Semifreddo with Almond Biscuits & Sweet Wine

Eleonora Galasso’s cookbook Verrukkelijk Rome is about the food of the city where she was born and raised. This recipe may seem long, but four hours of the preparation time are spent in the freezer. And you can simply lie back on the sofa. 

Galasso says the following about her recipe:

This firm, crumbly dessert is somewhere between sorbet and ice cream, without the need for an ice-cream maker, ice cubes or any of that sort of fuss. A dessert as soft as the Roman clouds when the sky dramatically darkens, accompanied by diving flocks of starlings. You can witness this aerial spectacle in mid-October, when the leaves begin to fall and cover the leafy streets of this disarming city.

As an alternative to the crunchy almond cantucci, I sometimes use ordinary digestive biscuits with a handful of hazelnuts that I have toasted in a pan for a few minutes.

Method

Line a 900-gram loaf tin with plastic wrap, leaving it overhanging at the sides (this will make it easy to remove the semifreddo from the tin later).

Beat the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl until the yolk mixture is light, creamy and almost doubled in volume. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. In a third bowl, whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the egg whites to the egg-yolk mixture, then add the whipped cream and fold everything together from top to bottom. Carefully fold in the lemon juice and a quarter of the biscuit crumbs.

Put the remaining biscuit crumbs in a small bowl, pour the Vin Santo over them and mix well.
First fill the tin with a layer of soaked biscuit crumbs, followed by a layer of the cream mixture. Continue making layers in this way until all the ingredients have been used, making sure to finish with a layer of cantucci. Place in the freezer for 4 hours, until the semifreddo feels firm.

Remove the semifreddo from the freezer 10 to 15 minutes before serving so it can soften slightly. Turn the tin upside down onto an oval serving platter. If desired, sprinkle the semifreddo with some blackberries, cut into thick slices and serve.

Image: David Loftus

Verrukkelijk Rome

Eleonora Galasso
€ 24,95
Good Cook