TABELIAAUTHENTIC RECIPE
Semifreddo al TorroncinoTorrone Semifreddo
An Italian partly frozen dessert made with torrone nougat. Its texture lies between ice cream and mousse, creating an authentic dolce simply by setting it in the freezer.
AUTHENTICITY SCORE
Authenticity Score
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Ingredients (8 servings)
- Whipping cream (at least 35% fat)500 ml
- Egg yolksUse fresh yolks.5 pieces
- Granulated sugar120 g
- Hard nougat (torrone)Crush beforehand. Almond or hazelnut torrone is recommended.200 g
- Toasted almonds (to garnish)30 g
Method
Crush the torrone
- 1 Put 200 g torrone in a plastic bag and crush coarsely with a rolling pin into pieces no larger than 1 cm.
Ready when
Continue when it forms irregular pieces of 1 cm or less.
Make the yolk cream
- 1 Put 5 egg yolks and 120 g sugar in a heatproof bowl and beat with an electric mixer.
Ready when
After 5–7 minutes, continue when pale, foamy and thick.
Whip the cream
- 1 Whip 500 ml cream in a separate chilled bowl to soft-to-medium peaks.
Ready when
Continue when gentle peaks form.
Caution
Overwhipping makes the cream fragile.
Combine the creams
- 1 Mix crushed torrone into the yolk cream.
- 2 Add 1/3 of the whipped cream and mix thoroughly.
- 3 Gently fold the remaining cream in 2 additions with a rubber spatula.
Ready when
Continue when evenly mixed with no white streaks.
Caution
Fold with cutting movements to preserve as much air as possible.
Freeze until set
- 1 Line a loaf tin thoroughly with plastic wrap.
- 2 Pour in the mixture, level and cover with plastic wrap.
- 3 Freeze for at least 6 hours.
Ready when
After at least 6 hours, continue when completely set.
Slice and garnish
- 1 Remove from the freezer 15–20 minutes before serving.
- 2 Unmold and cut into slices 1.5–2 cm thick.
- 3 Garnish with toasted almonds and crushed torrone and serve.
Caution
Without 15–20 minutes of thawing before slicing, it is difficult to cut.
About this dish
Semifreddo means half-frozen, a dessert between ice cream and mousse. It needs no special machine; the combination of eggs and cream keeps it from freezing too hard, so it has long been widely made in Italian homes. Its origins are attributed to Piedmontese pastry chefs serving noble banquets in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Torrone is a traditional honey-and-nut nougat over which Piedmont and Campania compete, known as a Christmas sweet. Crushed into semifreddo, freezing changes its texture and aroma, showing a character different from the original nougat.
The instant it is sliced and served, coldness, toasted nuts and soft cream unfold together. The short interval between freezer and eating defines this dessert.
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