Spumoni: Slice Don't Scoop

While your lemoncello is in the basement infusing, here is another tasty alternative Italian dessert. Spumoni originates from Napoli in the south of Italy, and Neapolitan ice cream is a derivative of Spumoni. A quick word of advice though; real Spumoni should be sliced, not scooped.

Here's a nice recipe that's easy to follow and makes a pretty nice traditional Spumoni.

Ingredients
1 pint pistachio ice cream
1/3 cup chopped shelled pistachio nuts (optional)
12+ maraschino cheries
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1/4 teaspoon rum
1 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup presweetened cocoa powder
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen red rasberries, thawed and drained
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Directions

• Chill a two-quart metal mold in the freezer. A metal bread pan would work well.

• Meanwhile, stir the pistachio ice cream to soften it up and stir in extra nuts, if desired.


• Spread the softened ice cream quickly over the bottom and all the way up the sides of mold. (If ice cream tends to slip, refreeze until workable.) Arrange the cherry halves around the bottom of mold, pressing them into the ice cream. Freeze.


• Stir the vanilla ice cream to soften it and stir in the rum. Use a nice quality rum here, because after you make the spumoni, you'll have the rest of the bottle to enjoy. Refreeze it until workable. Quickly spread it over the first layer. Freeze.


• Combine 3/4 cup of cream and the cocoa powder and beat until stiff peaks form. An electric mixer is best for this. If you don't have one, just whisk it really really fast. Quickly spread it over the vanilla layer. Freeze.


• Press the drained raspberries through the sieve and discard the seeds. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cream, powdered sugar, and salt and beat until soft peaks form. Fold in berry pulp and quickly spread it over the chocolate layer. Smooth out the top and cover the pan with foil. Freeze for several hours or overnight.


• Peel off the foil. Invert onto a beautiful chilled serving plate. Rub the mold with a hot damp towel for a few seconds to loosen it. Lift off the mold. Cut into wedges or slices and serve!