Exquisite Italian dessert semifreddo: cooking secrets


Publication in the group: Desserts

Semifreddo is an Italian frozen dessert consisting of whipped cream and eggs, various additives (fruits, nuts, chocolate). The texture of the finished product is similar to frozen mousse. Therefore, unlike ice cream, Semifreddo will not melt from the heat, but will acquire a very soft texture. When preparing this dish, it is important to use only fresh ingredients, especially eggs and cream.

Classic Italian dessert recipe

Semifreddo is a delicacy that allows you to satisfy your hunger and replenish your reserves of protein and useful elements.


When serving, semifreddo can be decorated with raspberries.

The recipe is considered classic without the use of additional ingredients. It can be used as a basis for decorating other dish options.

What ingredients will you need?

For the classic Semifreddo you should prepare:

  • egg. It is required to use a product “not older than” 5 days and selected category – 3 pcs.;
  • fresh yolk. The characteristics of the product should be the same as for a whole egg - 2 pcs.;
  • cream. The fat content of the ingredient should not be lower than 33% - 500 ml;
  • white granulated sugar – 220 g.

To flavor the product, it is recommended to use vanilla powder (0.5-1 g).

Step-by-step cooking process

The design scheme for a classic Semifreddo includes the following steps:

  1. In a medium-sized bowl you need to break the eggs, add the yolks, as well as granulated sugar and powdered sugar. Mix the ingredients.

  2. Place the bowl with the egg mixture in a steam bath. The ingredients must be heated and whisked at the same time.
  3. When the contents thicken and its color lightens (becomes almost white), the dishes should be removed from the steam bath. On average, the process takes about 10 minutes.
  4. Next, in a separate container you need to whip the cream well. The foam should be “strong”.
  5. After this, you need to carefully combine the cream with the egg mass in a bowl of the appropriate size.
  6. The resulting mass should be poured into prepared forms and placed in the freezer for at least 5 hours.

To prevent Semifreddo from absorbing foreign odors during the freezing process, it is recommended to tightly seal the forms with the contents with cling film.

What can I add?

The classic recipe is universal, so any additional ingredients can be included in the products.

For example, fresh berries, chocolate, nuts, as well as dried fruits, candied fruits, meringues. The ingredients can be placed either inside the dessert or used to decorate a finished dish.

Serving rules, decoration

Depending on the chosen form of freezing, Semifreddo can be placed on the table either whole or cut into portions. When serving, the dessert can be sprinkled with chocolate chips, poured with syrup or jam, and garnished with fresh berries. The type of decoration depends on the imagination of the cook, as well as on the purpose of the product.

Banana ice cream

The recipe for chocolate ice cream with mashed bananas will appeal to beauties who are losing weight. The natural and low-fat treat contains only 80 kcal per standard serving.

Whipped ripe bananas form a delicate cream, to which you do not need to add yolks and cream before freezing. They make great cocktails and ice cream.

Banana-chocolate dessert contains:

  • ripe, soft bananas – 3 pcs.;
  • cocoa powder – 20 g;
  • granulated sugar – 15 g.

How we make low-fat, simple ice cream.

  1. Cut the soft bananas into pieces and beat almost everything in a blender. Leave a few pieces for decoration.
  2. Add granulated sugar and cocoa to a tall glass and beat again.
  3. Freeze the mixture and garnish with banana slices set aside. Sprinkling with brown cocoa bean powder gives a picturesque look to the dessert.

Sometimes we don’t freeze the composition, call it a cocktail and serve it that way. This is a gorgeous dish.

Semifreddo recipe from Gordon Ramsay

Semifreddo is such a sweet dish that can be combined with any additives.

Chef Gordon Ramsay included melted chocolate and pistachios in the recipe, which are added inside the dessert and are also used to decorate the finished product.

What ingredients will you need?

Gordon Ramsay's Semifreddo recipe includes:

  • egg. A fresh product should be prepared, select category – 4 pcs.;
  • cream. The proportion of fat in the ingredient should be in the range from 33 to 35% - 500 ml;
  • dark chocolate containing approximately 70% cocoa – 275 g;
  • pistachios, shelled – 100 g;
  • powdered sugar with added vanilla – 100 g.

