Raspberry Pistachio Semifreddo Recipes

RASPBERRY AND PISTACHIO SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Combine egg yolks with 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon honey in the large bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment; beat until volume doubles and mixture is pale and creamy, about 10 minutes.
• Beat heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until firm peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold cream into egg yolk mixture.
• Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides. Pour mixture into the pan, smoothing the top. Cover with plastic wrap.
• Freeze until semifreddo is chilled, about 1 1/2 hour. Remove from freezer and stir in raspberries and pistachio nuts. Freeze until firm, at least 4 hours.
• Let semifreddo soften in the refrigerator before serving, about 15 minutes. Turn out of the pan and cut into slices.

PISTACHIO SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Pulse 1 cup pistachios with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Add remaining 1/2 cup pistachios and pulse until just coarsely ground.
• Beat egg whites in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.
• Beat cream with almond extract in a wide bowl with mixer at high speed until it just holds soft peaks.
• Fold meringue into cream gently but thoroughly, then fold in nut mixture in same manner. Spoon into a 2-quart dish and freeze, covered, until firm enough to scoop, about 4 hours. Let soften slightly before serving.

RASPBERRY AND PISTACHIO SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on all four sides.
• Beat sour cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. Add sugar and beat to combine. Reduce mixer speed to low and gradually beat in heavy cream. Increase speed to medium and beat until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Fold in pistachios and 1 pint raspberries; transfer to prepared pan. Freeze until set, at least 4 hours or up to 1 week.
• Whisk together lemon juice and honey in a bowl until dissolved. Add remaining raspberries and toss to combine. Let sit, tossing occasionally, 18 to 20 minutes. Invert semifreddo onto a platter; discard plastic. Top with raspberries and mint leaves.

RASPBERRY, PISTACHIO AND ROSEWATER SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Whisk the egg yolks and honey together with an electric beater for 10 minutes or until the mixture is thick, pale yellow, creamy and doubled in volume, about 10 minutes. Fold in the whipped cream and rosewater until just combined. Line the base and 2 sides of the loaf pan with a sheet of plastic wrap, leaving the wrap hanging over the sides of the pan. Spoon in the raspberry mixture and fold the plastic over the top to cover the semifreddo. Freeze until the dessert is partially frozen, about 1 to 2 hours. Remove the pan from the freezer, and stir in the 1/2 pint raspberries and pistachios. Cover with plastic wrap and return the loaf pan to the freezer until it is completely frozen. Transfer the loaf pan to the refrigerator to soften, about 20 minutes before serving. Turn the dessert out of the tin, and slice it and garnish with extra raspberries. Serve cold.

RASPBERRY PISTACHIO SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• For the raspberry puree: Add the raspberries and sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth. (You can also do this using a stick blender.) Push the raspberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer and discard the seeds. If using, stir in the raspberry liqueur. Refrigerate until needed. (You can prepare the raspberry puree up to a day ahead of time.)
• Line a 9 x 5-in (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan with two strips of parchment paper, one coming up the short sides of the pan, the second one overlapping at the bottom, but coming up the long sides of the pan. (You can also line the pan with plastic wrap but the sides of the semifreddo once unmolded won't look as smooth.) Set aside.
• For the pistachio semifreddo: First, soak the pistachios. Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add the shelled pistachio nuts and simmer for two minutes. After two minutes, drain and rinse the nuts under cold water to cool them completely.
• Dry the nuts with paper towels. Peeling the pistachios is optional but using the nuts with the skin on will change both the color and texture of the pistachio semifreddo (it won't be as smooth). To peel a pistachio, simply pinch it between your fingers: the skin should come right off. This step takes a bit of work, but it's worth it. Alternatively, you can look for peeled pistachios, which are slightly more expensive than regular pistachios, but are going to save you some time. (It is still necessary to blanch peeled pistachios).
• Once the pistachios are blanched, peeled, and cooled, transfer them to the bowl of a food processor with ¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar. Pulse until the nuts are very finely ground, stopping from time to time to scrape down the bowl. Set aside.
• In a clean, stainless steel bowl, add the egg whites. Beat until foamy, then add in ½ cup of the remaining sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating about 30-45 seconds between each addition and repeating until you've incorporated all the sugar. Keep beating until the meringue is shiny and forms sift peaks that ever so lightly droop at the top.
• In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream with the remaining sugar (¼ cup) and the vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Using a spatula, fold the meringue into the whipped cream, then incorporate the ground pistachios.
• To assemble: In the prepared pan, spread 1/3 of the pistachio semifreddo over the bottom of the pan. Drizzle with 1/3 of the raspberry puree, then sprinkle 1/3 of the chopped pistachios and 1/3 of the raspberries.
• Repeat these steps once, then finish by spreading the remaining pistachio semifreddo mixture as the final layer. Level out the top and carefully fold the overlaying parchment paper over the semifreddo to protect it. (Save the remaining raspberry puree, chopped pistachios, and raspberries for serving.) Freeze for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight. Pistachiosemifreddo will keep fresh in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• SERVING: Take the semifreddo out of the freezer. Carefully peel the parchment paper covering the top of the semifreddo. Slide a thin knife between the parchment paper and a side of the pan and run the knife all around the semifreddo to loosen it. Invert the pan over a serving dish, then lift it to unmold the semifreddo. Carefully peel off the parchment paper and discard.
• Drizzle the semifreddo with the remaining raspberry puree, then garnish with pistachios and raspberries. Serve right away, using a serrated knife to slice thick pieces for each guest. Return any extra semifreddo to the freezer right away.
• ADDITIONAL SERVING IDEA: You can create scoops of this pistachio semifreddo, just as you would serve ice cream. It will look beautifully rippled and be just as amazingly delicious. Serve it in bowls with extra raspberry puree, pistachios, and fresh raspberries, or over an ice cream cone.
• STORAGE: Wrap leftover semifreddo with plastic wrap, or transfer to an airtight container. Enjoy within 2 weeks.
• NOTE: This recipe uses a French meringue, which means the egg whites are not cooked before they're added to the pistachio semifreddo mixture. If you're worried about using raw egg whites, you can use liquid egg whites(egg whites sold in cartons), which are pasteurized.