Homemade Vanilla Semifreddo
A sublime, lusciously smooth frozen treat that strikes the perfect balance between the creamy richness of ice cream and a light, airy mousse
Equipment
- 1 Resealable and freezer-safe container At least 1lt in size
- 1 Stick blender wt whisk Or hand whisk
Ingredients
- 5 yolks Egg
- 150 gram Sugar (Caster or superfine)
- 1 pod Vanilla (Seeds scraped out)
- 350 ml Double Cream
- 200 grams Mascarpone
Instructions
Prep
- Separate egg yolks from the whites and place to the side in a bowl. Cover and refridgerate the whites to use in a meringue or mousse
- Cut the vanilla pod in half length-ways and gently scrape out the tiny seeds with the back of a knife. Place both parts to the side (See recipe notes for suggested uses of the seedless pod)
- Line a 1lt capacity straight edged, resealable and freezer-safe container with baking/ parchment paper (See recipe notes)
- Weigh/ measure the other ingredients
To Make
- 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 combined mixture into a resealable, freezer-proof container and freeze until firm, this should take about 6hrs or even 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
To Serve
- 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
Notes
- To line your rectangular or square container, turn the container upside down and lay the baking paper over it. Cut the paper so it's just slightly bigger. From each corner of the paper cut diagonally towards the centre, make the cut roughly the same length as the height of the pan. Use the cuts to neatly push the baking paper into the corners and bottom edges of the container
- Don’t throw away the vanilla pod! Here’s 3 delicious uses for it: 1) Infused Sugar: Place the empty vanilla pod in a resealable, airtight container of sugar to infuse it with a lovely vanilla flavour. The pod will continue to release its aroma and enhance the sugar, which can be used in baking or for a delicious vanilla coffee. 2) Homemade Vanilla Liquor: Place the empty vanilla pod in a bottle of alcohol, such as vodka, and let it steep for several weeks. This will create your own homemade vanilla vodka, what’s not to love! 3) Vanilla Syrup: Add the empty vanilla pod to a saucepan with water and sugar to create a vanilla-infused syrup. When cooled, this syrup can be used to sweeten drinks or desserts.
- 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
Nutrition
Calories: 460kcal
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