You can put your own spin on spumoni with your choice of ice cream and add-ins.Julie Van Rosendaal/The Globe and Mail
As the most celebratory month of the year, December also tends to be a busy one. And while for many of us, being in the kitchen is one of the joys of the holiday season, prepping ahead can make things easier when your calendar is full of cocktail parties and family feasts.
Having dessert stashed away in the freezer and ready to go – no need for last-minute baking or even getting out the beaters to whip some cream – means one less course to manage. Spumoni is a classic Italian frozen dessert made with layers of ice cream or semifreddo – typically pistachio, chocolate and strawberry for contrast – and often with crunchy or colourful mix-ins for added flavour, texture and aesthetic appeal.
Because the goal here is to streamline things, we’ve started with store-bought ice cream, which comes in a wider range of festive flavours, such as peppermint, eggnog and sugar cookie, at this time of year. Rummage through your cupboard for potential mix-ins: chopped chocolate, candied or boozy cherries, crumbled shortbread, sugar cookies or gingerbread, even chopped fruitcake or mince tarts.
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All you need to do is spread layers of softened ice cream in a loaf pan, scatter willy-nilly any additions you like, freeze and then slice to serve. At the table, you could drizzle slices with chocolate sauce, or ladle over some boozy cherries.
And if you do want to dress it up a little, top it with Italian meringue and torch it, baked Alaska-style, before bringing it to the table. Or transfer your unwrapped spumoni to a serving platter, frost with whipped cream and either serve immediately or put it back in the freezer, uncovered, until you’re ready – when you slice and serve it, the exterior cream will soften first.
Holiday spumoni
For a more traditional spumoni, pick up pistachio, cherry and chocolate or vanilla ice cream. Over the holidays it’s fun to layer your favourite flavours, considering colours and texture for visual appeal. If you like, stir smaller mix-ins into your softened ice cream rather than scattering them between layers. Larger ingredients, such as candied cherries, are easier to distribute more evenly by spreading out between layers.
- 3-4 litres ice cream, in three contrasting colours or flavours (pictured: mint chocolate chip, chocolate and stracciatella)
- Any mix-ins: candied or boozy cherries, candied citron, chopped chocolate, nuts, crumbled cookies such as shortbread, sugar cookies or gingerbread, chopped fruitcake or mince tarts
Leave the ice cream out on the countertop until it softens to a spreadable consistency, but isn’t melted. Line a loaf pan – any size – with plastic wrap and fill about 1/3 full with one of your ice creams. If you choose to, scatter with cherries, chopped cookies or cake, chocolate or a combination of mix-ins.
Add another layer, filling another third of the pan with a different ice cream, and scatter with your mix-ins of choice. Top with a third ice cream flavour, filling the pan to the top and smoothing the surface. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for several hours, or until firm. It can be frozen for several months.
To serve, peel off the top layer of plastic wrap, invert onto a cutting board or serving platter, and peel off the remaining plastic wrap. Cut into slices to serve. Serves about 10.