Cold Case
Can a creamy Italian confection really be better than ice cream?
Some people like ice cream when it isn't a solid mass. They prefer it when it has warmed slightly, turned quite creamy, and is on the verge of dripping. That's why cones are so much fun - you just keep pushing the ice cream down into the cone until the frozen goodness softens, so you get enough when you lick. This is also the appeal of semifreddo, a "half-cold" Italian classic that is usually frozen and has the best characteristics of ice cream. You can make it at home without the bother of hauling out the churn, and the results are spectacular.
Semifreddo, called semifrio in Spanish and parfait in the English kitchen, comes in any flavor you can imagine. Add nuts, fruit puree, cookie crumbs, or chunks of soft cake. The finished texture is a cross between a custard and soft ice cream. Like home-made ice cream, the dessert begins with a base. The easiest are made from egg whites beaten until glossy, or a creamy custard, or something tangy such as lemon curd. Then whipped cream is folded into the mixture. Semifreddo never freezes solid the way ice cream does, but it turns firm enough to slice after several hours. You can make it a couple of days in advance and pull it out just before serving. Later, in the kitchen, when everyone else has gone to bed, take another helping and pack it into a crisp sugar cone. You'll never stand in line for ice cream again.
CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO
SERVES 4
Top-quality chocolate makes the flavor of this semifreddo -- and all confections, in fact -- more intense. If you like, add 3 ounces of chopped semisweet chocolate to the mixture when you fold in the melted chocolate. You can also fold in cookie crumbs (see the recipe on facing page).
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 pint fresh raspberries (for serving)
Line a 1-quart heatproof bowl or loaf pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it.
In a small heatproof bowl, combine the unsweetened and bittersweet chocolates. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and set the bowl of chocolate on top. Let the chocolate sit, stirring it occasionally, until it melts. Remove the bowl from the hot water, wipe the bottom, and set it aside to allow the chocolate to cool to lukewarm.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and vanilla at medium speed until the mixture forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. With a hand-held electric mixer or a wire whisk, beat the egg-white mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until it doubles in volume. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the mixture to the bowl of the electric mixer.
Continue to beat the egg-white mixture for 10 minutes or until it becomes thick and glossy. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand.
Use the rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream and the melted chocolate into the egg-white mixture until no chocolate streaks show.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared bowl or pan, smoothing it thoroughly so it fills the bottom and leaves no voids. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, then cover again with foil. Freeze for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days.
Take the semifreddo from the freezer and remove the foil and plastic wrap covering the container. Turn the semifreddo upside down onto a serving plate. Lift off the remaining plastic wrap. Use a long knife dipped often into hot water to cut it into slices or wedges. Garnish with fresh raspberries and serve at once.
CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI SEMIFREDDO
SERVES 4
There are many good biscotti on the market; grind them in a food processor to make crumbs. This semifreddo has a creamy vanilla base flecked with chocolate and crunchy cookie crumbs.
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 egg whites
3/4 cups sugar
Pinch of salt
8 small biscotti (enough to make 3/4 cup coarse crumbs)
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
Line a 1 1/2-quart heatproof bowl or loaf pan with plastic wrap. Refrigerate it.
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream and vanilla at medium speed until the mixture forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to another bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.
In a medium saucepan over low heat, combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt. With a hand-held electric mixer or a wire whisk, beat the egg-white mixture for 2 to 3 minutes or until it doubles in volume. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the mixture to the bowl of the electric mixer.
Continue to beat the egg-white mixture for 10 minutes or until it becomes thick and glossy. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. With the rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream, biscotti crumbs, and chocolate into the egg-white mixture until thoroughly mixed.
Transfer the mixture to the prepared bowl or pan, smoothing it thoroughly so it fills the bottom and leaves no voids. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, then cover again with foil. Freeze for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days.
Take the semifreddo from the freezer and remove the foil and plastic wrap. Turn upside down onto a serving plate. Lift off the remaining plastic wrap. Use a long knife dipped often into hot water to cut it into slices or wedges.
LEMON SEMIFREDDO
SERVES 8
This citrusy confection is made with an eggy lemon curd layered with cake. Use the best-quality commercial cake you can find. Make the dessert in a nice-looking baking dish.
CURD
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut up
2 cups sugar
Grated rind of 2 lemons
Juice of 6 lemons
2 eggs plus 4 yolks
11/2 cups heavy cream
Have on hand a 2-quart shallow square or rectangular heatproof baking dish; refrigerate it. You will also need a pastry brush.
Set a strainer over a bowl. Fill the bottom of a double boiler with hot but not boiling water. Add the butter to the top of the double boiler and set over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts.
Add the sugar, lemon rind, and lemon juice. Stir well with a wooden spoon just until the sugar dissolves.
In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs and yolks.
Stir a spoonful of the warm lemon mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly. Then pour the egg mixture into the lemon mixture. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the lemon curd thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove the top of the double boiler from the hot water. Pour the curd through the strainer into the bowl.
Remove the strainer and press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the curd. Set it aside to cool.
Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. Refrigerate the cream until ready to use.
When the curd cools to room temperature, use a rubber spatula to fold the whipped cream into the lemon curd. Refrigerate the bowl.
SYRUP AND CAKE
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 commercial spongecake, poundcake, or angel food cake (10 ounces), cut into 2-inch pieces
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the water and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until the sugar dissolves. Set this syrup aside to cool.
Spread a third of the lemon curd mixture over the bottom of the pan. Add half of the cake pieces, spacing them evenly. Use the brush to coat the top of the cake with half of the syrup. Layer another third of the curd on top, then add the remaining cake, and brush the cake with the remaining syrup. Cover with the remaining lemon curd, smoothing it thoroughly.
Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, then cover again with foil. Freeze for at least 4 hours or for up to 2 days.
Take the semifreddo from the freezer and remove the foil and plastic wrap. Use a long knife dipped often into hot water to cut it into squares.
Ask the Cooks: Taking Your Lumps
"How are you supposed to care for a flour sifter? Should it simply be shaken out after each use? I put my sifter (which has two screens) into the dishwasher, and now I have a number of lumps of hardened flour between the screens.
KATHLEEN FLEMING /// Londonderry, New Hampshire
As with electronics and pasta machines, it is best to keep your sifter dry. After every use, gently tap the sifter on a hard surface and then pat it with an open hand to remove leftover ingredients. As you have learned the hard way, the stubborn combination of flour and liquid, so desirable in bread and pasta, is nearly impossible to remove from the space between sifter screens.
If you are determined to keep the sifter (perhaps it is a family heirloom), you'll need to give it a good soak. Submerge it in hot water until the flour begins to soften and some lumps dissolve enough to pass through the mesh (a squirt from a sink sprayer will help). Repeat the process until all of the lumps are gone. If the sifter is all metal, here's a drying trick: Heat your oven to 200 degrees, then turn off the heat and set the sifter inside. Be sure the sifter is completely dry before attempting to use it again.
If you aren't that committed to this piece of equipment, toss it out. Try a stainless-steel cone-shaped strainer, with a single wire mesh. It's what I've used for years.
This week's answer is by Peter J. Kelly, chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University. 