Blueberry Swirl Semifreddo
By Kelly SongPublished on February 22, 2023
Time
30 minutes, plus 8 hours freezing
Yield
Serves 8
Ingredients
Before You Begin
We prefer to heat the egg mixture in a heavy, heatproof glass or ceramic bowl in step 2; if you use a metal bowl, pay attention to the mixture as it heats, and whisk continuously to ensure that the mixture doesn't heat unevenly at the edges.
Instructions
- Line loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving 3-inch overhang on all sides. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer cream to large bowl and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt together in medium heatproof bowl set over large saucepan containing 1 inch barely simmering water, making sure water does not touch bottom of bowl. Whisk continuously until egg mixture reaches 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully separate bowl from saucepan and, using rubber spatula, transfer egg mixture to clean bowl of stand mixer. Add almond extract, if using. Using whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, pale, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in half of whipped cream until just incorporated. Fold in remaining cream until just incorporated and no streaks of cream remain.
- Transfer one-third of cream mixture to prepared pan. Dollop 2 tablespoons blueberry jam evenly over cream mixture in pan. Using skewer or butter knife, swirl jam evenly into cream mixture. Transfer half of remaining cream mixture to pan, dollop 2 tablespoons jam over mixture, and swirl jam evenly into cream mixture. Repeat with remaining cream mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons jam. Smooth top with rubber spatula. Cover with plastic and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours or up to 2 weeks.
- When ready to serve, remove plastic from top and invert pan onto cutting board or serving platter. Gently tug on overhanging plastic to release semifreddo from pan; discard plastic. Smooth surface with spatula, if desired. Dip slicing knife in hot water and wipe dry. Slice semifreddo about 1 inch thick, transferring slices to individual plates and dipping and wiping knife after each slice. Serve immediately.
Time
30 minutes, plus 8 hours freezingYield
Serves 8Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Semifreddo, meaning “half cold” in Italian, is known for its unique frozen texture, which falls somewhere between fluffy mousse and velvety ice cream. To achieve this, we wanted to whip as much air into the base as possible while still keeping the consistency rich and creamy. Since warmed eggs whip more easily than cold ones, we used a double-boiler method to gently heat the eggs. Whisking constantly helped cook the eggs without scrambling them. We found that store-bought jam was less likely to taste icy after being frozen in the semifreddo, unlike homemade jam. Swirling in the blueberry jam in stages kept the colorful layers distinct after slicing, and a splash of almond extract added notes reminiscent of amaretto, a traditional Italian liqueur often used to flavor semifreddo.
Before You Begin
We prefer to heat the egg mixture in a heavy, heatproof glass or ceramic bowl in step 2; if you use a metal bowl, pay attention to the mixture as it heats, and whisk continuously to ensure that the mixture doesn't heat unevenly at the edges.
Instructions
- Line loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving 3-inch overhang on all sides. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip cream on medium-low speed until foamy, 30 to 60 seconds. Increase speed to high and whip until soft peaks form, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer cream to large bowl and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt together in medium heatproof bowl set over large saucepan containing 1 inch barely simmering water, making sure water does not touch bottom of bowl. Whisk continuously until egg mixture reaches 160 degrees, 5 to 8 minutes. Carefully separate bowl from saucepan and, using rubber spatula, transfer egg mixture to clean bowl of stand mixer. Add almond extract, if using. Using whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, pale, and doubled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove bowl from stand mixer. Using rubber spatula, gently fold in half of whipped cream until just incorporated. Fold in remaining cream until just incorporated and no streaks of cream remain.
- Transfer one-third of cream mixture to prepared pan. Dollop 2 tablespoons blueberry jam evenly over cream mixture in pan. Using skewer or butter knife, swirl jam evenly into cream mixture. Transfer half of remaining cream mixture to pan, dollop 2 tablespoons jam over mixture, and swirl jam evenly into cream mixture. Repeat with remaining cream mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons jam. Smooth top with rubber spatula. Cover with plastic and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours or up to 2 weeks.
- When ready to serve, remove plastic from top and invert pan onto cutting board or serving platter. Gently tug on overhanging plastic to release semifreddo from pan; discard plastic. Smooth surface with spatula, if desired. Dip slicing knife in hot water and wipe dry. Slice semifreddo about 1 inch thick, transferring slices to individual plates and dipping and wiping knife after each slice. Serve immediately.
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