Honey and ricotta semifreddo with wine-macerated cherries and strawberries recipe
Velvety semifreddo is neither gelato nor ice cream nor mousse. Instead, it dances happily between all three, with delightful results. It can even be sliced like a cake, albeit one with an especially creamy, airy texture.
The classic Italian dessert is perfect for when it’s warm outside – although, like ice cream, we won’t judge if you have it all year round.
This recipe, from Kathy Kordalis’ new cookbook Mediterranean Summer Table, balances sweet, mellow honey with tangy ricotta, topped with cherries and strawberries that have been macerated in dessert wine. Garnish with bee pollen for an extra-special flourish.
Things to note:
This recipe requires a 24 x 11 cm (9 ½ x 4 ½ in) loaf pan.
The semifreddo needs to be frozen overnight to set.
You ideally need a sugar thermometer for this recipe. Alternatively, you can check if the syrup is ready to be incorporated into the egg whites by dropping a small amount of syrup into cold water. If it forms a malleable ball, your syrup is ready.
For US ingredients and measurements, use the drop-down menu and select ‘Cups’.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for greasing
- 300 ml double cream
- 200 g ricotta
- 1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped
- 1 orange, zested (reserve the juice for the macerated fruits)
- 2 egg whites
- 60 g runny honey
- 40 g caster sugar
- 30 g liquid glucose
- 80 ml berry coulis or jam
- 200 g cherries, stoned and halved
- 200 g strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 100 ml dessert wine
- 60 ml runny honey, plus extra to finish
- 1 orange, juiced
- 1 tbsp bee pollen, to garnish (optional)
Details
- Cuisine: Italian
- Recipe Type: Dessert
- Difficulty: Medium
- Preparation Time: 45 mins
- Cooking Time: 10 mins
- Serves: 6
Step-by-step
- Brush the inside of a 24 x 11 cm (9 ½ x 4 ½ in) loaf pan with oil and line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper (parchment), leaving an overhang of about 2 cm (3⁄4 in). Alternatively, you can use a silicone loaf pan.
- Pour the cream into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks form, then fold in the ricotta, vanilla seeds and orange zest. Transfer to a medium bowl and refrigerate.
- Put the egg whites and a small pinch of salt in the clean bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment in place.
- Put the honey, sugar and glucose in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar has melted. Increase the heat to medium, bring to a boil and leave to bubble for about 2 minutes, resisting the urge to stir, until it registers 110°C (230°F) on a sugar thermometer.
- Immediately begin whisking the egg whites at high speed until soft peaks form. When the syrup reaches 116°C (240°F), remove the pan from the heat and reduce the mixer speed to medium. With the machine running, slowly and continuously pour the syrup into the egg whites, whisking all the time until it is all incorporated, then continue to whip for another 8 minutes until the mixture is cool.
- Fold the whipped ricotta cream until completely mixed through, then pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Ripple the berry coulis through to create a ‘veined’ effect and smooth the surface. Gently tap the pan on the work surface, transfer it to the freezer and leave overnight.
- Combine the cherries, strawberries, wine, honey and orange juice in a bowl, stir until well mixed, then refrigerate to macerate for 10 minutes.
- Unmould the semifreddo on a chilled platter and serve in slices with the macerated cherries and strawberries, sprinkled with bee pollen if using.
Recipe adapted from Mediterranean Summer Table by Kathy Kordalis, published by Ryland Peters & Small.
Mediterranean Summer Table by Kathy Kordalis
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