The bombe glacée is an ice cream dessert molded in a dish to have a shape like a cannonball and has been the delight of English schoolchildren as far back as the 19th century. Also called simply bombe, this cold dessert was brought to the Northeast United States by English immigrants and today is nationally celebrated on August 11. A bombe can be made with many flavors, savory and sweet; raspberry, the most popular bombe flavor on both sides of the Atlantic, provides a tangy contrast to the dish's heavy cream sweetness. This American version relies on fresh berries for garnish, but pairing the bombe with raspberry coulis is a more traditionally English serving suggestion.
Recipe Servings: 8
+ 2 hours resting
Ingredients
Directions
- Line a 2½-quart freezer-safe bowl with plastic wrap. Fill the bowl ¾ full with the vanilla ice cream; then cover and freeze until firm.
- Remove bowl from freezer and dig a large hole in the center of the ice cream in the bowl. Freeze until re-firmed.
- In a large heatproof bowl, beat the yolks and sugar until the consistency is thick and ribbony. Add the raspberry puree and the liqueur.
- Heat 1–2 inches of water in a pot and bring to a simmer.
- Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water. Heat while continuing to beat for about 10 minutes, until the mixture is very thick and has increased significantly in volume.
- Remove the bowl from heat and chill over ice; continue beating the mixture until it has cooled. Then whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it in.
- Remove the bowl of ice cream from the freezer. Pour the raspberry mixture into the hole in the ice cream. Cover and return to the freezer for at least 60 minutes, until completely set.
- Finally, cover the top of the filled bowl to the brim with another layer of ice cream. Freeze again.
- To serve, wrap a towel dampened with hot water around the base of the bowl and shake the bowl upside-down, depositing the bombe onto a serving plate. Decorate as desired with fresh berries.
- Slice the bombe with a knife dampened with hot water. Serve immediately, or refreeze slices before serving.
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