A semifreddo (half frozen in Italian) is a great way to serve an ice cream style dessert without any special ice cream making equipment. In the summer you can use any fresh fruit you have available, but plums with the addition of warm spices is a real treat.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds red plums, cut into chunks
- 2 pieces star anise
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- Kosher salt
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, chilled
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Pinch of salt
Preparation
Oil a loaf pan and line with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on all sides.
Add the plums, star anise, five-spice powder, lemon zest, 1/3 cup sugar and a pinch of salt into a pot over medium heat. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes or until the plums have broken down and the juices start to thicken. Let the plums cool slightly and remove the star anise. Purée the plum mixture until smooth, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquids. Let the purée cool. Reserve one cup of the purée for serving.
Add the egg whites, 2/3 cup of sugar and a pinch of salt to a medium-sized bowl.
Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Using an electric mixer, whisk the mixture until it is glossy and tripled in volume, about 10 to 12 minutes.
Add the yogurt and vanilla into another mixing bowl, then slowly fold the egg white mixture into the yogurt. Add the one cup of plum purée and gently stir, keeping a large streak throughout.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Fold the plastic wrap over the top and freeze until firm.
Brown butter walnut praline
Place the butter and walnuts into a skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring periodically, until they become fragrant and the butter has started to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the nuts out of the pan and into a bowl. Reserve.
Place sugar and water into the pan and stir to combine. Place the pan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, brushing down sides of pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystals from forming. Once sugar is dissolved, cook without stirring until sugar is deep amber. Add lemon juice then immediately pour the nuts into the caramel and mix thoroughly. Pour the praline mixture onto a plate or lined baking sheet and cool completely. Gently twist pan to release praline. Crush into small pieces.
To serve, unwrap semifreddo and, using plastic overhang, gently lift from pan. Turn the semifreddo over onto a large plate, remove the plastic wrap and slice into one-inch-thick pieces. Pour some of the reserved plum purée onto each plate then place a slice of semifreddo onto the plate. Garnish with the brown butter walnut praline and more plum purée to serve.
