Equipment
Ingredients
Peach Base
- 3 peaches, halved, pitted, and quartered
- 30 ml lemon juice
- 100 g granulated sugar
- 160 g part-skim ricotta cheese
- 350 ml heavy cream, chilled
Raspberry Sauce
- 475 g raspberries
- 60 g granulated sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 410 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbohydrates
- 47 g
- Fat
- 23 g
- Fiber
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 38 g
- Sodium
- 96 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 13 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 66 mg
- Potassium
- 356 mg
- Calcium
- 136 mg
- Iron
- 0.8 mg
- Magnesium
- 29 mg
- Phosphorus
- 121 mg
- Zinc
- 1.7 mg
- Vitamin A
- 339 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 28 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.9 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin K
- 10 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.05 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.17 mg
- Niacin
- 1.1 mg
- Folate
- 23 mcg
- Water
- 173 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Line a 4-cup loaf pan with waxed paper, ensuring the long sides have a 7-8cm (3-inch) overhang.
Combine the quartered peaches, lemon juice, 100g of sugar, and ricotta cheese in a food processor.
Puree the peach mixture until the texture is completely smooth.
Pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any remaining skin fragments.
Place the peach mixture in the refrigerator to chill.
Whisk the heavy cream in a chilled bowl until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the chilled peach mixture until no white streaks remain.
Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Fold the overhanging waxed paper over the surface and freeze for at least 8 hours at -18°C (0°F).
Puree the raspberries in a food processor, reserving 6 for garnish.
Sieve the raspberry puree to remove all seeds.
Stir the remaining 60g of sugar into the raspberry sauce and refrigerate until needed.
Two hours before serving, lift the semifreddo from the pan using the paper overhang.
Remove the waxed paper, wrap the semifreddo in foil, and place in the refrigerator at 4°C (40°F) to soften.
Slice the semifreddo thickly and serve with the raspberry sauce and reserved berries.
Chef's Notes
- For the smoothest peach puree, ensure your peaches are very ripe and use a high-powered food processor. Straining is crucial for a refined texture, especially if using canned or less-than-perfectly ripe peaches.
- When whipping the cream, make sure your bowl and whisk are chilled. This helps the cream whip faster and achieve stiffer peaks, which is essential for the semifreddo's structure.
- Folding the whipped cream into the peach mixture requires a gentle hand. Overmixing can deflate the cream, resulting in a denser semifreddo. Aim for just combined.
- The resting period in the refrigerator (step 14) is key. It allows the semifreddo to soften just enough to be sliced easily without melting completely, achieving that perfect 'half-cold' texture.
- For an extra touch of elegance, consider adding a splash of Grand Marnier or Amaretto to the peach mixture for a subtle flavor enhancement.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 hours — The dessert should be kept in the refrigerator for tempering shortly before serving.
Freezer: 1 week — Keep tightly wrapped in foil to prevent freezer burn.
Troubleshooting
Semifreddo is too hard to slice
Cause: The dessert was served directly from the freezer without sufficient tempering.
Fix: Let the sliced portions sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before eating.
Prevention: Ensure the dessert rests in the refrigerator for at least 90 minutes before slicing.
Cultural Context
Semifreddo, meaning 'half-cold' in Italian, is a classic Italian dessert that bridges the gap between ice cream and mousse. It originated in the early 20th century and is beloved for its light, airy texture and ability to be made ahead of time, making it a perfect dessert for entertaining.
