Recipe for semifreddo, served as a sandwich with Panettone and dipped in white chocolate.
Even though it's winter, that doesn't mean we can't enjoy a frozen dessert, because ice cream always works! This frozen treat is a festive semifreddo sandwich with panettone. Semifreddo, which means semi-frozen in Italian, is a traditional ice cream from Italy. It is made from whipped egg foam and whipped cream and is wonderfully creamy and rich, flavored with pieces of amaretti biscuits and frozen cherries. When the semifreddo is frozen, it is cut into slices and squeezed between two panettone or Christmas bread, a great way to use up the Christmas bread.
Recipe, photos and video from The Boy Who Bakes
Semi freddo:
- 300 ml double cream
- 2 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- 125 g sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- A few drops of almond extract
- 1 tbsp roasted milk powder (optional)
- 50 g soft amaretti biscuits
- 100 g frozen cherries, chopped
How to do it:
- Grease a quarter pan or a 9x13 brownie pan, and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Put the cream in a large bowl and whip it with the Smooth Mix hand mixer until it forms soft peaks. Set aside for the moment.
- Put eggs, egg yolks and sugar in another large bowl and place the bowl over a pot of boiling water.
- Use the hand mixer and beat on low speed for approx. 6-8 minutes. You should whisk the mixture until it reaches 75°C. This ensures that the eggs are cooked, and also helps us create a nice, light foam.
- Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk on high speed for another 6-8 minutes until you have a pale and fluffy mixture that holds together like a ribbon when you lift it out of the bowl.
- Pour half of this egg mixture into the cream and use a spatula to gently fold it together. Repeat with the rest of the egg mixture.
- Scrape this semifreddo mixture into the tin and spread it in an even layer. Crumble over amaretti biscuits and spread the chopped cherries over.
- Place a sheet of plastic wrap on the surface of the semifreddo and freeze it for 8-10 hours or until firm.
- 1x750 g panettone bread/
- Christmas bread
- 200 g white chocolate
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
How to do it:
- Cut the panettone into 1 cm thick slices and use an 8 cm round cutter to cut out 16 slices.
- Take the semifreddo out of the freezer and take it out of the tin. Use the same cutter to cut out 8 slices of semifreddo and place them together with two slices of panettone.
- Place back in the freezer while you prepare the white chocolate.
- Break the white chocolate into small pieces and melt it with the coconut oil in a microwave or water bath.
- Pour into a small bowl and set aside until room temperature, liquid and pourable, but not hot.
- Take the ice cream sandwiches out of the freezer and dip them halfway into the chocolate mixture, allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl.
- Place them on a piece of baking paper and repeat with all 8 sandwiches. When they are all dipped, put them in the freezer until they are to be served.
The Smooth Mix hand mixer is used to make the semifreddo. It has 5 speeds and a boost button when you need a little extra speed. The hand blender has a 500 W motor, which means it has more than enough power. What stands out for The boy who bakes is how the mixer is handled. Hand blenders are notorious for vibrating, and with prolonged use it can be annoying to hold. This hand mixer is much more stable and much more comfortable to use.
Note: Do not throw away the leftover semifreddo and panettone. You can use both parts to, for example, make a frozen trifle, and the leftover panettone can also be used for a good bread pudding.
Watch video for how to do it: