If you’re looking at the screen quizzically wondering what tartufo is, don’t worry. I didn’t know what it was until recently either! A few weeks ago, a few kosher bloggers and I went out to celebrate the anniversary of the Kosher Connection group. It’s a team of kosher food bloggers that joined together to help each other navigate the blogging world. If you follow my blog, you may have noticed our monthly link-up challenges.
We met at Siena’s restaurant in Brooklyn, to celebrate the partnerships and friends we have made over the past year. Siena served us a variety of dishes, sampling their Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. Some of the highlight dishes included their fried zucchini chips with homemade marinara, a medley of fresh salads, ravioli cooked to perfection and a standout tuna steak over white beans and spinach.
For dessert, we were served a tasting of their finest sweets including cheesecake, tiramisu and tartufo. I had to ask the waiter to repeat himself, as I’d never heard of it before. It was a layered ice cream dessert with marachino cherries and vanilla ice cream at the base and pistachio ice cream on top. It was served as a rectangular slice and drizzled with chocolate. The ice cream was delicious, but I couldn’t get over the pretty presentation. After a few hours milling over the tartufo concept (and browsing the internet for every tartufo recipe I could find) – I had a stroke of genius. Why not find blue maraschino cherries, and layer red and white frozen desserts in celebration of Independence day?
I was so excited about my idea that I went straight for the grocery in search of blue maraschino cherries. Little did I know that kosher ones are not that easy to find. So, I did what any idea-obsessed blogger would do…research. I found a kosher company that makes maraschino cherries in a variety of colors and I called them up. I asked where I might find the blue ones in Brooklyn, and they gave me two different locations. I was on it. The next day, I drove out to a shady little store on Coney Island and picked up my loot. I drove straight home, my ice cream already thawing on the counter.
When I uncovered my tartufo the next day, I never imagined it would turn out so pretty. Sure, it wasn’t perfect. The ice cream layers had sunken into each other, and the maraschino cherries peeked out a tad too little. But still. My experiment had worked. Wonderfully. Happy 4th of July!
Fourth of July Tartufo
1 12.5″ x 6.5″ loaf pan (3″ deep)
1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream
2 pints red sorbet (strawberry, cherry or watermelon)
1 10oz. jar blue maraschino cherries
1 bar dark chocolate
red, white and blue sprinkles
Method:
Remove the ice cream and sorbet from the freezer and thaw until softened. Drain the maraschino cherries and place on paper towels. Pat dry. Line the loaf pan with parchment paper. Add a thin layer of ice cream to the bottom of the loaf pan. Top with maraschino cherries. Continue to add more ice cream until cherries are covered. Place the loaf pan in the freezer until the ice cream hardens, at least 20 minutes (the longer the better). Top the ice cream with a layer of sorbet (about 1 1/2 cups). Return the loaf pan to the freezer so the layer can harden and set. Continue layering the ice cream and sorbet into the loaf pan, freezing in between each layer (this keeps the layers from sinking into each other). Once you have reached the top of the loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and/or foil and freeze overnight.
In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. Turn the loaf pan upside down onto a serving platter and remove parchment paper. Drizzle chocolate over the ice cream loaf and top with sprinkles.
If desired, you may drizzle each individual slice with additional chocolate and sprinkles.
Serve immediately.
Yields: 10-12 servings.
NOTE: You may halve this recipe and use a smaller loaf pan for a smaller ice cream loaf.
1 year ago: snap pea, corn & red currant salad
2 years ago: grilled chickpea burgers
With dessert like this I’ll definitely be celebrating July 4th!
:)
Stunning! We had so much fun at Siena and I’m glad the tartufo there was your inspiration. It was sooo good and I’m sure your’s is equally as delicious.
Chanie, this looks fantastic! P.S. I think the sunken layers give it its zing.
Looks delicious! Where did you buy the blue maraschino cherries? I’d love to try the dessert.
Hi Bina, they have them at Ocean Bay Market, 2424 Coney Island Avenue in Brooklyn. Good luck!
I didn’t even know maraschino cherries came in different colors! You have true dedication to making this festive dessert perfect!
What a fun – and beautiful – dessert!
This looks so pretty and delicious!
what a good looking dessert! and so patriotic. perfect for 4th of july
This is amazing! I love it:)
What a recipe! It seems delicious!
Do you think these would work with blueberries instead of the cherries? Love the look but don’t think ill have time to find the cherries in time!
Someone just asked me the same. I don’t see why not. I love frozen blueberries!
that is so festive and i love the blue cherries. nice touch!
Thanks Dina!
The tartufo looks very lovely and I loved the colours of the blue cherries. I loved the idea. and the pictures…
Shobha
Thanks Shobha!
Wow, you have been busy in Brooklyn. Lots of work, but it looks delicious!
I saw the name of this dessert and had to come check it out because I have only ever seen it in Italy. It’s one of our favorite desserts to have in the summer when visiting the in laws! This version is so, so pretty!
Thanks Nancy! I tasted it in a restaurant and I just had to replicate it!
Yum Yum