Lawmakers Say ‘Aye’ to Ice Cream

Congress has officially designated July as National Ice Cream Month, and that is a legislative honor that the movers and shakers in the world of frozen calories and high butterfat did not take lightly.

To commemorate a 30-day freeze on dietary restraints, the International Ice Cream Assn. and the Milk Industry Foundation descended on Washington, D.C., in tandem this month. Their objective: to host a Capitol Hill ice cream party for the nation’s lawmakers, their families, staff members and practically anyone in or out of public office willing to endorse vanilla, chocolate or strawberry as “The People’s Choice in ’87.”

The party took place in the courtyard of the Russell Senate Building. About 2,500 gallons of ice cream in every conceivable form and flavor were served.

The following chocolate roll is an amended borrowing from my late cooking teacher, Dionne Lucas. She always filled her roulage with whipped cream and served it immediately. Ice cream makes an admirable stand-in, and the cake has a considerably lengthened shelf-life in the freezer.

FROZEN CHOCOLATE ROLL

6 ounces semisweet chocolate

1/3 cup cold water

1 teaspoon instant coffee powder

8 eggs, separated

1 cup superfine sugar

Oil

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped

Melt chocolate with cold water and coffee powder in top of double boiler over hot water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.

Beat egg yolks with sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Stir in cooled chocolate. Mix thoroughly. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into chocolate mixture.

Grease jellyroll pan with oil, then cover with sheet of wax paper extending 1 inch beyond ends of pan. Spread batter evenly over paper. Bake at 350 degrees 17 to 18 minutes. Cake will puff up and surface will have dull finish when done. Do not overbake.

Soak layer of paper towels in water and ring dry. Place over top of cake. Cover with layer of dry paper towels. Let stand 20 minutes.

Remove paper towels. Loosen edges of cake. Sprinkle top of cake with cocoa. Soak clean dish towel in water and wring dry. Stretch taught over cake and invert. Lift off pan and carefully peel off paper. Roll up towel with cake inside it, along long edge. Let stand 5 minutes.

Unroll cake and spread softened vanilla ice cream evenly over surface. Re-roll cake without towel. Place, seam-side down, on long, flat platter or jellyroll board. (Don’t worry if cake cracks a bit.) Using spatula or pastry tube with star-tip, cover outside of roll with whipped cream. Place in freezer until solid, at least 4 to 5 hours. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: Roll may be made in advance and stored in freezer in airtight plastic bag up to 2 weeks.

The following ice cream cake is actually a frozen dessert composed of fruit, ice cream and whipped cream. I like my berries tart; the sweeter-toothed should sprinkle them with powdered sugar to taste before crushing them slightly.

COFFEE-RASPBERRY ICE CREAM CAKE

Oil

6 cups coffee ice cream, slightly softened

1 pint raspberries, lightly crushed, reserving 6 to 8 whole berries for garnish

1 cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon kirsch or framboise liqueur

Chocolate curls

Lightly oil bottom and sides of 9-inch springform pan. Using bowl scraper, spread half of coffee ice cream into pan. Cover ice cream layer with crushed raspberries and carefully spoon remaining ice cream over top. Place in freezer about 3 hours or until firm.

Whip cream with powdered sugar and liqueur.

Remove cake from freezer and remove sides of springform pan. Using bowl scraper or pastry tube with star tip, layer whipped cream entirely over cake surface. Decorate with chocolate curls and reserved whole berries. Return to freezer 1 to 2 hours longer. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serving. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Note: To make chocolate curls, scrape bar of chocolate vertically with vegetable peeler. Ice cream cake can be stored in airtight plastic bag 2 weeks.