No ice cream maker? Make a semifreddo! 17 May 2006

Prep time: 10 minutes (or less if you use and electric beater)
Freezing: About an hour, depending on the depth of your container
Serves approx. 12

Semifreddo means “half frozen” in Italian. If you freeze it long enough though, it is even better than ice cream! It’s very, very rich so best pair with some fresh fruit to balance things out. We paired our honey-chocolate semifreddo with some grapes!

Ever since we saw Jamie make this on his show, we’ve been wanting to make it. Except where to buy free-range eggs, as the recipe insists on them? (The eggs are raw so I didn’t want to take any chances). Finally chanced upon some in Santi’s Deli, just a few packs left. You can tell they are organic by their brownish shells (and the label too). We’ve come across it only once as apparently any stocks go really quickly.

Unlike ice cream, you don’t need an ice cream maker to make semifreddo – just a strong arm for whisking - and a freezer.

Utensils (I decided to add this to all my recipes to make things easier):

• 3 mixing bowls
• whisk or electric mixer
• a dish for freezing
• cling film

Gather all your ingredients. For the basic recipe:

• Vanilla bean, 1 piece (or in a pinch a few drops vanilla extract)
• Sugar, 1 cup
• Fresh free-range eggs, 4 pieces, separate whites from yolks
• Heavy cream, 2 cups
• Salt, just a pinch

Decide on your flavoring or add-ons. Be creative! Some suggestions would be:

• Chocolate, pounded or chocolate chips (all time favorite)
• White chocolate
• Honey
• Nuts such as hazelnut, pistachio, almond, usually crushed
• Caramel (crushed)
• Touron nougat (crushed)

Remove the seeds from the vanilla bean by scoring down the length and scraping the seeds out of each half.

Whisk vanilla seeds and sugar with the egg yolks in a large bowl until pale.

In another bowl, whisk the cream until soft peaks form. (Don’t overwhip or it will go flat!)

In a third bowl, whisk (or beat egg whites with your electric mixer) with a pinch of salt until they form very firm peaks. To know if you are at this point, if you pull the egg whites in any direction, they don’t fall or flop over.

In the egg yolks bowl, add your flavoring, the cream then the egg whites. Gently fold in (Remember! Do not overmix as you want to keep in as much of the air you’ve whipped in).

Immediately scoop contents into your container, cover with plastic film and freeze.

Kudos to Jamie Oliver’s easy and delicious semifreddo recipe, pp. 202-203 The Naked Chef.

Specially posted for the birthday girl, Ning! Happy birthday and enjoy making your own semifreddo!