Slushed! Part 11

To unmold, remove the pan from the freezer and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes to loosen up. Remove the top layer of plastic wrap. Invert the pan onto a serving platter. Remove the bottom layer of plastic wrap.

Slice with a warm knife and serve garnished with fresh strawberries.

Lady G.o.diva's Frozen Chocolate Mousse

This light and airy mousse gets its poof from whipped cream that's been spiked with a liberal dose of chocolate liqueur. The condensed milk gives it the velvety texture-and adds subtle caramel notes.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder 1 tablespoon hot water 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped cup sweetened condensed milk teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of salt 1 cup heavy cream 4 tablespoons G.o.diva chocolate liqueur Put the instant espresso powder in a small bowl. Add the hot water. Stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Put the chopped chocolate, condensed milk, dissolved espresso, vanilla extract, and salt in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Mix until uniform.

Melt the mixture in the microwave on high for a minute or two, stopping it every 10 or 20 seconds to stir. (If you don't have a microwave, use a double boiler.) Set aside.

Put the cream in a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on high until it forms soft peaks. Add the chocolate liqueur and beat to incorporate.

Working in batches, fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture. (Be careful to not smoosh all the air out of the whipped cream.) Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze overnight.

Condensed Milk vs. Evaporated Milk What's the difference? In a word: sugar. And it's a huge difference. Condensed milk is whole milk that's been slow cooked with sugar until it's reduced by a little more than half. The result is thick, syrupy, and caramel flavored. Evaporated milk is thin and unsweetened. Make sure you walk out of the market with the right can. They're definitely not interchangeable.

Chocolate Espresso Martini Mousse

Like chocolate ganache? You'll love this mousse. It's basically a frozen, whipped ganache that's been infused with rich espresso, then laced with espresso-flavored vodka. Serve this rich mousse in small bowls with cups of steaming espresso.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder 2 tablespoons hot water 10 ounces semisweet chocolate chips 3 cups heavy cream teaspoon vanilla extract cup espresso-flavored vodka Put the instant espresso in a small bowl. Add the hot water. Stir to dissolve. Set aside.

Put the chocolate chips in a large bowl. Heat the cream in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot until it just starts to bubble at the edges. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until the chocolate melts and the mixture is uniform. Let cool to room temperature, then chill completely. This is the ganache.

Beat the chilled ganache until it holds soft peaks. Drizzle in the vanilla extract and vodka with the mixer running.

Transfer the chocolate mousse into a freezer-safe container. Smooth the top down with a spatula. Cover it with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down so it covers the surface of the mousse. Pop the pan in the freezer for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Orange Curacao Parfait

This parfait is lighter than a traditional ice cream or gelato-but still plenty creamy. Serve it scooped in large goblets, layered with whipped cream and dusted with orange zest.

MAKES 68 SERVINGS 4 egg yolks cup sugar cup freshly squeezed orange juice Zest of 1 large orange + more for garnish 1 cup heavy cream 3 tablespoons orange curacao Whipped cream, for serving Beat the egg yolks, sugar, orange juice, and orange zest together in a large, heatproof bowl. Cook in a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 165F, about 7 minutes. Whatever you do, don't let it boil.

Remove from the heat. Continue to beat until cool, about another 7 minutes. Set aside.

Beat the cream and orange curacao together until the mixture forms soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the egg mixture in thirds. Be sure to fold gently, so you don't de-poof your whipped cream.

Transfer the parfait to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Penny's Pumpkin Parfait with Spiced Rum

h.e.l.lo, pumpkin perfection! Named after one of our pups, this parfait makes a great end to a holiday meal. Serve layered with whipped cream and crumbled mola.s.ses cookies.

MAKES 68 SERVINGS 1 cups canned pumpkin cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger teaspoon ground cloves 3 cups heavy cream cup spiced rum Whipped cream, for serving Mola.s.ses cookies, for serving Whisk the pumpkin, brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, and ground cloves together in a large bowl until uniform.

Beat the cream in a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer until it forms soft peaks. Beat in the spiced rum until incorporated.

