Tortoni

By Chef Eddy Van Damme

Prep Time:

Yield:

8 or more

Plan for:

4+ hours chill time

Tortoni is an Italian ice cream dessert made with heavy cream, chopped cherries, and crushed Amaretti cookies (Italian almond-flavored cookies), and then frozen until set and served in individual paper cups, ramekins, or glass bowls. Tortoni is known for its creamy texture and rich flavors. It's believed that Tortoni was named after the Café Tortoni in Paris, a famous 19th-century coffeehouse, where it was a popular dessert. It's a perfect treat for those who love a cool, creamy dessert with a hint of crunch from the Amaretti cookies and a pop of fruity sweetness from the cherries. It will last for a long time in the freezer, that is, if you can resist eating it.

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Products Used

Extra Fine Granulated Pure Cane Sugar Bag

Ingredients

1/2 cup (60g) hazelnuts or almonds, toasted and cooled
1/2 cup dried cherries
2 cups (480g) whipping or heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (300g) Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
Zest of 1 orange, no white bitter pith
2 tablespoons (30g) orange liqueur
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 package (7oz) Amaretti cookies
Maraschino cherries, as needed

Directions

Prepare nuts and fruit and set aside.
In a cold bowl whip cream to soft peaks, do not whip as firm as you would for decorating pies or cakes. Set aside in refrigerator.
Eggs and sugar will be whipped together and nearly quadruple in size, so select an appropriately sized bowl.
Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Turn to a low simmer. Mix eggs until well blended. Add sugar and whisk vigorously. Place egg mixture over water. Constantly whisk until mixture reaches 170°F. Remove from heat and add orange zest.
Using a stand mixer or handheld mixer, whip egg-sugar mixture until it reaches room temperature and makes thick ribbons. Stop mixing.
Add orange liqueur, almond extract, nuts, and cherries. Add whipped cream and delicately fold together.
Depending on size of glasses, start with placing one Amaretti cookie on the bottom of 8 glasses.
Fill glasses halfway with tortoni filling. Place another cookie in the glass. Top with remaining tortoni filling. Fill more glasses if there is more filling.
Place in freezer for at least 4 hours or overnight/days/weeks.
Just before serving, crush some Amaretti and place on the surface of tortoni filling. Decorate each glass with an amaretti cookie and a maraschino cherry.