This dessert has a rich, creamy flavor similar to the gelato and the praline gives a caramel flavor to it. It is served with a delicious strawberry homemade jam. Makes the perfect dessert for after-dinner or as an afternoon snack. Is safe for young kids and pregnant women because the eggs have been pasteurized.
Prep Time1 hourhr
Cook Time45 minutesmins
Resting Time8 hourshrs
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: French, Italian
Servings: 8people
Calories: 509kcal
Equipment
Spatula
Medium oven tray
Medium oven tray
Hand Electric Mixer or Stand Mixer
Knife
Chopping board
Loaf tin (900gr)
Eletric blender
Baking paper
2 Medium saucepan
Ingredients
Strawberry jam
308grstrawberrieswashed
60grcaster sugar
2teaspoon lemon juice
Almond pralines
50grcaster sugar
50grblanched almond
Pâte a bombe
160grfresh egg yolks at room temperature
300grcaster sugar
90grwater
Whipped cream
540grwhipped cream fat 35% cold from the fridge
To decorate
Few almond flakes
Fewmint leaves
A couplestrawberries
Instructions
Strawberries jam
We start making the jam, add the sugar, the strawberry halves in two, and the lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook on medium heat and stir occasionally. The jam will be ready when it will start to thicken up in about 35 minutes. Once ready, place the jam in a glass container and leave to cool it down at room temperature. Store in the fridge once has completely cooled off.
Almond pralines
Preheat the oven at 200°C /180°C fans. Roast the almond for 10 minutes on a tray with some baking paper. Put the sugar on medium heat in a saucepan, cook until it will become light brown, and you will have caramel.
Pour the caramel over the almond and leave it to cool at room temperature. Once the praline is cold, blend it on a food processor at high speed until you will reach a texture as the almond flour. Once ready set aside.
Pâte a bombe
Whip the yolks on medium speed in an electric beater or in a stand mixer, and in the meantime, we will start to make the syrup in a pot, pouring the water first and then the sugar.
Cook on high heat and cook until the syrup has reached 121°C, do not stir the liquid otherwise, you will have a crystallized sugar stick on the side of the saucepan. Check the egg yolks as they need to have a foamy texture and should not be completely whipped.
When the syrup has reached 121°C starts turning the electric beater or stand mixer to high speed, pour straight away the syrup gently near the bowl mixer, making sure to not pour the syrup on the whisk (this will cause the sugar to crystallize and that will ruin the pâte a bombe). Whip the cream until the mixer bowl has completely cooled down.
Pour the pâte a bombe on a bowl and cover with a cling film touching the cream, store in the fridge.
Whipped cream
Whip the whipping cream with an electric beater or stand mixer on high speed until you will have a soft creamy beak, making sure to do not overwhip the cream. (The trick is to stop every now and then to see the texture of the cream)
Once the whipping cream is ready, we will start to add little by little the praline, folding it with a spatula from the bottom to the top carefully.
Once the praline has been completely combine with the whipping cream, take the pâte a bombe from the fridge and again add it little by little to the whipping cream, folding carefully from the bottom to the top with a spatula.
Once is all incorporated, pour the mixture on a loaf tin, previously covered with baking paper. Cover the top with some more baking paper and place it immediately in the freezer for at least 8 hours.
To decorate
Before serving the semifreddo, take it out from the freezer, remove all the baking paper, and spread the strawberry jam to the top, some almond flakes, some strawberries, and some mint leaves to garnish. Serve immediately, store the leftover in the freezer.
Notes
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend using digital scales for a more accurate result.
How to store the semifreddo?
It will store in the freezer for up to 1 month, close in an airtight container. When you wish to get some, take it out from the freezer and cut it into slices.
I don’t own a cooking thermometer, how I can prepare the pâte a bombe?
I suggest you buy one to be more accurate. But if you don’t possess one, the syrup will be ready approximately after 5 minutes on high heat when it will start to have bigger bubbles with the color turning into a pale yellow.
I don’t like/I am allergic to almonds; can I remove them from the recipe?
Yes, of course. It will taste amazing even without them.