So what’s a “semifreddo” anyway? It actually means “half-cold” and it’s basically a frozen mousse that originated in Italy. And it’s amazingly delicious, especially on a hot summer Alabama day. This recipe comes from the February 2023 issue of Food & Wine magazine.
Lemon Cream Semifreddo
This recipe takes some pre-planning. It involves making a lemon cream and letting it chill in the fridge for at least 12 hours and then you'll freeze the semifreddo for another 12 hours, so plan on 2 days before you serve it. But believe me, it's worth it!
Equipment
- double boiler or large saucepan and bowl
- candy thermometer
- wire mesh strainer
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 9" x 5" loaf pan
Ingredients
Lemon Cream
- ¾ cup fresh lemon juice divided, 1 tbs + the rest
- 1 1/4 oz pkg unflavored gelatin
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp grated lemon zest
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Semiffreddo
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 2 egg whites
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp light corn syrup
- 2½ cups fresh blueberries
Instructions
Lemon Cream
- 2 days before serving: In a small bowl, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice and sprinkle with the gelatin. Let it stand for 5 minutes until the gelatin softens or until ready to use.
- Add about 2" of water to a double boiler and bring to a simmer over medium heat. In the bowl add lemon zest, sugar, and salt and mix until sugar is moist and smells lemony. Whisk in eggs and the remaining lemon juice. Cook in the double boiler, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and reaches 180℉. This will take about 12 minutes.
- Remove top bowl from heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture until dissolved. Pour mixture through a wire mesh strainer into a blender, discarding the solid. Let the mixture rest in the blender, pulsing occasionally, until it cools to 130℉.
- With the blender running, add the butter in 2 batches, blending until incorporated. Drizzle in olive oil and blend for about 1 minute until combined. Pour into a medium bowl or air tight container and refrigerate overnight.
Semifreddo
- 1 day before serving, line the bottom and sides of a 9"x5" loaf pan with parchment paper, letting it overhang the sides by 2"
- In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream with a whisk or mixer until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Cover & refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
- Uncover the chilled lemon cream & whisk to loosen.
- In a stand mixer, combine egg whites and salt & attach the whisk attachment.
- In a small saucepan, stir together the ½ cup sugar, 2 tbsp of water, and corn syrup and cook over medium high heat. When syrup reaches 220℉, begin beating the egg whites in the mixer until soft peaks form. When syrup reaches 240℉, turn mixer to high and stream the hot syrup down the side of the bowl, without touching the whisk. Beat until meringue is stiff and shiny and the bowl is no longer warm, about 5 minutes.
- Whisk ⅓ of the meringue into the lemon cream until just combined. Then fold in the remaining meringue in 2 additions with a rubber spatula, each time folding until just combined. Then add the chilled whipped cream and fold gently until just combined.
- Cover and freeze overnight.
Blueberry Syrup
- Make the blueberry syrup just before serving. In a saucepan, combine 1 cup blueberries and 2 tbsp sugar. Gently crush the blueberries with a spoon to release the juices. Cook over medium low heat until the blueberries have broken down and the sugar has completely dissolved. Pour mixture through a wire mesh into a medium bowl, pressing the solids in the strainer to get all the juices out. Add the remaining blueberries to the syrup and toss to coat.
To Serve:
- To serve the semifreddo, heat up a spatula or knife in hot water, then wipe it dry, and run it along the ends of the frozen semifreddo so it doesn't stick to the loaf pan where there's no parchment paper. Lift the semifreddo out of the loaf pan using the parchment paper & invert it onto a serving plate. Carefully remove the parchment paper. Cover with blueberry syrup, slice, and serve.