnuts

• 1 c. heavy cream

• 1 tbsp. amaretto liqueur

Directions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water and heat until melted and just combined, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm to the touch but still melted.

While the chocolate is cooling, beat the egg yolks until light and fluffy. Slowly drizzle one-fourth cup sugar into the eggs and continue to beat until fluffy and airy. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla until combined.

Separately, beat 4 egg whites with the salt to soft peaks. Drizzle one-fourth cup sugar into the whites and continue to beat to stiff peaks. Set aside.

Fold the whipped egg whites gently into the whipped yolks, then fold in the melted chocolate and cocoa.

Spread the batter into a 15- by 10-inch baking pan which has been buttered, lined with parchment paper, and buttered again. Bake the cake for 10 to 12 minutes, until set. Turn the cake out onto a rack to cool.

Place the cooled cake on a cutting board and cut three rectangles from the cake, each the dimensions of the 9-inch loaf pan (these rectangles will form layers in the final dessert). Set aside.

To make the hazelnut praline: In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons water. Heat to boiling (dissolving the sugar), then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the syrup turns golden brown, several minutes. Stir in the toasted hazelnuts, then pour out onto a lightly buttered baking sheet and allow to cool. Break the pralines into pieces and coarsely process in a food processor; you should have 11/2 cups crushed praline. Set aside.

To make the semifreddo: Whip the cream to stiff peaks, then fold in the amaretto liqueur and remaining vanilla. Separately, whip the remaining three egg whites. Gradually beat in the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the whipped cream, along with 1 cup of the crushed praline.

To assemble the cake: Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap. Place 1 layer of the cake snugly into the bottom of the pan. Evenly spread one-third of the semifreddo base over the top of the cake, and top with a generous tablespoon of the crushed pralines. Repeat with the remaining layers, for a total of three layers. Sprinkle the remaining praline evenly over the top of the cake. Freeze, wrapped in plastic, until ready to serve.

To unmold the cake, dip the base of the frozen loaf pan quickly in a bowl of hot water to loosen the cake. Remove the cake (still wrapped in plastic) from the mold. Gently unwrap the cake. The cake can be served whole on a serving platter garnished with orange slices or kumquats, or can be sliced.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories433Fat29 gSodium81 mg

Carbohydrates43 gSaturated fat13 gDietary fiber3 g

Protein7 gCholesterol127 mg

COVIGLIA AL CAFFE

Serves 10.

Note: The egg whites are not cooked, so either use pasteurized eggs or powdered egg whites. Adapted from "Cucina del Sole" by Nancy Harmon Jenkins. It should not be frozen hard. If you must keep them in the freezer longer than 2 to 3 hours, transfer them out of the freezer and into the refrigerator so they loosen up before serving.

• 1 c. milk

• 2 tsp. very finely ground espresso coffee (freshly ground)

• 2 tsp. flour

• 1/2 c. sugar

• 4 egg yolks

• 11/4 tsp. vanilla extract, divided

• 1/2 c. strong brewed black coffee

• 11/2 c. heavy cream, divided

• 2 egg whites

• 1 tsp. powdered sugar

• Grated bittersweet chocolate for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the milk until it is just hot to the touch, but do not let the milk come to a boil. Keep warm.

In a small bowl, combine the ground espresso and flour, tossing with a fork to mix well. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add the sugar to the egg yolks and beat until the mixture is light-colored and thickened. Continue beating as you slowly pour in the warm milk. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla, the coffee and the mixture of ground espresso and flour, beating constantly.

When everything is combined well, transfer the mixture to a heavy saucepan over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a creamy consistency.

Note that it's important to watch the mixture and stir constantly because if it comes to a boil, it will curdle as the eggs start to cook. (If that starts to happen, immediately pull the pan off the heat and cool it by setting the base of the pan in cold water. Strain the mixture to get rid of any curdled/cooked bits and continue with the remainder.)

In the end, the mixture will thicken to a custard and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Beat 1 cup of the heavy cream in a chilled bowl to soft peaks, then fold the whipped cream into the coffee mixture. Rinse the beaters and beat the egg whites to stiff peaks; fold into the coffee cream.

Pour into a glass bowl and freeze about 1 hour, then stir the mixture, which should be half-frozen. Divide into espresso cups and return to the freezer until almost frozen, an additional 2 to 3 hours.

Whip the remaining cream together with the powdered sugar and remaining vanilla to soft peaks. Spoon a small dollop of whipped cream onto each serving and sprinkle lightly with bittersweet chocolate. Serve immediately.

Nutrition information per serving:

Calories207Fat16 gSodium39 mgCarbohydrates13 gProtein3 gCholesterol133 mgSaturated fat9 gDietary fiber0 g