Cold & Spiked

Ice Cream is the generation-gap bridge--we all scream for ice cream. But on occasion, the sophisticated adult palate wants something beyond vanilla, chocolate or strawberry--spiked ice-cream concoctions laced with pungent whiskeys, redolent rums and radiant liqueurs. These zingy spirited glaces could be the greatest stimulus to conviviality since Alice B. Toklas salted (continued on page 202)Cold & splked(continued from page 183) the fudge with Cannabis. They may not be as heady as Alice's dosed confection, but the flavor will sure as hell blow your mind.

There are several ways of combining spirits and ice cream. A simple, satisfactory method is to infuse a sauce, syrup or topping with a congenial spirit and lay it on the cream. Easier yet, just splash your favorite liqueur over a scoop of ice cream--pouring directly from the bottle. Whiskey, brandy, rum or liqueur can also be whipped into store-bought ice cream. Be sure to use a quality cream and let it soften a bit before beating in the spirit. And. of course, if you start from scratch, the spirit is one of the basic ingredients incorporated in the making.

When marrying spirits with ice cream, the trick is to pair compatible flavors. A chocolate aficionado would add crème de cacao to chocolate ice cream to intensify the chocolate taste. Most people prefer the subtleties of contrasting flavors. For openers, you might try triple sec or crème de cassis with vanilla; rum, Irish whiskey or anisette with coffee ice cream; bourbon over chocolate, vanilla and peach; and amaretto on butter pecan and other nut flavors. Kirsch is a suave addition to any fruit-flavored ice cream and, surprisingly, to chocolate.

There's a persistent illusion that homemade ice cream is better, by definition. Well, it can be superb, but it can also be grainy, too dense, flat or drizzled with salt from the freezing mixture, if one is careless. If you want to give it a go, we suggest an electric ice-cream maker that operates inside the freezer. These compact jobs eliminate a lot of cranking and fussing, and the motor stops automatically when the ice cream is ready.

In addition to flavor and body, the pros judge ice cream on its melting quality. They look for an even, creamy melt. The product shouldn't water, froth or form narrow channels down the sides. Ice cream that resists melting is also suspect. Dairy Field, an industry magazine, contends that ice cream is often served too hard. "Cold blunts taste. There's more flavor release, and more sensuous pleasure, when ice cream is at the malleable stage--easily spooned." Incidentally, adding spirits helps in that regard. Alcohol retards freezing and makes for a smoother, softer texture. Of course, that's not the prime reason to spike ice cream. Flavor is--as you'll see in the offerings that follow.

[recipe-title]Chocolate Amaretto Tortoni[/recipe-title]

(Serves eight)

[recipe]1/4 cup each: sugar, water, amaretto (or chocolate amaretto liqueur)[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces (6-oz. package)[/recipe]

[recipe]3 eggs, separated[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup heavy cream[/recipe]

[recipe]1/3 cup finely chopped toasted almonds[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons grated semisweet chocolate[/recipe]

Combine sugar and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring. Boil 2 minutes, add amaretto, return just to boil. Immediately remove from heat and pour into blender container. Add chocolate pieces; blend until smooth. Add egg yolks; continue blending until very smooth. Transfer chocolate mixture to bowl. Beat egg whites until stiff, then whip cream. Add large spoonful of beaten egg whites to chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold mixture into remaining egg whites, then fold in whipped cream and chopped almonds. Spoon into small paper or foil cups and freeze. Before serving, sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Note: If tortonis freeze too stiff, put in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

[recipe-title]Peachy Meringue Freeze[recipe-title]

(Serves four)

[recipe]1 pint peach ice cream[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons bourbon[/recipe]

[recipe]2 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced[recipe]

[recipe]1 or 2 teaspoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup peach-flavored brandy[/recipe]

[recipe]4 individual meringue shells[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons toasted pecans[/recipe]

Put ice cream in refrigerator for about 10 minutes to soften. Transfer it to chilled bowl and quickly stir in bourbon. Return to freezer to firm up. Combine sliced peaches, sugar and peach-flavored brandy; stir gently. Chill at least 1/2 hour. To serve, place meringue shells in individual dessert coupes and top each with scoop bourboned ice cream. Spoon peaches, with some of syrup, over and sprinkle with pecans.

Note: Meringue shells are available in many bakeries.

[recipe-title]Mocha Parfait Surprise[/recipe-title]

(Serves six to eight)

[recipe]1 quart chocolate-chip ice cream[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup heavy cream[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons instant-coffee powder[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]6 tablespoons coffee liqueur[/recipe]

[recipe]Chocolate-coffee-bean candies[/recipe]

Soften ice cream in refrigerator. Meanwhile, whip cream with instant-coffee powder and sugar. Transfer ice cream to chilled bowl and quickly fold in half of whipped cream. Refrigerate remaining whipped cream. Pack ice cream into chilled parfait glasses and freeze for 1/2 hour, until firm. Poke skewer or chopstick down through center of each parfait to make tunnel about 1/4 in. in diameter. Fill tunnels with coffee liqueur and top with remaining whipped cream. Return to freezer for about 1 hour. Top with chocolate coffee beans before serving.

Note: This parfait should not be too stiff. If necessary, transfer to refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

[recipe-title]Topical-Fruit Sundae[/recipe-title]

(Serves six to eight)

[recipe]1/4 cup dark rum[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup apricot preserves[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-size ripe mango, peeled and sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]medium-size banana, peeled and sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]8-1/4-oz. can crushed pineapple, drained[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup flaked coconut[/recipe]

[recipe]1 quart orange-pineapple ice cream (or other fruit flavor)[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted Macadam nuts[/recipe]

Stir rum into apricot preserves; mix well. Gently stir in mango, banana, pineapple and coconut. Scoop ice cream into large wineglasses. Spoon sauce over and sprinkle with Macadamias.

