Homemade ice cream tops tiramisu-inspired sundae

— This sophisticated sundae has serious adult appeal. It takes its inspiration from the classic Italian dessert, tiramisu.

The mascarpone-based ice cream is rich and creamy, but not as sweet as most ice creams. The sponge cookies get a generous soaking of coffee and coffee liqueur, though you also could use chocolate liqueur.

Traditional recipes for making ice cream call for chilling it in the freezer to firm it up after it comes out of the ice cream machine.

But for this recipe, it is best to assemble the sundaes immediately after the ice cream comes out of the machine.

Tiramisu Sundae

For the coffee-liqueur syrup:1 tablespoon instant coffee

granules 1 /3 cup boiling water 1 /4 cup coffee liqueur OR

chocolate liqueur For the mascarpone ice

cream: 9 ounces mascarpone cheese 3 /4 cup sour cream 3 /4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons confectioners’

sugar 8 ladyfinger cookies 1 /4 cup bittersweet chocolate

chips Cocoa powder, for dusting In a small bowl, dissolve coffee granules in the boilingwater. Add liqueur and set aside to cool.

Meanwhile: In a medium bowl mix together the mascarpone cheese, sour cream and heavy cream. Stir in the confectioners’ sugar.

Transfer mixture to an ice cream freezer and freeze to soft-serve consistency according to manufacturer’s instructions, but do not place in freezer to harden.

To assemble: Break 4 ladyfinger cookies into pieces and arrange some in the bottom of each of the sundae dishes. Drizzle with a little of the coffee liqueur syrup until moist. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips over each, then dust with cocoa.

Place a spoonful of the mascarpone ice cream into each dish and level the surface with the back of a spoon.

Arrange the remaining sponge fingers on top and drizzle over a little more of the coffee liqueur syrup. Sprinkle with a few more chocolate chips, add a further dusting of cocoa powder, then top with the remaining ice cream. Dust the top of each sundae liberally with cocoa powder and serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe adapted from Sundaes and Splits by Hannah Miles

Food, Pages 36 on 06/09/2010

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