Food Network: Chocolate and Vanilla Vacherin

	Print 3x5 Recipe Cards
	Print this recipe out and cut along the dotted lines to add this 3x5 recipe card to your personal collection.

Chocolate and Vanilla Vacherin
Recipe Credit: Jacques Torres Chocolate, MrChocolate

Ingredients
For the Meringue cake layer:
5 large egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups powdered sugar
For chocolate ice cream:
2 cups whole milk
3 1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
For vanilla ice cream:
1 vanilla bean

2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup granulated sugar
For the whipped cream:
1 2/3 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla bean

Directions
The process of baking meringue is a cross between
baking it and drying it. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.
Prepare the meringue cake layer: Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl and

whip with an electric mixer on medium speed until foamy. Make a French meringue by
adding the granulated sugar 1 tablespoon at a time. Increase the mixer speed to
medium-high and whip to stiff but not dry peaks, about 7 minutes. Delicately fold
in the powdered sugar with a rubber spatula. It is important to fold as gently as
possible to avoid deflating the meringue.
Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch plain tip. Draw 2
(8-inch) circles on a sheet of parchment paper by tracing around the outside of an
8-inch cake pan with a pen. Turn the paper over so the drawing is face down (so
that the ink does not bake into the meringue) and place on a baking sheet.
To pipe the disks, hold the pastry bag at a slight angle about 1 1/2 inches above
the parchment paper. This height and angle allows the piped meringue to hold the
full shape of the 3/4-inch tip. Start at the center of the circle and pipe the
meringue in a spiral to the edge of the outline. (I work counter-clockwise because
I am right-handed.) If the meringue breaks while you are piping it, just continue

where it broke. If any air bubbles appear on the disk, go back and fill them in
with the extra meringue left in the piping bag. It takes practice to get the disks
perfectly round. Don't worry if yours are slightly misshapen. You can gently
scrape away the imperfections after the disks are baked.
At this time, pipe additional swirls that are about 2-inches wide and the height
of your cake mold. These will be used to decorate the outside of the cake.
Bake the meringue disks until they are firm to the touch, about 1 hour. If the
meringue begins to take on color while baking, lower the oven temperature by 50
degrees F (10 C). Remove the baking sheet from the oven and place on a wire rack
until the meringue disks have completely cooled. If you have the time, turn off
the oven and cool the meringue on the baking sheet in the oven. This will take
about 1 hour and will allow the meringue to dry completely.
While the meringue disks are baking, prepare the ice cream.

Directions
Prepare the ice cream and allow enough time for them
to harden in the freezer.
Have the ice bath ready before you begin. To prepare an ice bath, fill a 4-quart
bowl with ice cubes. Generously sprinkle salt over the ice and add water to cover
the ice. Place a clean, dry 2-quart bowl over the ice bath.
To prepare the chocolate ice cream base: Heat the milk and chopped chocolate
together in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan (this will keep the milk from
burning) over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.
While the milk is heating, combine the sugar and egg yolks and whisk until
thoroughly incorporated and thick. Temper the egg mixture by pouring about half of
the hot milk into it and whisk well. Now pour the tempered egg mixture into the
remaining hot milk and chocolate. Cook over medium-high heat until slightly
thickened, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. The mixture has finished

cooking when it is thick enough to coat the back of the spatula, about 3 to 5
minutes. Use the following method to tell if it is finished: Quickly dip the
spatula into the hot mixture and hold it horizontally in front of you. With the
tip of your finger, wipe a clean line down the center of the spatula. If the
mixture holds and does not fill in the line, it is ready to be removed from the
heat. If the line fills with liquid, the mixture must be cooked a little longer.
Repeat the test every 30 seconds until ready. At no time should the mixture begin
to boil. If you see bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, remove the
pan from the heat and whisk the mixture thoroughly to cool it down. Once the
mixture has finished cooking, pour it into a clean bowl and set aside to cool. If
you want to reduce the cooling time, you can cool the chocolate ice cream base
over an ice bath. When the mixture is cool, spin it according to the type of ice
cream machine you are using. The ice cream is ready when it is creamy and smooth,
like the consistency of soft-serve ice cream. Place the ice cream in an airtight

container and store in the freezer until ready to use.

Directions
While the chocolate ice cream base is cooling, prepare
the vanilla ice cream base. The technique is the same as above; heat the milk,
cream, honey and vanilla bean in a nonreactive 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan
over medium-high heat until bubbles form around the edge. Before adding the
vanilla bean, use a sharp paring knife to slice the vanilla bean in half
lengthwise. Separate the seeds from the skin by scraping the blade of the knife
along the inside of the bean. Add the seeds and the skin to the mixture. While the
milk is heating, combine the sugar and egg yolks and whisk until thoroughly
incorporated and thick. Temper the egg mixture, then pour the tempered egg mixture
into the hot milk and cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until
slightly thickened enough to coat the back of the spatula.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture into the bowl placed over the
ice bath. Remove the vanilla bean. Stir the mixture occasionally to distribute the
cooler parts. When completely cooled, remove the bowl from the ice bath and puree
the mixture until smooth with an immersion blender, food processor, or blender.
Spin the ice cream in your ice cream machine and store in an airtight container in
the freezer until ready to use.
The next step is to mold the ice cream into the cake pan. Line a cake pan with
parchment. You may need to slightly soften the ice cream. Make a 1 1/2?inch thick
layer of the chocolate ice cream in the bottom of the cake pan. Make a 1 1/2?inch
thick layer of the vanilla ice cream on top of the chocolate. Place the cake pan
in the freezer and let harden. If you want to decorate the ice sculpture with ice
cream balls, use an ice cream scoop to shape the remaining ice cream into ice
cream balls of various sizes. Place the scoops on a parchment paper lined baking
sheet and place in the freezer until hardened.

Once the meringue disks are baked and the ice cream is molded, it is time to
assemble the Vacherin. Remove the cake pan from the freezer. It may be necessary
to dip the pan in warm water for a few seconds to unmold the ice cream. Once
unmolded, place a meringue disk on top of the molded chocolate ice cream. Cover
with a plate or cardboard cake circle and flip so the vanilla is now on top. Place
a meringue disk on top of the vanilla and place the molded cake back in the
freezer.
To make the whipped cream: Use a sharp knife to slice the vanilla bean in half
lengthwise. Separate the seeds from the outside skin by scraping the blade of the
knife along the inside of the bean. Place the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla
seeds in a medium-size bowl and whip to stiff peaks with an electric mixer on
medium-high speed.
Remove the Vacherin from the freezer. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch
star tip with the whipped cream and use it to decorate the top and side. Using a

turntable will make this task easier. Keep the Vacherin in the freezer until ready
to serve.
It is easiest to cut the cake with a hot serrated knife. To heat the knife, dip it
in a tall container filled with hot water before each cut and wipe off the excess
water.