I have long been a fan of ice cream desserts, perhaps borne out of my first real job as a soda jerk. Decades ago, I would mix vanilla ice cream and lime sherbet, put it in a cracker crumb pie shell and serve it as Key Lime Ice Cream Pie. My dear friend Milena was partial to chocolate and coffee ice cream pie. Both are delicious. Ice cream is such a versatile dessert option with diverse ways to wow your guests.
And Spumoni is one of those ways. Spumoni is a gift from the Italians and is a molded gelato made with layers of assorted colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts. Cherry, pistachio, and chocolate are the typical flavors of the ice cream layers. Neapolitan ice cream is a variation of spumoni; the flavors were changed to strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate to reflect the most popular American flavor preferences. Spumoni takes a bit of time to make but all the steps are easy. Here is how I prepare it.
Place 1 pint of pistachio ice cream on the counter to melt slightly for 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in ¼ cup of chopped roasted pistachios. Transfer the mixture to a 5 1/2 x 9 ½ loaf pan that is lined with plastic wrap. Smooth it out, fold the plastic wrap over it and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Then place 1 pint of cherry ice cream on the counter for 15 minutes to melt. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in ¼ cup of halved maraschino cherries and a splash (or two) of amaretto. Add this to the top of the pistachio layer, smooth it out and return to the freezer for 30 minutes. Finally, melt 1 pint of chocolate ice cream for 15 minutes on the counter, transfer to a medium bowl and stir in ¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add to the top of the cherry layer, cover completely with the plastic wrap, and return to the freezer for several hours or overnight. When ready to serve, turn the Spumoni out onto a serving platter, remove the plastic wrap and slice. I like to serve it with biscotti cookies, but you could also sprinkle chopped pistachios, maraschino cherries and/or chocolate chips on top.
I served this at an Italian themed dinner party recently and people loved it. I hope you will try it. Enjoy.