Summer is winding down where I live, so tonight’s post is likely the last of my summer-specific recipes—in this case, semifreddo. (“Semi-what now, ghost?”)
Semifreddo is an Italian dessert, the word itself translating to “half frozen”. (Spain has the similarly named “semifrio”.) It is basically a cross between mousse and ice cream. The classic version consists of three components: meringue, whipped cream, and zabaglione (Italian custard; see my previous dessert diary for a refresher if you like). Separately creating these three components, chilling/freezing them, and then assembling them, can take a bit of time and effort. I made it once, but it didn’t come out quite right, probably because I can never quite seem to get meringue to come out the way it should.
Luckily for all of us, allrecipes.com is a thing, and has several semifreddo recipes to choose from. I present two of said recipes here tonight (with links!), both of which are courtesy of the marvelous Chef John. Both of these recipes only require two components, changing the cooking procedure to omit the meringue as a separate component—so they are much simpler to make, and are both quite tasty. These recipes are somewhat similar to no-churn ice cream (again, I have a diary!), although the semifreddo is lighter and tends to freeze more quickly.
2 eggs
2 T sugar
1/2 T instant coffee
1 T Kahlua
1 t unsweetened cocoa
Pinch salt1/4 c ice cold heavy whipping cream
1 T sugarIn metal bowl, whisk first six ingredients together; cook over double boiler or low flame, whisking constantly until thick and hot; let cool completely (you can put the bowl in a bowl of ice water to chill more quickly); let cool completely.
In (large) cold metal bowl, whisk cream and sugar to fairly stiff peaks.
Fold coffee mixture into cream until just combined; pour into 2 individual cups or ramekins and freeze overnight (may take only a few hours). If desired, garnish with lightly whipped cream (should be liquidy) and sprinkle with cocoa.
Makes 2 servings.
For larger batches, freeze in a plastic-lined loaf pan, which will need to go overnight.
For the strawberry semifreddo, I’ve adapted the recipe to a half-batch. The link will take you to the original recipe.
1/2 pound strawberries
1/4 c sugar
3/8 c full-fat Greek yogurt
Zest of 1/2 lemon
1 t lemon juice
1/16 t vanilla
1/2 t balsamic vinegar (optional)
Pinch salt7/8 c heavy cream
3 shortbread cookies
1 1/2 T melted butter3/4 c diced strawberries
1 T sugarLine 4-6 ramekins with plastic wrap.
Place first eight ingredients in a food processor; pulse to combine, then puree on high until smooth.
Whisk heavy cream in a bowl until soft peaks form; fold in strawberry puree with a spatula until most of the major streaks disappear; pour into ramekins; cover with plastic wrap and freeze until mostly firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
Seal cookies in a baggie; crush with a rolling pin to get 3/4 cup of crumbs; combine with butter and mix well; divide crumb mixture among ramekins; smooth out with the back of a spoon; cover again and freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.
Toss diced strawberries with sugar in a bowl; let rest at room temperature until syrup forms, about 1 hour.
Allow ramekins to warm up to help unmold the semifreddo; invert onto a plate; top with the strawberries in syrup; thaw 10-15 minutes before serving.
For both of these, I find it easier to make a larger batch and freeze it in a loaf pan. For the strawberry version, I just crush the cookies and sprinkle the crumbs on top—no butter, no freezing. But, as I have observed repeatedly in diaries and comments, the beauty of cooking is the ability to adapt recipes as one prefers.
Bon apétit, y’all!