To decorate the finished Semifreddo, it is recommended to prepare approximately 50 g of grated milk chocolate and about 30 g of chopped pistachios.

Step-by-step cooking process

The procedure for preparing Semifreddo according to Gordon’s recipe is as follows:

  1. First you need to break the chocolate into small pieces and place them in an appropriate container.
  2. Place the bowl with chocolate in a steam bath. The chocolate should be completely melted.
  3. While the chocolate is melting, you need to beat the eggs with powdered sugar in a bowl. The mass should be quite fluffy and elastic.
  4. Then you need to whip the cream in a separate deep container. The output product should be in the form of strong foam.

  5. Important. When making points 3 and 4, you need to periodically stir the chocolate so that it melts evenly.
  6. It is advisable to grind the pistachios in a blender, but you can leave the product in its entirety.
  7. Next, you need to carefully add the egg mass to the container with the cream. Mix the ingredients carefully with a spatula.
  8. After obtaining a homogeneous mass, you must also carefully add melted chocolate to the contents.
  9. Then, when all the ingredients are evenly distributed, you need to add pistachios to the contents. And also carefully mix the ingredients.
  10. Place cling film in the prepared pan and place mixture from point 9 on top of it. Carefully level the mixture and seal the top with the edges of cling film.
  11. Place the mold in the freezer for approximately 3-5 hours.

After the specified time, Semifreddo should be removed from the mold and the cling film removed.

Then the product should be sprinkled with pistachios and grated chocolate.

Features of preparing semifreddo

Semifreddo dessert is prepared in three phases. The first is mixing the main components, the second is freezing, the third is serving. Moreover, it should be noted that the third stage is no less important than the others. Still, semifreddo is considered an exquisite dessert, and therefore without the appropriate “attributes” it can lose its individuality.

If we talk about professional intricacies of preparation, it is important to know that the proportions of liquid, dry and “air” components when preparing semifreddo are different than when preparing classic Italian ice cream “gelato”, in which about 60% are liquid and dry components, the remaining 40% is air , which is formed when whipping the mass. In semifreddo, whipping occurs differently, and therefore the dry and liquid components are 50%, and another 50% remains for air.

That is why, if “gelato” is translated as “frozen”, then semifreddo is “semi-frozen”; air bubbles, of which there are more in the latter, do not allow the dessert to “take” very tightly, and therefore it melts faster than gelato, but at the same time more tender and cream. Literally melts in your mouth - this is about semifreddo.

However, without even thinking about these subtleties, observing the proportions of ingredients in recipes, you can easily prepare real semifreddo at home. The main thing is to find good heavy cream and fresh eggs, this is already 80% of the success of preparing a delicious dessert.

It is worth noting that in most variations of semifreddo recipes, eggs do not require heat treatment; it is better not to give an ice cream dessert prepared according to one of them to children, and you should eat it yourself only if you are absolutely sure of the quality of the eggs.

Semifreddo “cappuccino” recipe from Yulia Vysotskaya

Semifreddo from Yulia Vysotskaya is a kind of ice cream cake that requires more time to prepare than the classic version.

Additionally, it is very important in the process of creating a dessert to strictly follow the sequence of manipulations, then the product will turn out the way the “author” intended.

What ingredients will you need?

The recipe for Semifreddo from Vysotskaya includes:

  • egg. It is recommended to use an ingredient with a shelf life of approximately 3 days – 6 pcs. (selective category);
  • fine granulated sugar or powdered sugar – 180 g;
  • chocolate. You need to buy dark chocolate – 100 g;
  • crumbly cookies (for example, “Yubileinoe” or “For coffee”) – 7 pcs.;
  • milk. The proportion of fat in the product should be from 2.5% - 500 ml;
  • cream. The fat content of the ingredient should not be lower than 33% - 300 ml;
  • cocoa. The component must be of high quality and only crushed cocoa beans should be included in the composition - 50 g.

It is recommended to decorate the dessert with fresh strawberries.

