Tortoni

Food & Cooking
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Any of you East Coasters ever have Tortoni?

My Mom is Italian and always made it for us growing up, kept it ramekins wrapped up in the freezer.  It’s an Italian desert that is kind of like a super rich and creamy ice cream only a little softer.  I made it for a work pot-luck today as the weather is starting to warm up.  I haven’t had it in SO long, but it is so good!  Here’s how to make it:

Separate 3 egg whites and let them stand for a little bit to get the temp up closer to room temp, add a dash of salt and beat until you get fairly stiff peaks when you lift the beater.

While you are doing that put 3/4 cup of sugar and 1/4 cup of water in a pot.  Turn it on low and dissolve sugar and then using a candy thermometer get it up to 236 degree farenheit.  Add it slowly to the egg-white mixture while beating and beat until you get very stiff peaks.  Cover and put in fridge.

In a second bowl, combine 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and almond extract.  (I forget exactly how much of the extracts, I can update when I get home but I think it’s 1/2 tsp of almond and 1.25 tsp vanilla).  Beat that till it becomes stiff  ;D  Wow that sounds dirty.

Take 1/4 cup of slivered almonds and toast them at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.  Pulse a few times in food processor and put in a small bowl.  Add almond extract to chopped nuts (sorry I forget how much again but I’ll update when I get home, maybe 1 tsp?).

Fold whipped cream into egg-white bowl and spoon into ramekins or cupcake holders, top with some of the chopped almonds and garnish with a cherry (if you want).  Put them in the freezer for several hour or overnight.  It makes about 12 - 13 servings.

Back in NJ you could get it a number of ways, sometimes with ladyfingers or assorted liquors, this is a simple recipe that comes out so good.  A great warm-weather treat.  I might have to try adding some milk stout to one…

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Oh yeah, good stuff. How bout a tartufo Too. Or what is the thing called that is a ball of home made ice cream breaded in crumbled up amaretto cookies?

My grandma Capazzoli used to make ice cream with sweetened condensed milk. She would freeze it in shot glasses and turn it out. It appeared to be a thimble size portion but so rich that it is enough. She would make it with pistachios sometimes. Ever have kulfi, the Indian ice cream? Yep, that was it.

I remember at Christmas time she would put brandy or sometimes some other kind of liquor in them. We were permitted to have them when we were kids. It was most like my first memories of the effects of alcohol.

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Nice Cap, I knew you would know what I was talking about!