LIME AND BLACKBERRY
SEMIFREDDO
MAKES 8 to 10 SERVINGS
For a refreshing summer dessert, try this cool semifreddo, a “half-frozen” dessert that does not require an ice cream maker. Similar to gelato, semifreddo has a creamy texture and a tangy flavor with purple layers of blackberries running through it. It is best made a day before serving so it has ample time to achieve the ideal firmness. It takes a few bowls to make, but you won’t mind when you taste the end result.
LIME CURD
4 to 5 limes
3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks (reserve the whites for the semifreddo)
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
BLACKBERRY PUREE
1 (6-ounce) container fresh blackberries, about 1⅓ cups
½ cup sugar
1 tablespoon water
SEMIFREDDO
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 lime, for serving
Additional blackberries, for serving
1. To make the curd: Finely grate the zest from 3 of the limes into a small bowl and set aside. Juice the limes to get ½ cup. Whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar together in a small nonreactive saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until warm, about 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the juice. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture is very thick, steaming, and reaches 185°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 3 minutes. Do not let the mixture boil, or it will curdle and you’ll have to start over. Strain through a wire sieve (to remove any cooked bits of egg white) into a medium bowl. Put the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and let the curd cool, whisking occasionally, until tepid, about 10 minutes.
2. Using an immersion blender, add the butter to the lime mixture, one tablespoon at a time, and beat until smooth. (Or whisk in the butter, a tablespoon at a time.) Stir in the reserved zest. Cover and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days.
3. Meanwhile, make the blackberry puree: Combine the blackberries with the sugar and water in a medium nonreactive saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, crushing the berries to release juices and stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer until the juices form a light syrup, about 5 minutes. Rub the mixture through a wire sieve into a small bowl to remove the seeds; discard the solids. Transfer the bowl to the larger bowl of ice water (use fresh ice) and let it cool until chilled, about 10 minutes.
4. To make the semifreddo: Whisk the sugar and egg whites together in the bowl of a standing heavy-duty mixer. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk, being sure to scrape down any splashes on the sides of the bowl, until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is very warm; do not overcook. Set the bowl in the mixer and whip with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until the meringue is cool (feel the bowl bottom), shiny, and forms stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold the cold curd into the meringue.
5. Whip the cream in a chilled medium bowl with an electric mixer set on high speed until it forms soft peaks. Fold the cream into the meringue mixture.
6. Line a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan with a large sheet of plastic wrap, letting the excess wrap hang over the sides. Fill the loaf with one-third of the lime mixture, and top with one half of the blackberry puree. Repeat, and finish with the remaining lime mixture. Smooth the top and cover with the wrap overhang. Freeze until frozen and set (it won’t be as hard as ice cream), at least 6 hours or overnight.
7. Fold back the plastic wrap and unmold the semifreddo onto a platter, discarding the wrap. Using a thin sharp knife dipped in warm water, slice the semifreddo. Transfer each slice to a dessert plate and top with a few berries and some lime zest grated with a Microplane.
Peanut Butter
ICE CREAM SUNDAES
with HOT FUDGE AND PEANUT BRITTLE
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
I am seriously in love with peanut butter… but I’m a two-timer because I also have a crush on ice cream. When I want to indulge in both my passions, this is the dessert that scratches the itch. I suppose you could make it with stuff off the supermarket shelf, but it is more satisfying and tasty to make all the components yourself.
FUDGE SAUCE
¾ cup sugar
⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup water
⅓ cup light corn syrup
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut up
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (about 70% cacao), finely chopped
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
PEANUT BRITTLE
1 cup sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
¼ cup water
⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely crushed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda, sifted to remove any lumps
PEANUT BUTTER CRUNCH
⅓ cup smooth peanut butter
1½ ounces white chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup crispy rice cereal, such as Rice Krispies or Cocoa Krispies
WHIPPED CREAM
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Peanut Butter Ice Cream (here)
Special Equipment: Silicone baking mat
1. To make the fudge sauce: Whisk the sugar, cocoa, and salt together in a medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in the water, followed by the corn syrup. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, whisking often to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat, add the butter and chocolate, and whisk until they are melted. Return to medium heat and return to a boil, whisking often. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Transfer the sauce to a heatproof bowl and let cool until tepid. You should have about 2¼ cups fudge sauce. (The sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day. Reheat by placing the bowl in a skillet of lightly simmering water, or in a microwave oven.)
2. To make the peanut brittle: Line a large rimmed baking sheet with a silicone baking mat. Bring the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved and the syrup is boiling. Cook without stirring, occasionally swirling the saucepan by the handle and washing down any sugar crystals on the sides of the saucepan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water, until the caramel has turned the color of an old penny, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add the peanuts, butter, cinnamon, and salt and stir to combine. Stir in the baking soda (the brittle will foam up) and immediately pour out onto the baking mat. Let cool completely. Coarsely break the brittle into pieces about 2 inches square. (The brittle can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.)
3. To make the crunch: Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. In the top part of a double boiler over barely simmering water, heat the peanut butter until it softens. Add the white chocolate and heat, stirring often, until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the cereal. Pour the crunch onto the baking sheet. Refrigerate until the crunch is set (it will not be hard), about 30 minutes. Coarsely chop the crunch.
4. To whip the cream: Whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla in chilled medium bowl with an electric hand mixer at high speed until stiff. (The whipped cream can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 hours.)
5. To serve, scoop equal amounts of the ice cream into 6 large ice cream dishes or bowls, preferably glass. Divide the hot fudge sauce, peanut brittle, and peanut butter crunch among the bowls, and top with the whipped cream. Serve immediately.