Step-by-step cooking process

The steps for preparing Semifreddo according to Julia’s recipe are located in the sequence described below:

  1. First you need to pour the cream and milk into the pan.
  2. Place the container with the dairy ingredients on the stove over low heat and wait for the contents to boil. To prevent the milk mass from running away, you need to stir it periodically.
  3. While the milk mass is boiling, you need to separate the eggs into 2 components (yolk and white).
  4. Place the yolk in a suitable bowl, add granulated sugar and beat the ingredients using a mixer (the speed should be set to maximum). You should get a light fluffy mass.
  5. Next, you need to carefully pour the hot milk mixture into the yolk without interrupting the beating process. You need to pour in a very thin stream so that the yolk does not cook.
  6. After combining the ingredients, whisking should continue for about 3 minutes. The mixer speed needs to be reduced by approximately 2 times.
  7. Then the resulting mass must be carefully poured into a suitable container and heated over very low heat for about 5 minutes. During heating, the contents should be stirred regularly.
  8. The finished egg-milk mass should be divided into approximately 2 parts.
  9. One part of the mass should be placed in the freezer for approximately 30 minutes.
  10. You need to add cocoa to the second part of the egg-milk mass and beat the ingredients with a mixer. The cocoa powder should be evenly distributed. The dark mass also needs to be placed in the freezer for a similar period of time.
  11. While both masses are cooling, you need to grind the cookies into crumbs and grate the chocolate.
  12. It is also necessary to beat the whites until a strong foam is obtained.

  13. Then you need to remove both egg and milk masses from the freezer.
  14. Add whipped whites to the light part of the egg-milk mixture. Gently mix the ingredients with a spatula.
  15. The dark mass must be divided into 2 parts (1/3 and 2/3).
  16. Add 2/3 of the dark mass to the contents from point 14. Carefully mix the ingredients so that both masses form a “zebra” in color. There is no need to mix the ingredients until a uniform color is obtained.
  17. Then you need to cover the springform pan with cling film. It should be enough so that the product can be covered with film on top.
  18. Place about 2/3 of the crushed cookies on the bottom of the pan.
  19. Place approximately ½ of the zebra mixture on top of the cookies.
  20. You need to pour the remaining cookies and grated chocolate on top of the zebra.
  21. Next, you need to lay out the remains of the zebra, and put 1/3 of the dark egg-milk mass on the zebra.
  22. Seal the contents with cling film and place the pan in the freezer for about 3 hours.

Ready Semifreddo should be decorated with fresh strawberries. Before eating, the dessert should be cut into portions.

Ice cream "Tiramisu"

This exquisite dessert, based on tiramisu, is incredibly easy to prepare.

We buy products:

  • dark chocolate – 130 g;
  • vanilla ice cream – 1.5 kg;
  • coffee liqueur – 50 ml;
  • chilled strong brewed coffee – 260 ml;
  • savoiardi cookies – 20 pcs.

Cooking process.

  • Cover a mold with dimensions: 20*10*7 cm with parchment. The edges of the paper should hang over the sides.
  • In a separate cup, mix liqueur and coffee.
  • Leave the ice cream on the table for a while so that it becomes soft, but does not melt completely.
  • Dissolve the chocolate in the microwave while the ice cream is thawing.
  • Place soft serve ice cream in two bowls.
  • Add a third of the chocolate to one bowl.
  • In the second - a little coffee-liqueur mixture.
  • Separately, mix.
  • Place the chocolate mixture on the bottom of the mold.
  • Part of the cookies, bathing one piece at a time in the remaining coffee solution, are placed in a second layer, pressing lightly.
  • The third layer consists of coffee liqueur ice cream.
  • The next layer is soaked cookies, another layer is coffee ice cream, and again cookies on top.
  • The top layer is chocolate ice cream.
  • Fold over the overhanging edges of the parchment over the pan. We also wrap the form in foil and hide it in the freezer overnight.
  • Before serving, remove the dessert from the bowl. To do this, unfold and remove the foil. Wrap the mold in a hot, wet towel.

Decorate tiramisu on a plate with chocolate chips or sprinkle with cocoa bean powder. Slice and serve.

