Ask me to name only three fantastic things about summer and I’d have to pick long days, fun getaways and cold foods. Right now I’m hooked on a chilled sweet that I first tried on a sunny, summer holiday in Italy almost a decade ago. Nope, it’s not icy granita, although, on a sultry afternoon, those sugary shards of ice are quite a treat. Instead, semifreddos are what have captured my heart and my spoon.
Italian for “half cold,” semifreddo refers to any chilled or partially frozen dessert. This includes gelato as well as cakes, tarts and custards. More often than not, I see semifreddo in the form of semi-soft ice cream. As someone who prefers her ice cream a tad mushy and melting, who leaves half-gallons of Breyers and Ben & Jerry’s on the kitchen counter until the contents turn soupy, I am smitten with these semifreddos.
If Spanish cuisine is more to your likening, take heart. In Spain this same sweet dish is known as “semifrio.” No matter what you call it, you’re in for one heck of a cool treat.
WHITE CHOCOLATE-DOUBLE ALMOND SEMIFREDDO
You can dress this semifreddo with an assortment of summer berries or just serve it as is.
Serves 8 to 10
2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon sliced almonds, toasted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
7 ounces white chocolate, chopped and melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
Line a 9″x5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving about 2″ hanging on either side of the pan. Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the bottom of the pan. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Fill a saucepan with 1 to 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Place the eggs and sugar in a metal mixing bowl and put the bowl on top of the saucepan. (You can also use a double boiler for this.) Using an instant-read thermometer to monitor the temperature, whisk the ingredients together until they thicken, become a pale yellow in color and register 140 degrees Fahrenheit on the instant-read thermometer. Once the desired temperature has been reached, continue whisking for another 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the melted chocolate, vanilla, almond extract and salt, stirring briskly until well combined. Set the bowl aside.
In a large mixing bowl and with an electric mixer beat together the cream and milk until stiff peaks begin to form. Add two spoonfuls of whipped cream to the chocolate mixture and beat until incorporated. Fold the chocolate into the whipped cream.
Spoon the mixture into the chilled loaf pan. Cover the top with the excess plastic wrap and place in the freezer until frozen solid; this could take up to 8 hours. To serve, lift the semifreddo out of the pan and place it, almond-side up, on a platter; you will use the plastic wrap as your carrier. Remove the plastic wrap, slice and serve.