Description
A festive Christmas semifreddo featuring roasted almonds, walnuts, and chopped raisins, delicately spiced with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and vanilla. This creamy frozen dessert is simple to prepare and perfect for holiday celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
For the semifreddo
- 4 egg yolks
- 60 ml water
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 tsp vanilla paste or seeds from 1 vanilla pod, or 1 tsp vanilla extract, or 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 40 g almonds
- 40 g walnuts
- 30 g golden raisins, chopped
- 30 g regular raisins, chopped
- 250 ml whipping cream, cold (whip with 4 tbsp icing sugar if skipping the raisins)
To garnish
- chopped almonds, walnuts, and raisins
- icing sugar
Instructions
- Roast Nuts: Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F and roast the almonds and walnuts for 8 minutes or until lightly golden. Allow to cool, then chop them.
- Prepare Pan: Line a 22x11 cm bread pan with baking paper cut to size, sticking it in place with a bit of vegetable oil using kitchen paper.
- Start Egg Yolks: Place the egg yolks in a bowl and beat on low speed just to prevent a dry skin forming on top.
- Make Sugar Syrup: Boil the water and sugar over medium heat until the sugar dissolves fully and the syrup boils profusely; it should not necessarily thicken.
- Combine Yolks and Syrup: Increase egg yolk beating speed to high and slowly pour the hot syrup down the side of the bowl while beating.
- Beat until Volume Increases: Continue beating the yolk mixture on high speed until it increases in volume and cools to room temperature. Fold in the roasted nuts and chopped raisins gently using a spatula.
- Whip Cream: In a clean bowl, whip the cold cream until foamy and glossy but not fully firm. Fold the whipped cream into the egg yolk mixture carefully.
- Freeze: Pour the semifreddo mixture into the prepared pan and freeze for at least 8 hours.
- Serve: Use the baking paper to lift the semifreddo from the pan. Carefully unstick the paper from the sides and put it back inside the pan. Flip the semifreddo onto your serving dish. If pan was not lined, dip the pan briefly in warm water before flipping.
- Garnish: Sprinkle chopped almonds, walnuts, and raisins on top and dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Notes
- Roasting the nuts enhances their flavor and adds a crunchy texture to the semifreddo.
- If you choose to skip the raisins, whip the cream with 4 tablespoons of icing sugar to add sweetness.
- Use vanilla paste or seeds from a vanilla pod for the best flavor, but vanilla extract or essence can also be used.
- Line the pan carefully with baking paper to make removing the semifreddo easier after freezing.
- Allow the semifreddo to freeze fully for at least 8 hours for best texture.
- For easier slicing, let the semifreddo sit at room temperature for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (about 100 g)
- Calories: 280 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 20 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 150 mg
