Sunday Spoil: White chocolate semifreddo
An easy but elegant and fresh summer dessert that has all the richness of ice cream and the light and airy texture of frozen mousse.
Serves 6 – 8
You’ll need: 500ml pouring cream; 2 vanilla bean pods; 6 large eggs; 125g caster sugar; ½ cup good quality white chocolate pieces; 375ml whipping cream, divided; ½ cup icing sugar; extra white chocolate for grating as a garnish, optional.
How to:
Line a 2-litre loaf tin with plastic wrap.
Start by making the custard; in a bowl whisk the eggs together until well combined. In a double boiler scald the milk with the vanilla pods, remove the pods and scrape out the seeds adding to the warm milk (the pods can be reserved for flavouring castor sugar).
Add the sugar and eggs to the milk and whisk continually until the custard thickens. Remove and cover with cling wrap and cool to room temperature. The plastic wrap helps prevent skin forming on the custard which will cause lumps in your mixture.
Melt the chocolate with 100ml of the cream. Whip the remaining cream until soft peaks form and add the icing sugar. Temper the melted chocolate by adding a couple of tablespoons of the whipped cream into the melted chocolate (this will prevent shocking the chocolate and causing it to seize). Whisk the melted chocolate into the whipped cream. Whisk the chocolate cream into the cooled custard and pour into the lined baking tin.
Freeze for eight hours or overnight. To serve turn the loaf tin onto a serving platter, remove the tin and peel away the plastic wrap. Cut into slices and serve with seasonal fruit, and garnish with grated white chocolate.
To make the roasted peaches or seasonal stone fruit (apricots, plums or nectarines work well): Cut peaches in half and place skin side down in a roasting dish, sprinkle with castor sugar and pour in 150ml rose wine or apple juice.
Roast at 200°C for 15 – 20 mins until soft. Serve with the semifreddo.
* Recipe & image by The South African Poultry Association.
