Gelateria Pelicani's Pseudo-Spumoni
Because Gelateria Pelicani's famous Spumoni Speciale recipe is a trade secret (and you know what happened to someone who tried to steal it in SLAIN OVER SPUMONI), this is a pseudo version for you to try at home.
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Active: 35 mins With freezing time: 10 hours, 35 mins
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Ingredients & Supplies
15 chocolate wafers (try Nabisco brand)
2 tbsp dark chocolate sauce (try Torani brand)
1 pint each: Pistachio, Vanilla Bean, and Chocolate gelato (try Talenti brand)
1/2 cup Amarena cherries, halved
2 or 3 tbsp Amarena syrup, to taste
Non-stick cooking spray
9-by-5-inch aluminum loaf pan
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Preparation
1. Lightly grease the pan with cooking spray. Line the entire pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang; the cooking spray will help the plastic stick to the pan.
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2. In a food processor, pulse the chocolate wafers into fine granules. Add the chocolate sauce and pulse a few more times until the mixture comes together. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and firmly press into the pan bottom to form a crust. Freeze for 30 minutes to set.
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3. Meanwhile, remove the chocolate gelato from the freezer to soften. After 30 minutes, remove the loaf pan from the freezer and spread the chocolate gelato over the crust; use a small rubber spatula to spread the gelato into a flat, even layer. Freeze pan for another 30 minutes. Meanwhile, let the vanilla bean gelato soften at room temperature.
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4. When the vanilla gelato has softened, transfer it to a bowl and stir in the sliced Amarena cherries and the Amarena syrup. Mix until the cherries are evenly dispersed. Remove the pan from the freezer and evenly spread the cherry gelato over the chocolate gelato. Freeze pan for at least 1 hour more; it takes longer for the cherry layer to set.
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5. Thirty minutes before the cherry layer is set, remove the pistachio gelato from the freezer to soften. When softened, spread in an even layer over the cherry gelato; the pistachio layer should come up nearly to the top of the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.
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6. When ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap and invert the spumoni onto a cutting board, only if you plan to serve it all otherwise, invert onto a plate that you can wrap later and refreeze.
7. Gently lift the loaf pan away and remove the remaining wrap. Slice the spumoni into 3/4-inch slices, using a chef's knife dipped in warm water between each slice. Serve immediately.
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COOK'S NOTE
Feel free to substitute Maraschino cherries if you can't find Amarena ones at a specialty store.
Add two drops of beet or pomegranate juice to the cherry layer for extra-natural pink color. Fortify the pistachio layer with 1/2 tsp pure almond extract.
For a quick version or for kids, add a teaspoon of Amarena cherries atop a small scoop of pistachio gelato sandwiched between two chocolate cookies.
If you want a more substantial version, double the recipe. Each layer will be thicker.
Buon appetito!
