Blackberry Semifreddi With Walnut Meringue Recipes

WALNUT-BLACKBERRY TORTE WITH MOCHA BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Make cake layers:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 15- by 10- by 1-inch baking pan and line bottom with wax or parchment paper. Butter paper.
• Pulse walnuts in a food processor until finely chopped (do not allow to become a paste) and stir together with flour in a bowl.
• Beat together butter and 1/3 cup sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Add yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Stir in nut mixture by hand.
• Beat egg whites with salt with cleaned beaters in another bowl at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat at high speed until whites just hold stiff peaks. Stir one fourth of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Spread batter evenly in baking pan, smoothing top. Bake in middle of oven until center is set and top is pale golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on a rack. Cover cake with an inverted baking sheet, then invert cake onto it and remove paper.
• Reinvert cake onto a cutting board. Trim about 1/4 inch from each side of cake with a sharp knife, then cut cake crosswise into 4 equal rectangles (each about 9 by 3 1/2 inches). Line baking sheet with wax or parchment paper and transfer cake to baking sheet, arranging layers side by side, touching.
• Make jam filling:
• Sprinkle gelatin over water in a small bowl and let stand 1 minute to soften. Heat strained preserves in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until warm, then add gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved, about 2 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and set in a larger bowl of ice water. Cool, stirring occasionally, until cold, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Spread jam evenly over cake layers and chill until set, about 1 hour.
• Assemble cake:
• Reserve the nicest-looking cake layer for top. Put 1 cake layer, jam side up, on a cake platter and spread with 1/3 cup buttercream. Top with second cake layer, jam side up, and spread with 1/3 cup buttercream. Top with third layer, jam side up, and spread with 1/3 cup buttercream. Top with reserved cake layer, jam side up. Frost sides of cake with about 1 cup buttercream. Transfer remaining buttercream to pastry bag and pipe a decorative border around top edge of cake.

BLACKBERRY SEMIFREDDI WITH WALNUT MERINGUE

Steps:

• Make meringue:
• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• Beat egg white with a pinch of salt in a small deep bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until meringue holds stiff glossy peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold walnuts into meringue, then spread into a 9- by 6-inch rectangle (1/4 inch thick) on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake meringue in middle of oven until crisp, about 1 hour. Slide meringue (on parchment) onto a rack and cool completely. Peel off paper and break meringue into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Make sauce and semifreddo:
• Line bottom of molds with rounds of wax paper or parchment. Cut 10 (10-inch-long) strips of wax paper or parchment (wide enough to cover sides of molds) and arrange, ends overlapping, around insides of molds. Put lined molds in a baking pan (for transferring to freezer).
• Purée blackberries in a food processor, then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds. Divide purée evenly between 2 bowls. Stir 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice into 1 bowl (for sauce) and chill, covered. Stir remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice into other bowl (for semifreddo).
• Beat eggs with a pinch of salt and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a metal bowl with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Set bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water and beat until mixture registers 160°F on thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and chill mixture until cool, about 10 minutes. Fold in blackberry purée (reserved for semifreddo) gently but thoroughly.
• Beat cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks and fold gently into blackberry mixture, then fold in walnut meringue pieces. Spoon into molds, smoothing tops if necessary, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze semifreddi until firm, at least 2 hours.
• To serve, dip each mold in a bowl of hot water 3 seconds, then wipe dry and invert onto chilled dessert plates, using paper to help pull each semifreddo from mold. Remove paper and let desserts stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Serve with blackberry sauce.
• *Available at some cookware shops and Bridge Kitchenware (800-274-3435 or 212-838-1901).