Semifreddo "Snickers" recipe from Jamie Oliver

Semifreddo is a delicacy whose taste can be adjusted as desired. When you design the product according to Oliver's recipe, the dessert will taste similar to a Snickers bar.

At the same time, the process of preparing Snickers Semifreddo is not complicated.

What ingredients will you need?

To prepare Snickers Semifreddo according to Oliver's recipe you will need:

  • Snickers bars. It is advisable to use small bars - 4 pcs.;
  • chocolate. You will need chocolate with a cocoa powder concentration of 70% - 50 g;
  • egg. You need to buy a fresh egg, shelf life no more than 5 days - 4 pcs. (selected category);
  • fine-crystalline granulated sugar or powdered sugar – 150 g;
  • fine salt – 1 g;
  • citric acid – 0.5 g;
  • cream. The fat content of the component should not be below 33% - 500 ml.

Additionally, approximately 0.5 g of vanilla powder should be used.

Step-by-step cooking process

The scheme for creating Semifredo “Snickers” is as follows:

  1. The bars should be slightly frozen first, otherwise they will be difficult to cut.
  2. Remove the bars from the wrapper and cut them with a knife until crumbly.
  3. Place approximately ¾ of the cut bar into the saucepan.
  4. Break the dark chocolate into small pieces and place them in the saucepan as well.
  5. Add about 50 ml of cream to the saucepan.
  6. Next, the contents of the saucepan need to be melted using a water bath. You can also place the ingredients in a plastic bowl and melt them in the microwave.

  7. The remaining cream must be poured into a clean container and placed in the freezer. These manipulations will facilitate the process of whipping the product. It is important that the cream cools well, but does not harden.
  8. Then you need to divide the eggs into 2 components (yolks and whites).
  9. Place the whites in a suitable bowl and add about 100 g of granulated sugar, as well as salt and citric acid. Beat the ingredients until a strong foam forms.
  10. Next, you need to beat the yolks in a separate bowl until light. While beating, add 50 g of granulated sugar and vanillin to the yolks.
  11. After the yolks, you need to whip the chilled cream. Beating is also required until it reaches a stable foam.
  12. Then you need to carefully add the whipped yolks into the container with whipped cream. It is recommended to mix the ingredients with a spatula in a clockwise direction.
  13. Next, you need to carefully add the whites into the resulting mass, and then the melted chocolate.
  14. After adding chocolate, there is no need to achieve a uniform color. On the contrary, it is desirable that chocolate stains remain.
  15. Cover the mold with cling film and place ¼ of the sliced ​​bar on the bottom; spread a mixture of 14 points on top of the bar in an even layer.
  16. Seal the contents with cling film and place the pan in the freezer for approximately 3 hours.

When serving Semifredo, Snickers does not need any decoration.

How to cook semifreddo

Semifreddo is easier to prepare than ice cream - it does not require constant stirring to enrich it with air and prevent the formation of ice crystals. You don't need an ice cream maker either. The dessert turns out light, airy and homogeneous not thanks to the air bubbles formed when stirring the ice cream during the freezing process, but because of the fatty ingredients - eggs, cream, soft ricotta cheese or mascarpone, which can replace the cream. The yolks and whites for semifreddo are whipped separately, and whipped cream is added, depending on the recipe. The creamy mass is supplemented with fruits, berries, nuts, chocolate, alcohol, cookies, candied fruits, mint and other additives, and then frozen for several hours.

Semifreddo from cottage cheese with raspberries

Cottage cheese semifreddo is not only a very tasty dessert, but also nutritious. The cottage cheese in the recipe can be replaced with soft Mascarpone cheese or its analogues.

This replacement will not change the taste of the finished product much, but the texture will be more airy.

What ingredients will you need?

The recipe for Semifreddo from cottage cheese includes:

  • cottage cheese. The product must have a high fat content and must not contain large lumps - 120 g;
  • cream. Mass fraction of fat in the ingredient from 33% - 330 ml;
  • powdered sugar or fine granulated sugar – 120 g;
  • egg yolks. The ingredient should be used from fresh eggs of the selected category - 3 pcs.;
  • milk. The fat content of the component should be from 2.5% - 250 ml;
  • fresh raspberries. The product should be sorted out from spoiled berries before weighing - 200 g.