Working in batches, gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture, being careful not to deflate it.

Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze overnight.

Know Your Canned Pumpkin You can find canned pumpkin in the baking aisle of most major grocery stores. But, buyer beware. Always get 100-percent pumpkin puree-NOT canned pumpkin pie filling, which comes preloaded with sugar and spices. Using the straight puree lets you control the sweetness and flavor-and skip extra preservatives.

S'mores Martini Parfait

This one's for all you former Girl Scouts and Brownies out there. S'mores are a cla.s.sic campfire treat. In this grown-up version, a rich chocolate parfait is studded with mini marshmallows and laced with vodka and chocolate liqueur.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART, SERVES 68 3 cups mini marshmallows, divided cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cups heavy cream, divided 3 tablespoons vodka 1 tablespoon chocolate liqueur Mini chocolate chips, for serving Graham crackers, for serving Whipped cream, for serving Melt 2 cups of mini marshmallows and cup cream in a double boiler, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the vodka and chocolate liqueur. Cool to room temperature.

Combine the remaining 2 cups of cream and the cocoa powder in a large bowl and beat to soft peaks. Working in batches, fold the whipped cream into the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in the remaining 1 cup of mini marshmallows.

Transfer to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

Serve layered with mini chocolate chips, crushed graham crackers, and whipped cream.

Chapter 7.

Granita

Granita is sweetened, shaved ice that makes an elegant, light dessert-or pre-dinner c.o.c.ktail. It's super simple to make. All you need is a lasagna pan, a freezer, and a fork.

The only downside to granita is that you have to be around to tend it. It needs to be raked every half hour or so. That said, it takes maybe 3 minutes each time, so you can easily make it while you're doing other stuff. Plan on 34 hours from start to finish.

Make granita with any kind of sweetened liquid, from fruit juice to wine-and pretty much anything in between. Here's the basic technique.

GRANITA 101.

Prepare the granita mixture according to your recipe.

Pour it into a wide, shallow pan. 9" 13" baking dishes work really well. Just be sure your dish is freezer-safe and you have the room in the freezer.

Pop the pan into the freezer for about an hour.

After an hour, it will start to freeze around the edges. Yank the pan out of the freezer and rake the ice crystals around with a fork. Return it to the freezer.

Continue to rake the mixture with a fork every 30 minutes, until the entire mixture is icy and frozen.

To serve, scoop the icy crystals into gla.s.s goblets or martini gla.s.ses. It will start to melt almost immediately, so serve it right away. You can also scoop your granita ahead of time and pop the goblets or gla.s.ses back into the freezer.

Blood Orange Vodka Granita

Blood oranges are a variety of orange with a blushing red rind and cherry-colored flesh. The freshly squeezed juice makes for a luscious, crimson granita that tastes faintly of raspberries.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

1 cup water 1 cup sugar 3 cups freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from about 1214 blood oranges) cup vodka Put the water and sugar in a medium-sized pot over high heat. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

Whisk in the blood orange juice and vodka.

Pour into a shallow, freezer-safe dish. Freeze for an hour. Stir the mixture with a fork to break it up. Return to the freezer. Check and rake with a fork every 30 minutes, until the entire mixture is icy and frozen.

Black Russian Granita

This take on a cla.s.sic Black Russian c.o.c.ktail is made with freshly brewed coffee and a generous amount of vodka and Kahlua. Brown sugar adds unexpected caramel notes. This recipe calls for light brown sugar, but if you want a stronger mola.s.ses flavor, subst.i.tute dark brown sugar.

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART.

4 cups strong brewed coffee, hot 1 cups light brown sugar 3 tablespoons vodka 1 tablespoon Kahlua Whisk the brown sugar into the hot coffee until dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

Stir in the vodka and Kahlua.

Pour into a shallow, freezer-safe dish. Freeze for an hour. Stir the mixture with a fork to break it up. Return to the freezer. Check and rake with a fork every 30 minutes, until the entire mixture is icy and frozen.