What's for Dessert: Simple Recipes for Dessert People: A Baking Book

Chilled & Frozen Desserts

While the mousses, icebox cakes, panna cottas, and other chilled and frozen desserts in this chapter range from simple stir-together creations, like Classic Sundae Bombe (this page) and Roasted Red Plum & Biscoff Icebox Cake (this page), to more involved preparations that require a few bowls and steps, like Marbled Mint Chocolate Mousse (this page), all must be made ahead to allow for thorough chilling. This means no last-minute assembly stress, and even the more elaborate desserts feel effortless when you pull them out of the refrigerator or freezer ready to serve. While there are desserts elsewhere in this book that are served cold or that include a chilled or frozen component such as ice cream, the recipes in this chapter must be chilled or frozen to ensure their integrity. Many are layered, meaning they combine multiple flavors and textures, and most depend on gelatin and/or the miraculous properties of eggs and cream to achieve airiness, creaminess, and scoopability. Coffee appears often because, in my mind, a cold coffee dessert represents the epitome of the genre, but fruit—either of the fresh, seasonal variety or the kind you can buy in a bag in the freezer aisle—gets its due, too. To me, these are the kind of joyful, nostalgia-tinged, crowd-pleasing desserts that make any occasion a party.

Roasted Red Plum & Biscoff

Icebox Cake

SERVES 8

DIFFICULTY: 1 (Very Easy)

ACTIVE TIME: 40 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 45 minutes, plus at least 12 hours to chill

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Metal loaf pan (4½ × 8½ inches, measured across the top), hand mixer

I sometimes have a hard time relaxing a long-held but narrow opinion that dessert should be something baked and, more specifically, something made of pastry or cake. The clever and convenient thing about icebox cake, then, is that it mimics the texture of cake with zero baking involved. It’s made by layering store-bought cookies with whipped cream and other flavors, then chilling the assemblage until the cookies have absorbed some of the moisture and softened to a cakey texture. This particular icebox cake uses one of my favorite store-bought cookies, Biscoff (a brand of Belgian spice cookie), and pairs their warm, spicy flavor with tart roasted plums. The elements combine into a light, fruity, cakey confection that is definitely dessert but requires very, very little effort.

5 medium ripe red plums (12 oz / 340g), halved and pitted, plus 1 medium plum for assembly

1 cinnamon stick or whole star anise

¼ cup demerara sugar (1.8 oz / 50g)

2 cups heavy cream (16 oz / 480g), chilled

¼ cup confectioners’ sugar (1 oz / 28g)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of kosher salt

1 (8.8 oz / 250g) package Biscoff cookies (32 cookies)

PREHEAT THE OVEN: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 350°F.

ROAST THE PLUMS: Arrange the plum halves cut-sides up in the bottom of a 4½ × 8½-inch loaf pan (it’s okay if they overlap). Pour 2 tablespoons (1 oz / 28g) water over the plums and toss in the cinnamon stick. Sprinkle the demerara sugar over the plums and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast, shaking the pan once or twice, until the halves are nearly collapsed, the flesh is mushy, and the edges are lightly browned, 45 to 60 minutes. Set the pan aside to cool completely.

MAKE THE PUREE: Remove the cinnamon stick and transfer the plums and accumulated juices to a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. Use a flexible spatula to press the plum pulp through the sieve into the bowl below, pressing on the skins to release all of the flesh and juices (discard the skins). Refrigerate the puree until it’s cold, at least 1 hour. To speed up this process, you can chill the puree in an ice bath (see Chilling in an Ice Bath, this page).

PREPARE THE PAN: Clean the loaf pan but don’t fully dry it, as some water on the surface will help the plastic stick. Line the pan with plastic wrap, pressing it into the bottom and corners and leaving an inch or two of overhang on all sides. Cut the remaining plum in half and pull out the pit, then thinly slice the halves crosswise into half-moons. Arrange the slices across the bottom of the pan in an overlapping pattern. Set the pan aside.

