Vanilla Semifreddo with Raspberry and/or Chocolate Sauce

Over the holidays, I prepared this tasty dessert four times. Very similar to ice cream and just as delicious, semifreddo, which means ‘partially frozen’ in Italian, is a bit softer than ice cream, easy to make and ready to eat within hours. All without using an ice cream maker. This dessert is based on a recipe my sister found on the Aloi Means Yummy blogsite (which came from Jaime Oliver’s, The Naked Chef, pp. 202-203). The sky is the limit, so add whatever you like e.g. nuts, chocolate, fruit. I really like the plain vanilla semifreddo with raspberry and/or chocolate sauce (recipe below). Thanks to a dear friend, included below is the semifreddo recipe translated in Italian (for my Bregaglia neighbors).

Vanilla Semifreddo

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Freezing time: 1 hour +

Utensils:

• 3 large mixing bowls
• electric beater
• wooden spoon
• rubber spatula
• a container suitable for freezing (I find a glass or ceramic 12″ x 8.5″ lasagna dish works best)
• plastic wrap

Ingredients:

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or, better yet, cut in half 1 vanilla bean and scrape the insides into the egg yolk and sugar mix)
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 fresh, free-range eggs (whites and yolks separated)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• pinch of salt

In first bowl, beat sugar and egg yolks until mixture is a light creamy yellow, then add vanilla and beat more.

In second bowl, whip heavy cream until soft peaks form (be careful not to beat too long, otherwise you’ll end up with butter).

In third bowl, beat egg whites, add a pinch of salt, and then keep beating until firm, fluffy peaks form.

If you are adding any extras, be sure to mix them into the egg yolk/sugar/vanilla mixture now. Add two wooden spoonfuls of the whipped heavy cream into the egg yolk/sugar/vanilla mixture and stir well. Then, gently fold in the rest of the whipped heavy cream and the whipped egg white. Be careful not to overmix, since it should be as light and airy as possible, yet evenly folded together.

Pour mixture into the glass or ceramic dish and use a rubber spatula to get every last bit. Cover completely with plastic wrap and place in freezer for at least 1 hour (I usually put it in for 3 hours).

Raspberry Sauce

Utensils:

• saucepan
• wooden or metal spoon
• large metal sieve

Ingredients:

• 12 oz. bag of whole frozen raspberries
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon sugar or to taste

Bring raspberries, water and sugar to a simmer and stir for 10 minutes. Pass mixture through metal sieve into a large glass or ceramic bowl. Be sure to push the raspberries through the sieve as much as possible, so only the seeds remain. Pour sauce into small cream pitcher and serve on semifreddo.

Chocolate Sauce

Utensils:

• saucepan
• wooden or metal spoon

Ingredients:

• 1 bar (100.1g) dark chocolate (in the States, I use Dove Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate and in Switzerland, Swiss chocolate, of course)
• approximately 1/4 cup milk, depending on desired sauce thickness

On medium-low heat, melt chocolate and slowly add milk, stirring constantly until desired thickness is reached. Once completely melted, pour into small cream pitcher and serve over semifreddo.

Semifreddo

Tempo di preparazione: 10 minuti

Tempo di congelamento: un’ora +

Utensili:
•    3 scodelle per mescolare
•    mixer elettrico
•    contenitore adatto per congelare
•    folia trasparente

Ingredienti:
•    1 pacchetto di zucchero vanillinato
•    200 grammi zucchero
•     4 uova fresche (albumi in una scodella, tuorli in altra scodella)
•    250 ml panna intera
•    un pizzico sale

Altre possibilitá di aggiunta:
•    cioccolato
•    nocciole, noci, mandorle macinate
•    bacche

Frullare lo zucchero con zucchero vanillinato con i tuorli in una scodella grande fino ad ottenere una crema chiara.

Nella seconda scodella sbattere la panna.

Nella terza scodella sbattere gli albumi a neve con un pizzico di sale.

Incorporare nella scodella con lo zucchero e i tuorli eventuali aggiunte e poi aggiungere delicatamente e alternativamente gli albumi a neve e la panna montata.

Mettere il tutto in una vaschetta, coprire con una folia trasparente e mettere subito nel congelatore per almeno un’ora.

(ricetta di Jamie Oliver dal libro, The Naked Chef, pagine 202-203.)

Delicious Chestnut Stuffing

The other day a friend asked if I truly realized how healthy chestnuts are and that they are extremely low in fat. Chestnuts are nutritious and one of the healthiest nuts around. She asked me to send her a few recipes, so I will share them with everyone and post new ones as I try them. The chestnut stuffing, based on a November 1993 Gourmet Magazine recipe, is one of my all-time favorites.

If you like chestnuts, it is handy to have them available in the dried form. Dried chestnuts last longer and are the next best thing to freshly roasted chestnuts. Sometimes it is a challenge to find good quality fresh chestnuts, so it can be disappointing going to the trouble of roasting and peeling a large quantity only to find that many are rotten inside. I have not seen dried chestnuts available in stores in the States, but they can be ordered from Allen Creek Farms in Ridgefield, WA. I have never ordered chestnuts from there myself, but they appear to be a  reputable chestnut supplier. As I mentioned in my last blog entry, Chestnut Season, my grandmother used to send us dried Bregaglia chestnuts and, now, living in Bregaglia, I buy them locally.

My Favorite Chestnut Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 cups day old homemade-style crusty bread (I use homemade-style wheat)
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 1 tablespoon dried
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves or 2 teaspoons dried
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• ~3 cups whole chestnuts (2 jars from Whole Foods/Williams-Sonoma or 2 cups dried chestnuts, cooked in water for 1 hour, then drained), chopped
• 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
• 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚F. Place bread pieces in one layer in a shallow baking or broiling pan. Bake them in oven for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Once they are a golden color, remove from oven and transfer to bowl. In large pan cook onions, celery, sage, thyme and rosemary in butter over moderate heat until vegetables are softened, then add chopped chestnuts and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add bread pieces to pan and mix with chestnut and vegetables. Add 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth (generally, 1 cube for 2 cups) and continue stirring. Add chopped parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Stuffing may be prepared a day ahead of time and kept covered and refrigerated. I always serve the stuffing separately, as opposed to stuffing the turkey with it.

Makes approximately 10 cups. Once I have set aside what I need for the next day or two, I freeze the rest in small containers to serve as accompaniments later. I enjoy eating stuffing throughout the winter.