To mask the curd smell, it is advisable to include about 1 g of vanilla powder in the recipe.

Step-by-step cooking process

The steps for creating Semifreddo from cottage cheese are as follows:

  1. The yolks need to be placed in a suitable container, add about 50 g of granulated sugar and vanilla powder.
  2. Place the container with the contents in a steam bath and at the same time beat the ingredients with a mixer. The process of whipping and heating the ingredients should last approximately 10 minutes.
  3. Pour the milk into a saucepan and add about 50 g of granulated sugar to it.
  4. Place the saucepan on the stove and bring the contents to a boil, stirring the milk regularly (otherwise the milk will “run away”).
  5. Then the hot milk must be poured into the yolks in a very thin stream (during the manipulations, the yolks should be in a steam bath), combining the process with beating the ingredients. It takes about 3-5 minutes to warm up the contents.

  6. Next, you need to put the cottage cheese and the remaining granulated sugar into a clean, suitable container. Beat the ingredients with a mixer until the curd mass acquires the texture of cream.
  7. After this, you need to whip the cream using the standard method until it forms a strong foam.
  8. At the end, you need to carefully combine all the prepared components.
  9. First, add the ingredients from point 5 (yolk-milk mixture) into the creamy curd mass. Mix the ingredients well.
  10. Next you need to add raspberries and cream. Mix the ingredients using a spatula.
  11. The resulting mass should be placed in a silicone mold and placed in the freezer for approximately 3 hours.

Before serving, the finished dessert can be sprinkled with grated chocolate.

Reviews from culinary experts

Many experienced housewives who have already prepared this dessert claim that this process does not cause any difficulties. According to them, knowing the basic semifreddo recipe allows you to conduct culinary experiments and create real sweet masterpieces.

Many of them recommend adding fresh berries, pieces of fruit, honey, condensed milk or caramelized nuts to Italian ice cream. And to achieve the required strength of the dessert, some of the heavy cream can be replaced with mascarpone cheese.

Be sure to please your family and guests with this amazing semifreddo ice cream.

Semifreddo with coffee and meringue

Meringue and coffee give Semifreddo its original texture, taste and appearance. The cooking process is quite long and labor-intensive.

The difficulty of preparing the dish lies mainly in the preparation of the meringue.

What ingredients will you need?

To create Semifreddo with meringue and coffee, you need the following products:

  • cream. The fat content of the ingredient should not be lower than 33% - 600 ml;
  • granulated sugar or powdered sugar – 200 g;
  • pistachios without shell – 70 g;
  • fresh berries (you can also use fruit). The product should be selected according to taste – 500 g;
  • proteins. The ingredient is required to be used from fresh eggs of the selected category - 7 pcs.;
  • coffee. The product should be used in the form of granules, as well as good quality - 3-4 g.

To serve ready-made Semifreddo, it is recommended to use sauce from the following products:

  • cream. The fat content of the product should also be high - 180 ml;
  • filtered water – 60 ml;
  • fresh flower honey – 30 g;
  • butter. You cannot replace the product with margarine or spread – 40 g.

The sauce should be prepared before serving the finished dessert, as it must be warm.

Step-by-step cooking process

The process for making Semifreddo with coffee and meringue is as follows:

  1. Place the whites of 3 eggs, as well as coffee and 50 g of granulated sugar in a bowl. Beat the ingredients with a mixer until a strong foam is obtained.
  2. Next, you need to chop the pistachios and carefully add them to the whipped egg whites.
  3. Then you need to preheat the air in the oven to 180 degrees and place baking paper on a baking sheet.
  4. Place the contents from point 2 on baking paper in an even layer. The layer height should be approximately 2 cm.
  5. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake the meringue for approximately 1 hour. In this case, after about 10 minutes, the temperature in the oven should be gradually reduced to 100 degrees.
  6. It is advisable to cool the finished meringue in the switched off oven.
  7. When the meringue has cooled, break it into small pieces.
  8. After making the meringue, you need to put the remaining whites and remaining granulated sugar into a deep container and beat them until a strong foam.
  9. Next, you need to whip the cream in a separate deep container in the same way.
  10. The berries should be finely chopped with a knife.

