Homemade Chocolate Semifreddo

An indulgent Italian frozen dessert with a velvety smooth texture and rich chocolate flavour.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Freezing Time 6

Total Time 6 40

Course Dessert, Frozen Treat

Cuisine Italian

Servings servings

Calories 416 kcal

Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place to the side in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate the whites to use later (See recipe notes for suggestions)
Line a 1lt capacity straight edged, resealable and freezer-safe container with baking/ parchment paper (See recipe notes)
Weigh/ measure all the other ingredients

Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of slowly simmering water (making sure the bowl does not touch the water) and vigorously whisk the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and a teaspoon or two of water. In 3-5 minutes, the mixture should have at least doubled in size and grown much paler. Take off the heat and whisk for 2-3 more minutes
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl with 2 tbsp of water and place over the pan of slowly simmering water. Whisk until the chocolate is melted then add the cocoa powder. Mix until well blended then place to the side to cool a little
In a separate bowl, whisk the cream and mascarpone together until you can withdraw the whisk to leave a soft, falling peak
Using a spatula or a large spoon, gently fold the egg mixture into the cream mixture. Combine well but be careful not to knock out all of the air you've just whisked into both mixtures. Add the chocolate mixture and carefully mix again. Take your time
Scrape your mixture into your pre prepared lined container and freeze until firm, this should take around 6 hours or preferably overnight. Check the mixture after an hour to see if it needs a brief mix with a spatula or spoon, this will depend on how well you mixed it on the previous step

Remove from the freezer 5-10 minutes before you wish to serve (depending on your ambient temperature) Run a knife between the edges of the paper liner and the container, place a plate or board on top and turn the whole thing upside down. Peel back the paper and slice the semifreddo into the desired size and serve. Alternatively, scoop the semifreddo our as you would with ice cream, if you're planning to do this there is no need to line your container

Meringue: Whip egg whites with sugar to create light and fluffy meringue or whip longer for a pavlova base
Soufflé: Use whipped egg whites as a base for a light and fluffy soufflé
Egg White Omelette: Make a healthy and protein-rich omelette by using only the whites. Add vegetables, herbs, and cheese for added flavour

To line your container, turn it upside down and lay the baking paper over it. Cut the paper so it's very slightly bigger than the container. From each corner of the paper cut diagonally towards the centre, make the cut roughly the same length as the height of the container. Use the cuts to neatly push the baking paper into the corners and bottom edges of the container
You may wish to serve semifreddo on a chilled plate or dish. Because of its texture it will soften quicker than ice cream and if presentation is important to you this will help it hold its shape longer

Calories: 416kcal

Keyword Chocolate dessert recipes, Chocolate semifreddo, Frozen Dessert, Italian dessert, Sweet treats

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