CHERRY TORTONI

This is, without any hesitation, one of the best desserts I've made (or had). It takes a little time to prepare so plan to make it on a day when you have little else to do, but it's so worth it. Make this in July when cherries are ripe and have that smokey sweet quality. Or make it any time, with frozen cherries. (I've always made it with fresh cherries.)  I know the recipe sounds daunting but each of the several steps is quite easy. Serve this and your guests will remember it for a long, long time as one of the greatest desserts they've had. (Ina Garten has said that guests will forget what they ate for dinner but they will always remember dessert.) I certainly remember this one.

CHERRY TORTONI

serves 10



2 1/2 C fresh or frozen (not thawed) pitted sour cherries (3/4 lb)

1/2 C plus 1/3 C sugar

2 T Di Saronne Amaretto or other almond flavored liqueur

1 1/2 t cornstarch

1 T cold water

1 1/2 C sliced almonds (not salted), toasted for about 10 minutes and completely cooled

1 1/4 C fine vanilla wafer crumbs (from about 40 wafers)

1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

4 large egg whites

1/2 t cream of tartar

1 1/3 C chilled heavy cream

2 T sweet Marsala wine or sweet Sherry

3/4 C coarsely ground amaretti cookies (from about 20 1-inch cookies)

Cook the cherries

1. If using frozen cherries, thaw, reserving juices. Simmer cherries, 1/2 cup sugar and liqueur in a 2-3 quart saucepan, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until cherries are soft, about 5 minutes. Whisk together cornstarch and water until combined, then whisk into cherry mixture and boil 1 minute. Transfer to a shallow bowl and chill, uncovered, 1 hour.

Make the crust

1. Pulse 1 cup almonds in a food processor until finely ground (do not pulse to a paste). Transfer to a bowl and stir in wafer crumbs and butter with a fork until combined well. Pat crumbs mixture evenly onto bottom and up sides of a buttered 9-inch sprinform pan, then freeze while making filling, about 30 minutes.

Make filling

1. Beat egg whites with remaining 1/3 cup sugar, cream of tartar and a pich of salt in a medium metal bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water, using a handheld electric mixer at medium-high speed until whites just hold soft peaks and instant read thermometer registers 170 degrees. (I can never make it come to this temperature, but not to worry; just get as close as you can to 170 degrees and then keep going.), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from saucepan and continue to beat whites until they just hold stiff peaks, about 2 minutes more.

2. Beat cream with Marsala in another bowl at medium speed until it just holds stiff peaks. Fold in ground amaretti and half of whites gently but thoroughly. Fold in remaining whites and pour into crust pan, smoothing top.

3. Drain cherries in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve juices. Scatter cherries evenly over top of tortoni, then swirl cherries into tortoni with the tip of a sharp knife for a marbled effect. Sprinkle top of tortoni with remaining 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds and freeze, loosely covered until firm, at least 4 hours. 

4. Remove tortoni from freezer and let stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften slightly before serving. Carefully remove side of pan, then cut tortoni into wedges and serve with reserved cherry juices.

Note: This can be made ahead and left frozen for up to 1 week. To toast almonds, spread them on a dry baking sheet and leave them in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. This develops the oils in the nuts and makes them more flavorful.