Passion Fruit White Chocolate Semifreddo Recipes

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND PASSION FRUIT SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Cook the pulp (with seeds and all) with the sugar over medium-high heat until you have half the original volume.
• Divide the result into two (I weigh it and divide it exactly): one part will be our sauce and the other one you will strain for the semifreddo.
• Let both cool down completely before using them.
• Melt the chocolate. I melted it in 30-second intervals in the microwave, mixing between intervals. You can also melt it in a bain-marie over low heat.
• Line a 22x11cm loaf pan with baking paper. Cut it to the size of the pan and stick it in place with a bit of vegetable oil, spread with kitchen paper.
• Place the egg yolks in a bowl to beat them and start beating on low speed just so that they don't form a dry skin on top.
• Boil the water and sugar over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely and then boil profusely. Once you reach that point (the syrup doesn't have to thicken), start beating the egg yolks on high speed and add the syrup down the side of the bowl.
• Keep beating the egg yolks on high speed until the mix increases in volume and cools down to room temperature. Mix in the melted chocolate and the seedless passion fruit sauce using a spatula and folding motions.
• In a clean bowl, whip up the cream until foamy and glossy, not totally firm. Mix it with the egg yolk mix using folding motions. Also, add in half the praline in the same manner.
• Pour the mix into the pan and freeze for at least 8 hours.
• Place the bar of chocolate in the microwave in 10-second intervals (in total it should be 20-30 seconds tops), until it makes curls when you grate it with a coarse grater.
• Place them in a bowl and freeze them until you have to use them.
• Flip the pan over and place the rest of the sauce on top along with the white chocolate curls. In the semifreddo is too solid, give it a few minutes before slicing.

WHITE CHOCOLATE PASSION FRUIT TRUFFLES

Steps:

• Place 1 pound of the chocolate in a 2-quart mixing bowl. In a 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the cream into the bowl with the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 1 minute, then stir together with a rubber spatula, whisk, or immersion blender until thoroughly blended. Add the passion fruit purée and stir to blend well. Cover the truffle cream, let cool to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator until thick but not stiff (3 to 4 hours). Or let the truffle cream sit at room temperature for several hours or overnight until completely set and thick.
• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Fit a 12-inch pastry bag with a large, plain round pastry tip with a 3/4-inch opening and fill partway with the truffle cream. Holding the pastry bag 1 inch above the paper, pipe out mounds 1 inch in diameter. Or use a small ice cream scoop to form the mounds. Cover the mounds with plastic wrap and chill in the freezer for 2 hours or in the refrigerator for 6 hours.
• Dust your hands with confectioners' sugar and roll the mounds into balls. These will be the truffle centers. Cover and chill the centers for another 2 hours in the freezer.
• Remove the truffle centers from the freezer and bring to cool-room temperature so the outer coating won't crack when they are dipped. Line 2 more baking sheets with parchment or waxed paper. Melt and temper the remaining 1 1/2 pounds chocolate (see pages 25-30). Place a truffle center into the tempered chocolate, coating it completely. With a dipper or fork, remove the center from the chocolate, carefully shake off the excess chocolate, and turn the truffle out onto the paper. After dipping the truffles, place 2 tablespoons of the tempered white chocolate in a paper pastry cone and snip off a tiny opening at the pointed end. Pipe the letter P on top of each truffle.
• Let the truffles set up at room temperature, or chill them in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes. When the truffles are set, place them in paper candy cups. In a tightly covered container wrapped in several layers of aluminum foil, the truffles will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer. The truffles are best served at room temperature.
• VARIATION
• Instead of dipping the truffle centers in chocolate, roll them in a small bowl of confectioners' sugars as soon as they are formed.

WHITE CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Place the egg yolks, sugar, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip attachment, and whip on high speed until very light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently fold in the melted white chocolate; set aside. Place the cream in a large bowl and whisk just until the cream starts to thicken, then gently fold in the egg yolk mixture and the candied ginger. Place the egg whites in the clean bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip attachment, and whip on high speed until they just hold soft peaks. Gently fold the whites into the egg yolk mixture. Transfer the mixture to a covered container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Scoop and serve with fresh berries and mint sprigs.