Semifreddo

A frozen mousse that stays spoonable because the air goes in before the freezer.

Egg. Vegetarian, but not vegan — contains egg, dairy (double cream).

Ingredients

• 400 ml double cream
• 4 egg whites
• 150 g caster sugar
• 60 ml water
• 4 egg yolks
• 120 g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Heat 120 g of the sugar with the water to 118C.
2. Whisk the whites with the salt to soft peaks, then pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl in a thread, whisking, and keep going until the meringue is cool and holds a stiff peak. This is an Italian meringue and it is the structure of the whole thing.
3. Beat the yolks with the remaining sugar until pale.
4. Whip the cream to SOFT peaks only. Over-whipped cream turns grainy once frozen.
5. Fold the three together in order — yolks into meringue, then cream — losing as little air as you can, then the hazelnuts.
6. NOTHING IS CHURNED AND NOTHING IS STIRRED ONCE IT IS IN THE FREEZER. All the air it will ever have is in it now, which is exactly why it stays soft at -18C where an unchurned custard would freeze to a brick.
7. Line a loaf tin with film, fill it, and freeze 6 hours. Serve straight from the freezer, in slices — it needs no softening time, which is the other half of 'semi-freddo'.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Italy · All recipes