A featured recipe by Ricky Webster.
Inspired by the good humor bar of childhood, this twist on a classic Italian semifreddo is sure to appeal to all. It’s an easy recipe and is easy to unmold on the busy line and plate during or right before service.
Semifreddo
- Ingredients:
- 500 grams of fresh, ripe strawberries, cleaned and halved
- 200 grams of fine granulated sugar
- ½ tsp citric acid
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 3 egg yolks
- 35 grams of honey
- 500 grams/milliliters of heavy cream (preferably 40% butterfat 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or ½ scraped vanilla bean)
Directions:
Place strawberries in a medium saucepan, over medium heat, with 180g of the sugar, citric acid, and the salt.
Cover and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half and the strawberries break down.
Remove pan from heat and cool.
Make the sabayon by whisking the egg yolks with honey, vanilla and remaining 20g of sugar in a heatproof bowl over hot water.
Whisk until air is incorporated and the mixture is lighter in color and creamy in texture. Add in cooked and cooled strawberry mixture and whisk until fully incorporated.
Whip the cold heavy cream until soft peaks form and fold in the room temperature strawberry sabayon mixture.
Divide the incorporated semifreddo mixture evenly between lightly oiled Fat Daddio’s Pastry Rings placed on a sheet pan lined with a silicone mat (the mat helps the ring molds stay in place).
I divided the mixture with an 18” pastry bag and used 3”x3” rings for the recipe. I was able to get 6 completed pieces, filled ¾ of the way up.
Place the rings in the freezer for at least 6 hours, or up to overnight.
Shortbread
- Ingredients:
- ½ pound unsalted butter, softened
- 135 grams cup sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 240 grams of all-purpose flour
- Freeze dried strawberries, ground (optional)
Directions:
Combine butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment.
Mix on medium speed, until the mixture is creamed and slightly lightened.
Add in your flour slowly wile mixing on low.
Combine until flour is fully incorporated.
Cut dough into half and roll each half into a log.
Place longs in the refrigerator and chill for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350° (180° C) (25 degrees less for convection)
Cut ½” slices from chilled logs and place onto a silicone mat lined baking sheet.
Bake shortbread for about 12-15 minutes until hardened but not really browned.
Cool completely, and crush cookies to desired sized pieces.
If using freeze dried strawberries, add to crumbs, until desired color and flavor is achieved. I feel that using the ground strawberry powder helps to add a bit more tartness to the sweet and salty shortbread.
To Assemble:
Spread crushed shortbread out on a tray.
Remove the semifreddo’s from the freezer.
Using a torch, heat the sides of the rings just until the frozen custard comes free of the mold.
Roll sides of semifreddo in shortbread pieces and place on your serving plate or back on a sheet tray and into the freezer until needed for plating.
To plate, place on your serving plate and garnish with diced berries, mint, additional shortbread rounds and whole or sliced berries. Further garnishes could be: strawberry coulis, whipped cream, and/ or crème anglaise.
Ricky Webster is the owner and pastry genius behind Rind & Wheat Bakery and Morsel in Spokane, WA.
