Serves:
About the Recipe
Semifreddo is Italian for “half-cold” or “half-frozen.” It’s a frozen Italian dessert with a mousse-like texture. It is made in a mold or loaf pan and does not require churning in a machine.
The word stracciatella means to shred or tear. In gelato or semifreddo, the chocolate instantly solidifies into fine shards when it comes into contact with cold custard or ice cream, creating crunchy bites and strips. It is one of the most classic flavors of gelato and my favorite semifreddo. In Sicily, it is garnished with roasted hazelnuts. The combination of dark chocolate, hazelnuts, and the frozen texture is an impressively luscious surprise. Be prepared for it to disappear quickly before your eyes!
Ingredients
5 egg yolks plus 2 whole eggs
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
½ cup sour cream or plain whole milk yogurt
4 oz. mixture of bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate pieces or chips, melted
Topping:
4 oz. mixture of bittersweet chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate pieces or chips
1/8-1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup roasted nuts or mini chocolate chips
Preparation
Line a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, including all sides and ensuring enough overhang for easy unmolding.
Custard
Prepare a double boiler by bringing water to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer and place a heat proof bowl over the sauce pan. Make sure that the water does not come in contact with the bowl.
Place whole eggs, yolks, sugar and salt in the bowl. With a whisk or hand held mixer beat mixture until pale and thick, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Set aside to cool.
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar until it begins to thicken. Add sour cream or yogurt and continue to beat until thick and fluffy.
With a whisk add 1/3 of the whipped cream mixture into the cooled egg custard to lighten it up. Using a spatula, gently fold in the remaining whipped cream mixture until well combined. There shouldn’t be any white streaks. If needed, whisk gently to a smooth it out, but try not to overwork the mixture so that it does not deflate. Pour half of the cream mixture into the pan.
Drizzle half of the melted chocolate over the cream using a snipped plastic bag.
Pour the remaining cream over the chocolate and swirl the remaining chocolate on top of the cream.
Create a deep swirl pattern by dragging a butter knife through the batter, ensuring it reaches the bottom of the pan to evenly distribute the chocolate. Lightly cover the loaf pan with the overhanging plastic wrap.
Place the loaf pan in the freezer and let set overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Topping
Combine chocolate with the cream and melt either on the top of a double boiler or in a microwave. Whisk until smooth and shiny. If chocolate is too thick add more hot cream a little at a time and whisk.
Remove the semifreddo from the freezer, unwrap the plastic, and let it sit for a couple of minutes to loosen from the loaf pan. Invert onto a platter. Remove the plastic wrap, immediately drizzle with melted chocolate, and garnish with nuts or chocolate chunks. Return to the freezer until ready to serve, at least 1 hour or overnight. For optimal texture, let soften at room temperature for about 5-8 minutes before serving.