Candy corn is a fall and Halloween staple, even though many people have a love-hate relationship with the candy. They’re quite pretty to look at, they make a great addition to a candy dish and my favorite brand (Brach’s) as nice notes of honey and vanilla to it. Brach’s actually sells enough candy corn (and the related Mallowcremes) each year that, if they were all laid end to end, they would circle the globe four times. On the other hand, candy corn’s over-the-top sweetness and slightly gritty, yet marshmallowy, texture means that these are not on the top of everyone’s Halloween candy list. I happen to be a candy corn fan when they come in small doses, and find them to be a good source of inspiration for some colorful desserts, including this Candy Corn Terrine.
This frozen dessert has no candy corn in it. It consists of white, orange and yellow layers of ice cream and sorbet that mimic the colors of a classic candy corn. I used a good quality vanilla bean ice cream for the white portion, a blend of orange sherbert and vanilla ice cream for the orange, and a mixture of mango gelato and lemon sorbet for the yellow layer. The different colors are layered in a loaf pan and then frozen. You can serve it in slices, or carve it into candy corn-shaped triangles to serve.
The vanilla bean ice cream was an obvious choice when I needed a white layer. The mango was a very dark yellow color (I used Ciao Bella gelato) and the lemon sorbet (Haagen Dazs) was almost white, so combining the two resulted in the perfect bright yellow. I mixed the softened ice creams in the food processor to blend them. The orange was a bit more problematic because my orange sherbert was a very pale color. I ended up blending it with some ice cream and adding a small amount of orange food coloring (I recommend a gel coloring) to get the bright orange I was looking for. You can use the same trick or look out for a dark orange sorbet when making yours.
Candy corn – Brach’s brand, anyway – is made with real honey, and in the past when I’ve made a candy corn-inspired recipe, such as Candy Corn Cookies, I’ve used honey to help capture that flavor. I did the same thing in this terrine, adding layers of honey in between the layers of ice cream. The honey isn’t a dominant flavor, but it oozes out between the layers when slicing and when you’re eating the terrine you get just enough honey to know it’s there.
Candy Corn Terrine
4 cups vanilla ice cream, divided
1/3 cup honey, divided
2 cups orange sherbert
orange food coloring, optional
2 cups mango gelato or sorbet
1 cup lemon gelato or sorbet
Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap.
Soften vanilla ice cream and spread 3 cups of the ice cream into an even layer at the bottom of the prepared pan with a spatula. Drizzle layer with half of the honey, and place in the freezer while the next layer is prepared.
In the bowl of a food processor (you can use a regular mixer, instead) combine 2 cups softened orange sherbert and remaining 1 cup of vanilla ice cream and pulse until well combined. Add orange food coloring, if desired, and pulse until a bright orange color is achieved. Spread into an even layer on top of vanilla ice cream, then drizzle with remaining honey. Place in the freezer while the next layer is prepared.
Rinse out the food process and combine softened mango gelato and softened lemon sorbet in the bowl. Pulse until well combined and smooth. Spread evenly on top of the orange layer. Return to freezer to chill until completely frozen, at least 4 hours or overnight.
To serve, turn the terrine out of the pan, remove the plastic wrap and serve in slices. You can also use a large knife to shape the terrine into candy-corn shaped triangles.
Serves 8-10.
Festive Party Girl - Angie
October 26, 2011I’ve seen cupcakes, cake pops, and cookies made to look like candy corn but never ice cream. What a fun dessert. I bet the flavors really go well together.
Tinkerbelle (@Lillyheart999)
October 27, 2011this looks fab! i recently made some cookie monster inspired cakes and i would love to know what you think
http://laughteriscatching.com/2011/08/27/to-your-posts-let-the-bake-off-begin/
The Sweet Cupcaker
October 27, 2011I Love this idea!!!!! How festive and nothing can top terrines!
Randi
October 27, 2011I love that … might have to make that for the family on Halloween.
Lora
October 29, 2011This is such a great idea. Very creative.
Kelsey
November 8, 2011Crafty! It looks perfect. And delicious. Now I want Sorbet, mmmmmm.