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tortoni (amaretti ice cream cake) The Café Tortoni was a prosperous and fashionable destination in early-nineteenthcentury Paris. The Neapolitan owner, Giuseppe Tortoni, offered a number of ice creams, one of which was a frozen mousse with amaretti (crisp almond macaroon) crumbs. The combination, now known simply as a tortoni, is still immensely popular. S ERVES 9
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the base and two sides of an 8-inch square cake pan with a sheet of plastic wrap, allowing a 6-inch overhang on both sides. Spread the hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the skins start to split and the nuts smell fragrant, about 8 minutes. Roll them in a clean kitchen towel to remove as much brown skin as possible. Pick the nuts from the debris and chop them to the size of small peas. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the nuts and sprinkle with the granulated sugar. Stir and toss until the nuts are lightly caramelized, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and let cool. Using an electric mixer, whip the cream until lightly stiffened. (It should remain creamy-looking.) Add the mascarpone and rum and beat in. Sift the confectioners’ sugar on top and beat in briefly to avoid making the cream too stiff. Fold in the caramelized hazelnuts. Cover the bottom of the lined pan with half the Almond Macaroon crumbs, making an even layer. Spoon the cream over the crumbs and smooth the surface. Top with the remaining crumbs. Bring up the excess plastic wrap to cover the cake. Press gently to make a flat, even surface. Enclose the pan in more plastic wrap and freeze for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Peel back the plastic wrap and loosen the sides of the ice cream with a knife blade. Invert a flat serving plate over the pan. Holding them together, reverse both plate and pan to unmold. Carefully pull off the plastic wrap. Cut the cake (it does not freeze solid) into nine squares. Garnish each portion with cherries or berries, if using. Sweet Things
1⁄3 cup (2 ounces) hazelnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 tablespoon sugar 11⁄2 cups heavy cream 2 ounces mascarpone 2 tablespoons dark rum or Amaretto liqueur 1⁄2
cup (21⁄2 ounces) confectioners’ sugar
11⁄2 cups (5 ounces) Almond Macaroon crumbs (page 190) Fresh cherries or berries for garnish, optional
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