Homemade Hazelnut Semifreddo

With a silky texture and rich flavour, this hazelnut semifreddo is a true taste of luxury. Spoil yourself

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Freezing Time 6

Total Time 6 35

Course Dessert, Frozen Treat

Cuisine Italian

Servings servings

Calories 549 kcal

Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place them to to the side in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate the whites to use later (See recipe notes for suggestions)
Chop or blitz the hazelnuts (see recipes notes)
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 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
In a separate bowl, whisk the cream 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. 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

- Here are 3 ideas for using up those versatile egg whites :
1. Meringue: Whip egg whites with sugar to create light and fluffy meringue or whip longer for a pavlova base
2. Soufflé: Use whipped egg whites as a base for a light and fluffy soufflé
3. Egg White Omelette: Make a healthy and protein-rich omelette by using only the whites. Add vegetables, herbs, and cheese for added flavour
Keep the bite of the nuts by chopping them roughly or make the final semifreddo smoother by blitzing the nuts finely. The choice is yours
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: 549kcal

Keyword Frozen Dessert, Hazelnut dessert, Hazelnut recipe, Italian recipe

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