As my contribution to La Festa al Fresco 
at Cream Puffs in Venice I volunteered to bring a dessert. This year my dessert is Vietnamese coffee gelato w/ Toblerone chocolate chunks. I also made homemade mini cones so the party guests can easily pop these bite-size bits of yum directly into their mouths for a nice brain freeze! Or if they choose to, they can take dainty little bites, but I prefer to pop the little things in my mouth all at once for a great tasting sensory experience!!
 
Vietnamese Coffee Gelato w/ Toblerone Chunks (recipe adapted from Food & Wine)
Ingredients:
3 cups whole milk
One 14 ounce can  sweetened condensed milk
1 cup expresso
1 1/2 pinches of salt
6Â large egg yolks
6 ounces Toblerone (coarsely chopped)
Procedure:
1) In medium saucepan combine the whole milk, condensed milk, expresso and salt, then bring to a simmer
2) In medium size mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks until pale yellow
3) Whisk 2 tablespoons of the milk mixture into the egg yolks (do this slowly to avoid curdling the yolks), then whisk in the remaining milk little by little
4) Place bowl over a pot of simmering water and cook over a gentle heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture coats the back of a spoon (do not let temperature exceed 170 degrees F or mixture will start to curdle)
5) Cool in an ice bath
6) Chill for at least 4 hours in fridge
7) Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions, adding the chopped Toblerone halfway through the churning process
8) Transfer gelato to a 2 quart plastic container, place a piece of parchment paper cut to size on the surface of gelato (this will reduce air exposure and prevent ice crystals from forming on the surface of the gelato), seal the container and freeze until firm
Yield: Approx. 1 ½ quarts
Tuile Mini Cones w/ Black Sesame Seeds (recipe adapted from The French Laundry Cookbook)
Ingredients:
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sugar
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, softened but still cool to the touch
2 large egg whites, cold
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
Procedure:
1) In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the flour and sugar
2) In a separate bowl, whisk the softened butter until it is smooth and mayonnaise-like in texture
3)Â Using a stiff spatula or spoon, beat the egg whites into the dry ingredients until completely incorporated and smooth
4) Whisk in the softened butter by thirds, scraping the side of the bowl as necessary and whisking until the batter is creamy and without any lumps
5)Â Transfer batter to a smaller container so it will be easier to work with
6) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
7) Make a 4 inch hollow stencil
8) Place a Silpat on the counter (it is easier to work on the Silpat before it is placed on the sheet pan)
9) Place the stencil on one corner of the Silpat and, holding the stencil flat against the Silpat, scoop some of the batter onto the back of an offset spatula and spread it in an even layer over the stencil, then run the spatula over the entire stencil to remove any excess batter (after baking the first batch of cones you will be able to judge the correct thickness: you may need a little more or less batter to adjust the thickness of the cones). There should not be any holes in the batter
10) Lift the stencil and repeat the process to make as many rounds as you have molds or to fill the Silpat, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cones
11) Sprinkle each cone w/ a pinch of black sesame seeds
12) Place the Silpat on a heavy baking sheet and bake for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the batter is set and rippling from the heat (the cones may have browned in some areas, but they will not be evenly browned at this point)
13) Open the oven door and place the baking sheet on the door (this will help keep the cones warm as you roll them, and will prevent them from becoming too stiff to roll)
14) Flip a cone over on the sheet pan, sesame seed side down, and place a 4 1/2 inch cone mold (size #35) at the bottom of the round (if you are right-handed, you will want the pointed end of the mold on your left and the open end on your right). The tip of the mold should touch the lower left edge (at about 7 o’clock on a clock face)
15) Fold the bottom of the cone up and around the mold and carefully roll upward and towards the the left to wrap the cone tightly around the mold: it should remain on the sheet pan as you roll. Leave the cone wrapped around the mold and continue to roll the cones, seam side down, on the sheet pan so they lean against each other to prevent them from rolling
16) When the cones are rolled, return them to the oven shelf, close the door, and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to set the seams and color the cones a golden brown. If the color is uneven, stand the cones on end for a minute or so more until the color is even
17) Remove the cones from the oven and allow to cool slightly, 30 seconds or so. Gently remove the cones from the molds and cool for several minutes on paper towels
18) Remove the Silpat from the baking sheet, wipe the excess butter from it, and allow to cool down before spreading the next batch
19) Store the cones for up to 2 days (for maximum flavor) in an airtight container
Yield: Approx. 24 cones
Now I’m off to the party…. hope to see ya there!!
 A votre sante’…..