Semifreddo Profiteroles Recipes

SEMIFREDDO PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; stir in flour. Return to medium-high heat; stir with a wooden spoon until batter pulls away from sides of pan, about 4 minutes.
• Transfer batter to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 2 minutes. With mixer on medium speed, add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition. Test batter for doneness by dabbing it with your finger; as you pull away, a sticky thread should form. If not, add the egg white 1 teaspoon at a time.
• Fit a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch round tip, and fill with batter. Pipe 1 1/2-inch diameter rounds 2 inches apart on lined sheet. Gently smooth peaked tops with a moistened fingertip.
• Bake until golden brown, 28 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. If not using immediately, store at room temperature in an airtight container up to 3 days, or freeze up to 1 month.
• To assemble profiteroles, halve them horizontally, and fill with a 1 1/2-ounce scoop (3 tablespoons) of semifreddo. Top profiteroles with chocolate sauce.

SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• In a mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the cream into medium peaks. Add 1 cup of the sugar to the cream and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Turn the cream out into a large bowl. Clean the bowl and whisk attachment. Add the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup sugar. Whisk until the yolks are pale yellow and tripled in volume. Add the yolks to the whipped cream. Add the almond or vanilla extract and begin to fold the yolks into the cream. Add the pistachios and turn the mixture out into a glass serving dish. Freeze overnight. To serve: Cut the semifreddo into desired size pieces. Place individual pieces in a serving bowl and top with berries and chocolate sauce. Garnish with powdered sugar and a sprig of mint.

COFFEE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Oil and line a 1-litre loaf tin with cling film. Put the coffee, Tia Maria or brandy, egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and stir to dissolve the coffee. Put the egg whites in a large bowl and pour the cream in another.
• Beat the egg whites until stiff with an electric whisk, then quickly beat the egg yolk mixture until thick and leaving a trail. Now beat the cream until it holds its shape. If you beat everything in this order, you don't need to wash the whisks in between.
• Fold the cream into the coffee mixture, then carefully fold in the whites. Fold through the Toblerone and tip into the loaf tin. Lightly cover the surface with cling film. When frozen, overwrap in foil and freeze. Will keep for up to 6 weeks. You can make the chocolate curls (see video link, above, for instructions) and keep them in a airtight container or freeze.
• To serve, unwrap and turn onto a platter. Strip off the cling film and serve topped with the chocolate curls.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE FOR PROFITEROLES WITH CHOCOLATE-MACADAMIA SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Whisk chocolate, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water in a small bowl until smooth.

CHOCOLATE-MACADAMIA SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Toast nuts on a baking sheet until pale golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
• Pulse the nuts and chocolate in a food processor until coarsely ground. Add 1/3 cup sugar; pulse until combined, about 7 times (do not overprocess; mixture should not form a paste). Set aside.
• Beat cream in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a large bowl; cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate. Meanwhile, beat egg whites in the clean bowl of electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and remaining 1/3 cup sugar; beat until stiff peaks form.
• Fold egg whites into whipped cream; gently fold in nut mixture. Spoon into a glass baking dish; smooth with a rubber spatula. Press plastic wrap on surface; freeze at least 4 hours.

PROFITEROLES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. To make the profiteroles, put the butter and 2 tsp of the caster sugar in a saucepan with 150ml water. Place the pan over a low heat until the butter and sugar have melted, then bring to the boil. Take off the heat, add the flour all at once and beat energetically with a wooden spoon until the dough comes away from the sides of the pan.
• Leave to cool for 5 mins, then beat in the eggs bit by bit until you have a stiff, glossy mixture (this process is much easier in a food processor). Rinse two baking trays with cold water, shaking off any excess so they are slightly damp (this helps the pastry to rise). Using 2 teaspoons, spoon blobs of the mixture onto the baking trays. Then place in the oven and cook for about 18-20 mins until well risen and brown. Remove the profiteroles from the oven and cut a small slit in the base of each one so they don't collapse. Cool on a wire rack.
• When they're cold, whip the cream lightly until just holding its shape. Sweeten to taste with remaining sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract. Cut the profiteroles in half, fill them with the sweetened cream and pile them up on a plate. You can refrigerate them for 1-2 hrs at this point but not for any longer as the pastry will go soggy.
• To make the sauce, sift the cocoa powder into a bowl. Put the sugar in a pan with 100ml water and warm over a low heat until dissolved. Bring to the boil, cook for 1 min, then pour over the cocoa powder and stir well until smooth. Return the sauce to the pan, cook for 1 min then set aside for 15 mins before drizzling over the profiteroles.