CARAMEL COPPETTA WITH MARSHMALLOW SAUCE AND SALTED SPANISH PEANUTS

Caramel Coppetta with Marshmallow Sauce and Salted Spanish Peanuts image

Every restaurant menu has at least one or two items that can't be taken off lest customers riot. This sundae and the Butterscotch Budino (page 272) are those items for us, which just goes to prove that caramel and salt are a winning combination. In Italy, coppetta refers to an unadorned dish of gelato, but we took liberties with the definition with this sundae. It's a good dessert to serve to a crowd, since the recipes for the caramel, marshmallow sauce, and gelato make enough for twelve or more. To increase the yield, just increase the amount of peanuts that you toast.

Yield serves 6

Number Of Ingredients 12

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Spanish peanuts, with their skins on
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil or peanut oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Marshmallow Sauce (recipe follows)
8 Pizzelle (page 320)
Salty Caramel Gelato (page 306)
Caramel Sauce (page 273), warmed
2 extra-large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
(makes 2 cups)

Steps:

Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 325°F.
Put the nuts on a baking sheet, drizzle them with the oil, sprinkle them with the salt, and toss to coat the nuts with the seasonings. Spread the nuts out into an even layer and toast them in the oven until they are dark mahogany in color, 35 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally so they brown evenly. Remove the nuts from the oven and set aside to cool to room temperature. Use the nuts or transfer them to an airtight container for up to two days.
Spoon 1/2 teaspoon of marshmallow sauce in the center of each dessert plate to keep the pizzella in place, and lay one pizzella on each plate. Scoop two small scoops of gelato on top of each pizzella. Spoon 1 tablespoon of marshmallow sauce on top of one of the scoops of gelato and spoon a tablespoon of caramel sauce on the other. Scatter 1/4 cup of peanuts on top of each serving of marshmallow sauce, push them down slightly to adhere, and serve.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and mix them on low speed until they form soft peaks.
While the eggs are beating, fasten a candy thermometer to the side of a medium saucepan. Combine the sugar, corn syrup, and 1/2 cup of water in the saucepan and cook over high heat, brushing down the sides of the pot to remove the sugar crystals, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the temperature reads 231°F. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to whip the whites until they form stiff peaks. Turn off the mixer until the sugar reaches 234°F. Return the mixer to high speed and pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin, steady stream along the sides of the bowl to combine it with the egg whites. When all of the syrup has been added, continue to beat until soft peaks form. Do not overwhip, or the marshmallow sauce will be too stiff. You want the sauce to be a spoonable consistency but not so loose that it is runny. Add the vanilla and beat to incorporate it. Transfer the marshmallow sauce to a medium bowl and set it aside to cool to room temperature before serving.
Lambrusco Frizzante Dolce (Emilia-Romagna)