We particularly like this dessert made with coffee ice cream, but youcan use any flavor that goes well with chocolate and peanuts.

　　Active time: 45 min Start to finish: 2 1/4 hr

　　

Ingredients

Makes 12 frozen petits fours

　　Vegetable oil cooking spray

　　4 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

　　1 pt superpremium ice cream, slightly softened

　　1/4 cup chopped cocktail peanuts

　　

Special Equipment

a mini-muffin pan with 12 (1/8-cup) cups; 12 paper-lined foil mini-muffin liners* (1 1/4 inches across bottom and 1 inch high); a small watercolor paintbrush

　　

Step 1

Line muffin cups and lightly spray liners with cooking spray.

　　

Step 2

Melt chocolate in a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Spoon a scant teaspoon chocolate into each cup and use paintbrush to coat bottoms and sides evenly. Freeze cups until chocolate is firm, about 5 minutes, then repaint any thin spots, especially around top edges, with some of remaining chocolate and refreeze until firm, about 5 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Spoon remaining melted chocolate into a small sealable plastic bag, pressing out excess air. Twist bag firmly just above chocolate and set aside.

　　

Step 4

Working in 3 batches, scoop about 1 1/2 tablespoons ice cream into each cup and gently press into cups with a small offset spatula or back of a spoon to fill cups evenly. (You will have some ice cream left over.) Refreeze cups to firm ice cream, at least 5 minutes. Sprinkle cups with peanuts, then snip off a minuscule portion of 1 bottom corner of plastic bag with scissors to form a very small opening and decoratively pipe remaining chocolate over peanuts. Freeze desserts until chocolate and ice cream harden, at least 30 minutes. Remove petits fours from freezer 1 at a time and carefully peel off liners, then refreeze on a tray until hardened, about 30 minutes more.

　　

Step 5

*Available at New York Cake & Baking Distributor (800-942-2539).

　　Cooks' note:

　　Petits fours can be frozen up to 1 day (cover with plastic wrap after completely hardened). Let desserts stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 2 minutes, before serving.