Blueberry Semifreddo
I apologize for the less frequent blogging as of late. I’ve spent the last three weekends away from home, and since I usually do most of my baking during the weekend, my kitchen has been neglected. And I’ve been missing it terribly, much more than you, I’m sure.
This weekend I have no set plans and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the prospect of a few days spent in my kitchen, creating something new and delicious.
Like this semifreddo!
It’s funny, now that I have an ice cream machine I’ve discovered all these different ways you can make frozen treats without one. Semifreddo, which in Italian translates to “half cold”, has all of the rich creaminess of ice cream and all you need to make it is your freezer.
This recipe is essentially a mousse made from eggs whipped with sugar over a double boiler until they are light fluffy, and unbelievably delicious (I may have dipped my finger in a time, or two, or twenty and had a lick). Then you fold in whipped cream (more finger licking!), and a berry puree. I chose blueberry because I happened to have an abundance of them, but any berry or fruit will do.
I loved this dessert. It’s light and smooth and creamy. It hits the spot on a summer evening. If you have been bemoaning the fact that you don’t own an ice cream machine, you can stop that right now. I’ve found a delicious solution.
Blueberry Semifreddo
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
For the blueberry puree:
- 2 cups blueberries
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
Instructions
- To make the blueberry puree, combine the blueberries and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust sugar if necessary. Strain with a mesh strainer and set aside.
- Place the eggs, egg yolk, almond extract and sugar in a heat proof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Using a hand held mixer, beat the mixture for 6-8 minutes until it it pale and thickened. Remove from heat and beat for an additional 6-8 minutes until cool.
- In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until thick. Gently fold into the egg mixture until smooth. Pour into a 3 quart capacity dish. Spoon the blueberry puree over the top and use a spatula to gently fold it into the cream.
- Place in the freezer and freeze for 6 hours or overnight.
What a great dessert! And here I was, thinking that granita was the only frozen dessert possible without an ice cream machine… This is something I'll definitely have to try soon, though. Thanks for sharing this, Annalise!
Oh my god, u sound like me!! I kept finding all these recipes where I needed an ice-cream maker, so i bought it and i love it to bits. BUT NOW, I've found all these recipes without an ice-cream maker (Rolls eyes!)! I love ur blog layout, really clean and fresh. Keep up the good work xx
Hi! Your semifreddo recipe was nominated as one of the “Best 300 Semifreddo Recipes on the Net”. To vote for it, please visit http://easyitalianrecipes.org/dessert-recipes/best-300-italian-semifreddo-recipes-on-the-net-vote-for-your-favorite/ – your recipe is positioned at #85 (random order).
Very nice, creamy an smooth. Next time for me, I’ll cut back on the sugar. A little too sweet for me.