Isn’t ice cream is one of life’s loveliest pleasures? If I had to choose one single dessert to eat for the rest of my life, I’d graciously wave away all the towering layer cakes, lavishly decorated tarts and labour intensive macaroons… and sit myself down with a spoon in front of a big bowl of ice cream. Or gelato. Maybe in a cone, depending on my mood. And now I have discovered something wonderful; this spectacular semifreddo recipe has the same silky smooth consistency as the best gelato, but it doesn’t require any fancy machines or hours of work. It’s quite simply delicious. This summer sensation is flavoured with fresh strawberries and white chocolate, and the result is a vibrant, rich and gloriously creamy ice cream for those of us who need a scoop or two at a moment’s notice. It’s also perfect for a pretty little Valentine’s treat… Enjoy!
P.S. Today just so happens to be the birthday of the fabulous friend who I made a tub of this ice cream for, so a sneaky but enormous Happy Birthday to my PA!!
Strawberry and White Chocolate Semifreddo
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: at least 7 hours including freezing time
Adapted from this basic Donna Hay recipe.
INGREDIENTS
- 500 mL thickened pouring cream
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 220 g caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 150 g white chocolate, melted
- 150 g white chocolate, roughly chopped
- 500 g fresh or frozen strawberries, pureed
METHOD
- Whisk the cream on medium speed for a few minutes until soft peaks form. Cover and refrigerate.
- Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for 6-8 minutes until thick, pale and creamy. Meanwhile, half-fill a medium sized pot with water and bring to a gentle boil.
- Transfer the egg mixture to a heatproof bowl, place over the hot water, and continue to whisk by hand (or on low speed with a hand-held electric whisker) for another 4-5 minutes. Keep the mixture moving; if it sits still in the heat the eggs may start to cook! Once thickened, remove the mixture from the heat and leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- In a small heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt 150 g of the white chocolate. Stir it through the cooled egg mixture. All at once, add the whipped cream, chopped white chocolate and most of the strawberry puree, then fold through gently with a rubber spatula. Handle the semifreddo carefully so it doesn’t lose too much volume.
- Pour the mixture into a 2L capacity loaf tin, or similar. Smooth the surface, then swirl the remaining strawberry puree through the semifreddo. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 6 hours or until firm.
- Remove the semifreddo from the freezer 10 minutes prior to serving!
Store the semifreddo covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
one perfect mess 
Great little valentine’s day idea! ❤
LikeLike
I agree!!
LikeLike
Pingback: Fig, Honey and Roasted Almond Semifreddo | one perfect mess