  11. Then you need to carefully add the whipped whites into the bowl with the whipped cream. Mix the ingredients with a spatula.
  12. Then you need to carefully add berries and pieces of meringue to the contents. Mix the ingredients with a spatula.
  13. The resulting mass should be placed in a silicone mold and placed in the freezer for about 3 hours.
  14. By the end of the dessert cooling time, you need to prepare the sauce. To make the sauce, pour water, cream and honey into a saucepan.
  15. Place the saucepan on the stove over low heat.
  16. When the honey dissolves, add butter to the contents.
  17. Remove the saucepan from the stove when the butter has melted.
  18. Finally, beat the sauce with a hand whisk. There is no need to add fluffy foam.

The finished Semifreddo needs to be cut into portions and each portion placed in a saucer. Pour warm sauce over dessert.

Cake “Peaches in yogurt and ice cream”

Ice cream cake with yogurt soufflé and peach halves turns out tender and delicious.

Let's list the ingredients:

  • washed pitted peaches – half a kilo;
  • gelatin – 1 sachet;
  • white flour – 50 g;
  • butter margarine – 40 g;
  • boiled water – 250 ml;
  • chocolate ice cream – 500 g;
  • baking powder – 2 g;
  • granulated sugar – 50 g;
  • milk chocolate – 75 g;
  • natural yogurt – 500 ml;
  • chicken eggs – 2 pcs.;
  • a little whipped cream for decoration.

Step by step cooking method.

  • Pour gelatin with water at room temperature for about an hour.
  • Place the ice cream from the freezer on the table so that it melts to the consistency of semolina porridge for children.
  • Grind sugar with eggs.
  • Add melted chocolate, margarine, baking powder and flour. Stir until smooth.
  • Place the dough, similar to thick sour cream, in a deep form, forming the sides. Bake at 180 degrees for 18 minutes. Let cool.
  • Cut the peaches into half moons. Leave some in halves.
  • Heat the gelatin until completely dissolved, but do not boil.
  • Shake the melted ice cream with a whisk and pour half of the cooled gelatin into it.
  • Place strips of peaches on the bottom of the cooled pastry. Fill with gelatin and ice cream mixture. Place in the refrigerator for half an hour.
  • Place the peach halves on the frozen layer of the cake, put a little honey in the middle of each, pour in 5 ml of liqueur (for adults), sweet syrup (for children). Pour a mixture of yogurt and gelatin on top. We hide the cake in the refrigerator again. For 2-3 hours.

Before serving, place the chocolate cake on a flat cake plate, decorate with whipped cream, pieces of peaches, and sprinkle with grated chocolate.

Useful tips and tricks

Semifreddo is an ice cream in the preparation of which all subtleties must be strictly observed, otherwise the product will fail not only in taste, but also in texture.

Below is a list of the most important features of the dish:

Important nuancesNotes
The cream should be very fat and chilledThe cooled product whips easier, and due to its high fat content, the product holds its shape longer.
The egg should also be fresh for 2 to 5 daysThe white of a fresh egg is very thick, so it will be more difficult to beat such an egg. The best option is an egg with a shelf life of 3 days.
Eggshells should be thoroughly washed before using the product.Eggshells often contain salmonellosis pathogens.
It is necessary to beat the ingredients very wellFor a “correct” Semifreddo, the product should consist of air bubbles by half its volume.
When preparing a dessert for adults, you can include cognac in the recipe.Cognac should be added to the cream. As a result, the product will have a more fluffy texture.
It is recommended to add food coloring to the cream before whipping the ingredient.It is not advisable to add dyes to eggs, since the dye may change color as a result of heat treatment.
The container for beating the ingredients must be dry and cooled.If there is water in the bowl, you will not be able to beat either cream or eggs to the desired texture. And thanks to the cooling of the dishes, the ingredients will whip faster.

After cooking, it is important to remove semifreddo from the mold correctly.

