Easy Semifreddo with Blueberry and Lemon
Semifreddo - your favourite dessert this summer!
If you like ice cream or frozen desserts, then you definitely need to try semifreddo, an Italian dessert which translates to "half frozen" and it is different from ice cream as it has a mousse consistency, very airy and light.
I added seasonal blueberries and lemon to mine and I also made a thick biscuit crust which makes it even better. Let's get started!
- 100 g biscuits (I used spelt biscuits, you can use graham crackers)
- 50 g unt (melted)
- 400 g whipping cream (cold, 32% fat)
- 2 Pcs ouă
- 70 g zahăr
- coajă de lămâie (from a lemon)
- 200 g blueberries
- 1 tbsp zahăr (for the blueberry jam)
- Making the crust
Start by processing the biscuits in a food blender. Add the butter and process until it looks like coarse wet sand. Set aside.
Line a loaf tin with baking sheet and add the biscuits mixture to it, pressing it down with a glass or your hands, in order to distribute it evenly. Bake for 10 minutes at 180 degrees or until slightly golden. Allow to cool.
- Making the semifreddo
Start by whipping the cream until soft peaks appear. Make sure the cream is very cold. Once the cream is beaten, keep it in the fridge.
In a bowl, add 2 eggs and mix them with the sugar and cook over a pot with simmering water until the eggs start thickening. That should take about 5 minutes. Make sure you mix constantly with a whisker, the eggs should become frothy ands the sugar should melt. Once the eggs are thickened and cooked (don't make scrambled eggs! that's why it is important to just keep mixing) set them aside and allow to cool down to room temperature.
For the blueberry jam, I have boiled 1 tbsp of sugar with 100 g of blueberries for about 4-5 minutes. You can also add a bit of lemon juice to it and lemon zest.
- Asamblare
Once the eggs are cooled, start incorporating the whipped cream, and add the lemon zest too. Once the whipped cream is incorporated (through circular movements from downwards upwards to make sure the air bubbles don't break), add the blueberry jam and distribute it by dropping it with a spoon, then create ripples with a skewer. For a better design, keep in the freezer for 30 minutes, then add the other half of the jam and the remaining 100g of blueberries. Once the Semifreddo is a bit set and frozen after 30 minutes, the blueberries will not sink at the bottom anymore and adding the rest of the jam at this point creates a nicer ripple design. Freeze overnight and enjoy!
P.S. After slicing the semifreddo, allow to defrost at room temp at least 15 minutes before serving it.