WHIP THE CREAM: In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the cream on low speed to start and gradually increase the speed to medium-high as it thickens, until you have a softly whipped cream that forms droopy peaks (see Whipping Cream, this page). Reduce the speed to low and add the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until combined, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until you have a firmly whipped cream that holds a stiff peak.

MAKE THE PLUM FILLING: Scrape the chilled plum puree into the bowl with the whipped cream and fold with a large flexible spatula until mostly combined but still streaky (for more on the proper technique, see Folding a Mixture, this page).

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE: Add ½ cup (2.6 oz / 74g) of the whipped cream mixture to the prepared pan and carefully smooth it into a thin, even layer over the plum slices, working it all the way to the corners and sides. Arrange as many cookies as will fit in the pan on top of the cream in a single layer, cutting the cookies as necessary with a serrated knife so they’re flush. Add 1 level cup (5.1 oz / 145g) of the cream mixture to the pan, then smooth it over the cookies in an even layer. Repeat the layering process with more cookies, cutting them to fit as needed, and additional cups of whipped cream mixture, until you have 4 layers of cookies separated by 3 layers of cream. Scrape the remaining cream (you will have about ½ cup leftover) over the final layer of cookies, then wrap the plastic up and over the filling and press directly onto the surface. Refrigerate the cake until the cookies are softened, at least 12 hours.

SERVE: Remove the pan from the refrigerator and peel back the plastic from the surface. Tug gently on the ends of the plastic to help loosen the icebox cake from the pan. Place a plate or serving platter upside down over the pan, making sure the ends of the plastic are out of the way, then invert the plate and pan together. Remove the pan, pulling downward on the plastic to help release it if needed. Carefully peel away the plastic, then slice and serve.

Can I…

Make it ahead? Yes. The icebox cake, covered and refrigerated, will keep for up to 3 days but is best served by the second day. After 3 days, the cookies will lose their texture and become mushy.

Use a different fruit and/or cookie? Yes. Use an equal weight of another stone fruit such as peaches or apricots, but try to pick smaller fruits that are less juicy. You want a thick puree that won’t add too much moisture to the cream. Light and crispy cookies such as graham crackers and wafer-style gingersnaps work well in place of the Biscoffs.

French 75 Jelly

with Grapefruit

SERVES 8

DIFFICULTY: 1 (Very Easy)

GLUTEN-FREE

ACTIVE TIME: 25 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 4 hours 30 minutes (includes 4 hours for chilling)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 8 × 8-inch baking pan (or 9-inch pie plate), 8 serving glasses

People have lots of different associations with jelly desserts. Some might recall retro molded desserts one’s great aunt would make for special occasions (I personally had one such aunt who never cooked but was famous in the 1970s for her elaborate Jell-O molds), or fancy fine dining desserts with gelées (which in French just means jellies), or perhaps Asian desserts, where sweet jellies are found in many forms and flavors. Regardless of your association, I encourage you to embrace jellied desserts. This recipe, inspired by my favorite cocktail, the gin and champagne-based French 75, is a particularly elegant spin on the category, and, with the addition of fresh grapefruit segments, it proves a satisfying and light end to a meal. If a more fitting New Year’s Eve dessert exists, I have yet to find it.

4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin powder

⅓ cup sugar (2.4 oz / 67g)

½ cup gin (4 oz / 113g)

Pinch of kosher salt

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2½ cups dry sparkling rosé wine, prosecco, or champagne if you’re feeling fancy (20 oz / 567g), chilled

4 large Oro Blanco and/or red grapefruits (about 4 lb / 1.8kg)

SOFTEN THE GELATIN: Place ¼ cup (2 oz / 57g) cold tap water in a small shallow bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the top (do not stir). Set the bowl aside to allow the gelatin to soften, 5 to 10 minutes (for more information, see Softening Gelatin, this page).