To do this, you need to fill a suitable container with hot water and lower the mold into it for approximately 5-7 seconds (make sure that the water does not flow into the mold). Next, you need to cover the mold with a dish and turn the structure over. Finally, you should put the dessert in this form in the freezer.

Similarities and differences from gelato

Semifreddo is an old cousin of gelato. Therefore, their stories are closely related. You can read about the life of the republic’s frozen delicacies in the article about Gelato. Although semifreddo has a long tradition, its name does not often appear in historical cookbooks.

Being two similar products, semifreddo and gelato have significant differences. They are similar in that both can be considered products prepared in 3 stages:

  1. Liquid phase: cream, water and sugar mixed in solution.
  2. Solid phase: liquid crystallizes under the influence of low temperatures.
  3. Gas phase: tiny air bubbles are evenly distributed throughout the mass.

The quantitative relationships between these stages are different for semifreddo and gelato. This is where the difference in texture comes from. The first delicacy is more airy and light.

In ice cream, the liquid phase predominates (28.5% water, 28.5% solids, 43% air), which after cooling provides a good creamy texture. Semifreddo is dominated by the gas phase (50% air, 25% water, 25% dry matter). The air does not freeze, so dessert loses volume faster when warm.

And, of course, there are differences in the production of these delicacies. Gelato is frozen in 2 stages, with a temperature jump of approximately 14 degrees (from -4 to -18). Cooling occurs with stirring.

The temperature difference when freezing semifreddo reaches 30-40 degrees (from room temperature about 20 to -18). Cooling occurs statically without stirring.

Often, the classic Italian semifreddo is served on a layer of sponge cake or in a “skullcap” made from it. But it should not be confused with a dessert like ice cream cake. Thickeners and vegetable fats are usually added to the latter.

One of the distinctive components of semifreddo is beaten eggs. Beat the whites and yolks separately and carefully add them to the mixture. Thus, the semi-frozen treat can be considered a mixture of gelato and meringue.

From the above, we can conclude that by calling semifreddo ice cream or cake, we are making a gastronomic mistake.

Basic recipe

In order to conduct culinary experiments in the field of preparing semifreddo, it is extremely necessary to know the basic ingredients. Based on them, you can add your favorite spices, fruits, nuts and other goodies.

So, the components of semifreddo are:

  • Meringue;
  • Pasta a bomba;
  • A base containing the first two terms.

Meringue

The meringue creates a more delicate, velvety texture of the semifreddo and lowers the freezing point. The above recipe can not only be added to a frozen dessert, but also baked at 240 degrees for several minutes or decorated with a cake. To prepare it you will need:

  • 3 egg whites;
  • 200 g sugar;
  • 80 ml water.

Mix sugar and water in a saucepan and heat to 120 degrees until completely dissolved and a syrupy consistency is achieved. When the sugar mixture has cooled to 110 degrees, pour it into the prepared egg whites, while beating with a mixer at high speed. After obtaining a fluffy, white “foam” with stable peaks, turn off the mixer and proceed to prepare the next component.

Pasta bomb

Pasta bomb is an important component of the semifreddo base. Its name comes from France from “Pate à Bombe” - the base for the French parfait.

Required ingredients:

  • 130 g sugar;
  • 100 ml water;
  • 6 egg yolks.

In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil, then let them cool. Pour the syrup and yolks into a bowl and heat in a water bath until the mixture thickens a little. Then transfer the mixture to a suitable container and beat with a mixer at maximum speed until it cools completely.

The basis

You can change the base for semifreddo to your taste by adding grated cocoa, your favorite liqueur or a spoonful of instant coffee. The basic ingredients of the base are:

  • 350 g bomb pasta (one preparation);
  • 500 ml heavy (20-30%) cream;
  • 100 g meringue.

Whip the cream to stiff peaks. If necessary, add your favorite filling when whipping. Mix cream with pasta bomb. Then add the meringue and mix as gently as possible so as not to lose volume. Transfer the semifreddo to a suitable pan and place in the freezer for at least 4 hours. To remove the dessert, soak the pan in hot water for about 30 seconds and invert it onto a plate. The basic version of semifreddo is at your service.

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