[recipe-title]Cherry Bombe[/recipe-title]

(Serves about 12)

[recipe]16-to-17-oz. can or jar dark sweet pitted cherries, drained[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons kirsch[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon cherry liqueur[/recipe]

[recipe]1 quart cherry or raspberry sherbet, softened[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened Sauce (optional): 10-oz. jar cherry preserves mixed with 3 tablespoons kirsch[/recipe]

Chop cherries and macerate in kirsch and cherry liqueur for several hours. Chill 2-quart mold or metal bowl. Spread softened sherbet evenly over inside of mold to form layer about 1/2 in. thick, packing it down with back of large spoon to eliminate bubbles. Put mold in freezer until sherbet is firm. Transfer vanilla ice cream to chilled bowl and quickly stir in chopped cherries with their liquid. Pack ice cream into center of mold. Cover surface with foil and return to freezer until very firm. To un-mold, remove foil covering and invert mold on chilled serving plate. Wipe outside of mold several times with cloth wrung out in hot water and then lift off. If necessary, smooth surface with knife. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Cut in wedges and top with sauce, if desired.

Note: Sherbet and ice cream pack down so that 2-1/2 quarts can fit nicely into 2-quart mold. If you have leftovers, put them in small plastic container and return to freezer to enjoy another time.

[recipe-title]Real Old Fashioned Ice Cream[/recipe-title]

(Serves one)

[recipe]A new approach to the old fashioned cocktail.[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon each: superfine sugar, water[/recipe]

[recipe]1 oz. whiskey[/recipe]

[recipe]2 dashes bitters[/recipe]

[recipe]Small strip orange peel[/recipe]

Large scoop butter-pecan ice cream Maraschino cherry, orange slice (or other fruit in season)

Muddle sugar and water in small glass until sugar dissolves. Add whiskey and bitters; stir well. Twist orange peel over glass and add. Stir once, then remove peel. Scoop ice cream into dessert coupe. Pour whiskey sauce over. Garnish with fruit.

Pour-it-on Sundae

(Serves six or more)

Figure on 1 pint ice cream for every 3 to 4 people served. Have several flavors on hand and scoop out balls a couple of hours before serving. Place ice-cream balls on trays, cover with plastic wrap and return to freezer. When ready to serve, pile multihued ice-cream balls in chilled clear glass bowl or oversize snifter and take to table. Accompany with array of cordials--assorted flavors and colors--whipped cream, chopped nuts, chocolate sprinkles; the works. Guests will help themselves to ice cream, pour on cordials of their choice and add toppings. You can also include a couple of these quick sauces:

Bourbon Chocolate Sauce: In heavy saucepan, combine 1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces with 1/2 cup black coffee. Stir over low heat until melted and smooth. Add 2 tablespoons bourbon and 3 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream. Serve warm or at room temperature. (Alternative: Stir 3 tablespoons bourbon into 1 cup bottled chocolate fudge sauce.)

Melba Sauce: Thaw 10-oz. package frozen raspberries. Purée in blender with 2 tablespoons framboise. Strain to remove seeds.

Minty Mallow: Combine 1 cup marsh-mallow cream with 3 tablespoons green crème de menthe. Stir well.

Rum Caramel: Combine 1 cup bottled caramel or butterscotch sauce with 3 tablespoons rum. Stir well.

[recipe-title]Coffeehouse Punch[/recipe-title]

(Serves 20 to 25)

[drinkRecipe]6 cups strong black coffee, freshly made[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 bottle bourbon or brandy[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 pint heavy cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]3 pints vanilla ice cream, slightly softened[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Cinnamon[/drinkRecipe]

Combine coffee, bourbon and cream in 3-quart pitcher or in 2 smaller pitchers. Chill. When ready to serve, transfer ice cream to large chilled punch bowl. Pour coffee mixture over ice cream and stir until well blended. Ladle into old fashioned glasses and dust with cinnamon.

Note: This punch is bittersweet, since the only sweetening is ice cream. To make it sweeter, dissolve 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar in the hot coffee.

[recipe-title]Cold Buttered Rum[/recipe-title]

(Serves one)

[drinkRecipe]1-l/2 ozs. dark rum[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 large scoop butter-almond ice cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 cup finely crushed ice[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Dash bitters, or to taste[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Twist orange peel[/drinkRecipe]

Combine all ingredients except orange peel in blender and blend until almost smooth. Pour into chilled goblet. Garnish with orange twist and serve.

[recipe-title]Pixilated Strawberry Soda[/recipe-title]

(Serves one)

[drinkRecipe]1 tablespoon strawberry preserves[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]l-1/2 ozs. strawberry liqueur[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 tablespoon cream or milk[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Chilled club soda[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]1 scoop strawberry ice cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Whipped cream[/drinkRecipe]

[drinkRecipe]Fresh strawberry[/drinkRecipe]

Combine preserves and liqueur in tall glass; mix well. Stir in cream or milk. Fill glass about l/3 with club soda; stir quickly, then add ice cream. Slowly add club soda to fill glass. Stir again and top with whipped cream and strawberry. Serve with straws and long-handled spoon.

An affection for spiked ice cream has spread to the Continent. The current rage in Rome is Scotch on vanilla ice cream. Have some as you hum along with Rigoletto.

"Alcohol makes for a smoother texture; of course, that's not the prime reason to spike ice cream."