MEANWHILE, MAKE THE GIN SYRUP: In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, gin, and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and vigorously simmer, swirling the saucepan frequently, until the mixture is syrupy and reduced to ⅓ cup (3.5 oz / 100g), about 5 minutes (pour it into a heatproof liquid measuring cup to check the volume, then return to the saucepan and continue to reduce if it’s not there yet). Transfer the syrup to a heatproof measuring cup and set aside to cool. Reserve the saucepan.

MELT THE GELATIN: Scrape the softened gelatin, which will have solidified, into the reserved saucepan and warm over low heat, swirling the saucepan, until the gelatin is completely melted and translucent with no visible sign of granules, about 1 minute. Pour the gelatin mixture into the measuring cup with the gin syrup, scraping in every last drop, then add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set the mixture aside to cool until warm but not hot.

Potential Pitfall: If the gelatin isn’t fully melted, the jelly will not completely set (and, because alcohol interferes generally with the setting properties of gelatin, the final set of the champagne-based jelly will already be soft). Make sure you examine the melted gelatin mixture closely while it’s still in the saucepan to make sure it’s free of granules. Don’t let it boil, either, as this could destroy its setting power.

MAKE THE JELLY: Gently pour the sparkling wine into a shallow 8 × 8-inch baking dish to maintain the bubbles. Slowly pour the gin/gelatin mixture into the pan and stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate until the jelly is set, at least 4 hours.

CUT THE GRAPEFRUIT: Up to 3 hours before serving, cut the grapefruits into segments according to the step-by-step instructions for Cutting Citrus on this page. Place the segments in an airtight container and refrigerate.

SERVE: Divide the chilled grapefruit segments evenly among eight serving glasses or cups, leaving behind any juices that have accumulated. Remove the jelly from the refrigerator, uncover, and use a small spoon to scoop the jelly into the serving glasses, dividing evenly. Serve immediately.

Can I…

Make it ahead? Yes. The jelly can be made up to 1 day ahead. Keep covered and refrigerated until you’re ready to assemble and serve.

Halve the recipe? Yes. Halve all of the above ingredient quantities, except for the ⅓ cup sugar, which doesn’t divide easily. Instead, use 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons sugar. Follow the recipe as written, reducing the gin syrup to 3 tablespoons and chilling the jelly in a loaf pan. Divide the jelly and grapefruit among four serving glasses.

Pineapple & Coconut-Rum Sundaes

SERVES 8

DIFFICULTY: 1 (Very Easy)

GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN

ACTIVE TIME: 1 hour 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 6 hours (includes several hours for freezing)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: 13 × 9-inch pan (preferably metal), food processor

The inspiration for this sundae is a drink that is basically already a dessert: the piña colada, queen of all tiki drinks (and maybe the queen of all drinks everywhere)! I usually treat myself to a piña colada only when I’m on vacation, but after enduring a global pandemic, I see no reason not to enjoy the supreme combination of coconut, rum, and pineapple whenever and wherever the mood strikes. These sundaes bring a little bit of tropical joy to winter, when pineapples are in season, and just happen to be vegan and gluten-free. Even though I make every effort not to call for extra equipment throughout the book, this is one of the few places where a food processor is necessary, since it produces a creamy, scoopable no-churn sorbet.

2 (13.5 oz / 400ml) cans unsweetened full-fat coconut milk (not light coconut milk)

1 cup mashed ripe banana (8 oz / 227g), from 2 large or 3 small bananas

⅔ cup sweetened cream of coconut, such as Coco López (5.3 oz / 150g)

¼ cup dark rum (2 oz / 57g)

Pinch of kosher salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 medium pineapple (about 4.2 lb / 1.9kg)

¼ cup packed light brown sugar (1.8 oz / 50g)

1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted to liquefy

½ cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes (1.2 oz / 35g)

Maraschino cherries, for serving

COOK THE SORBET BASE: In a large saucepan, combine the coconut milk, banana, cream of coconut, rum, and salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking frequently to melt any coconut fat and dissolve the cream of coconut. Reduce the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer and continue to cook, whisking often, until the mixture is reduced to about 4 cups, 25 to 30 minutes (carefully pour the hot mixture into a heatproof liquid measuring cup to check the volume and return to the saucepan and continue to reduce if it’s not there yet). The mixture will look lumpy and possibly separated (depending on the brand of coconut milk), which is okay. Remove it from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and set aside.

Potential Pitfall: Keep an eye on the coconut mixture, as it will boil over quickly and make a mess. Once it boils, take a minute to regulate the heat and find the level where the mixture is simmering vigorously but not boiling. If it does start to boil over, immediately remove the saucepan from the heat and blow on the surface to make it subside.

FREEZE THE SORBET BASE: Line a 13 × 9-inch pan, preferably metal, with plastic wrap, leaving just a bit of overhang. Pour the hot sorbet base into the pan and freeze uncovered until completely solid, at least 3 hours.

CUT THE FROZEN BASE INTO PIECES: Remove the pan from the freezer, turn over, and rinse the bottom for just a few seconds under warm tap water to help release the frozen base. Tug on the plastic to pop the base out of the pan, then peel off the plastic (discard) and place the frozen block on a cutting board. Reserve the pan. Working quickly, use a chef’s knife to cut the base into rough 1-inch pieces.

PROCESS THE SORBET: Transfer about one-third of the pieces to a food processor, then return the remaining pieces to the reserved pan and place back in the freezer. Pulse the food processor to break up the pieces, then process, periodically stopping and scraping down the sides and folding the mixture, until you have a very thick, completely smooth consistency with no hard frozen bits. Scrape the mixture into a 1-quart lidded container, cover, and freeze. Repeat, processing the remaining frozen base in two batches and transferring the smooth sorbet to the same lidded container. Freeze for at least 1 hour. The texture is optimal after a couple of hours of freezing, but even if frozen solid it will remain somewhat scoopable.

PREHEAT THE OVEN: Arrange an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.

SLICE THE PINEAPPLE: Working on a cutting board and using a chef’s knife, place the pineapple on its side and cut crosswise at each end to remove the leaves and base (discard). Stand the pineapple upright. Slice off the thick skin by cutting down and around the sides, following the contours of the fruit and rotating it as you go. Be generous as you cut, fully removing the knobby exterior (go back with a paring knife if necessary to remove any eyes). Cut the pineapple lengthwise into quarters, lay the quarters flat on their sides, then, working one piece at a time, slice lengthwise along the fibrous inner cores to remove them. Cut the pineapple quarters crosswise into ¼-inch-thick slices.

ROAST THE PINEAPPLE: Transfer the sliced pineapple to the (rinsed and dried) 13 × 9-inch pan and add the brown sugar, coconut oil, and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine, then roast the pineapple, shaking the pan every 15 minutes to encourage even caramelization, until the pineapple is golden brown, translucent, and tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.

TOAST THE COCONUT: Place the coconut on a small sheet pan and toast until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes, tossing halfway through. Set the pan aside to cool completely.

SERVE: Place the roasted pineapple, toasted coconut, and maraschino cherries in separate serving bowls. Remove the sorbet from the freezer, uncover, and put it out with a scoop for a DIY sundae bar.

Can I…

Make it ahead? Yes. The processed sorbet will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer. Let it soften at room temperature for several minutes before scooping. The pineapple can be roasted up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate, then let come to room temperature before serving.

Melon Parfaits

SERVES 8

DIFFICULTY: 1 (Very Easy)

GLUTEN-FREE

SERVE WITH: Lime Squiggles (this page)

ACTIVE TIME: 20 minutes

TOTAL TIME: 3 hours 40 minutes (includes 3 hours for freezing)

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Blender (handheld or standard), 8 × 8-inch baking pan, pastry bag (or 1-gallon resealable plastic bag), 8 serving