Did you think that we were going to stick with “light” summer fare all season? You were nervous, weren’t you? Well, this week, the time has come for a little old-fashioned indulgence, with a twist of course. After the resounding success we had with the Tahini Shortbread Cookies, we began to wonder what other sweet dishes could benefit from the addition of that lovely tahini. Turning again to one of our gurus, Michael Solomonov, we unearthed yet another fabulous, intriguing recipe from his Zahav cookbook. This semifreddo turned out better than we had a right to hope for. Kyle is quite the whizkid when it comes to homemade ice cream, and while ’tis the season, there hasn’t been much time to break out the ice cream machine and put it to work. This recipe not only gave us the chance to use up more of the tahini, but being semifreddo, it gave us the rich, sweet treat we were looking for without all the fuss.
Semifreddo (Italian for “half frozen”) is essentially a frozen mousse, with the consistency of a soft-serve ice cream. The basic process of making it involves folding fresh whipped cream into a mixture of gently cooked egg yolks and sugar. For this recipe, we substituted brown sugar for the regular sugar, heightening the caramel flavors in the finished semifreddo. The tahini gets folded in before it goes into the freezer. There is some effort involved, but it is infinitely less labor-intensive than making ice cream. Once it “sets,” you can dig in without bending the spoon.
One unexpected advantage of adding the tahini is that the high oil content of the sesame paste gives the dessert more stability and durability in the freezer. It holds longer without forming ice crystals, or getting freezer burn, so if you have the necessary willpower not to devour it straight away, you won’t be punished for your patience with a less than perfect treat. That also means that you can make it a few days in advance for entertaining or special occasions.
Looking for fun serving suggestions for this bounty of sweet, somewhat smoky and nutty heaven, we visited the prospect of topping it with seasonal berries, or even crumbling some of the shortbread cookies into it for additional flavor and texture. The suggestion that won out was inspired by Chef Solomonov, once again. He suggested smothering the scoops with chocolate sauce, sliced bananas and whipped cream. Yes, please! Of course, not being one to bow to convention, Kyle set his mind on a slightly more sophisticated, grownup version of the banana split with a Middle Eastern flair.
Breaking out the fancy fountain glasses, he started building. First, a scoop of the semifreddo, then some slices of banana, chopped nuts (roasted peanuts in this case, but any will do), and a thick, über-decadent homemade hot fudge sauce courtesy of David Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop” (his ice cream Bible), another scoop and more of the toppings, then he crowned the whole thing off with a gorgeous Morello cherry. Have. Mercy. The end result is so dangerously delicious that it should have police tape around it. That would at least explain the chalk outline of my diet drawn on the kitchen floor. Dead. But what a way to go…
The rich chocolate pairs with the nuttiness of the tahini so beautifully, giving an upgraded peanut butter cup vibe that is further enhanced by the toasted peanuts, which also add a wonderful textural component. The bananas lend a natural sweetness that acts as the perfect counterpoint to the spicier, more savory notes of the sesame for a balanced, unbelievably satisfying dessert. We have some pretty spectacular ice cream parlors in our area (We’re lookin’ at you, O Wow Cow), but even they can’t beat this homemade concoction. Brace yourselves, and enjoy.
Tahini Semifreddo adapted from Zahav.
Hot Fudge and Whipped Cream adapted from The Perfect Scoop.
- For the Tahini Semifreddo:
- 2 cups heavy cream, chilled
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup tahini
- For the Hot Fudge:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60 g) packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup (25 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup light corn syrup
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- To serve:
- 2 medium bananas, peeled and sliced
- Cherries (we used Morello)
- Toasted peanuts (if desired)
- To make the Semifreddo:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer and a large bowl) whip the cream to medium peaks. Refrigerate.
- Combine the yolks and sugar in a small metal bowl set over a saucepan with ½ inch of gently simmering water on the bottom. Whisk constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the yolks have lightened in color, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Transfer about ⅓ of the whipped cream to a large bowl and pour in the yolk mixture. Stir together until well combined. Add half the remaining cream and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just incorporated. Repeat with remaining whipped cream.
- In the mixing bowl that originally just contained the whipped cream (no need to clean it), combine about ½ cup of the whipped cream- yolk mixture and tahini until well combined. Carefully fold in the rest of the whipped cream-yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Pour into a metal pan, cover with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 4 hours and up to 3 days.
- To make the Hot Fudge:
- Mix the cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.
- Remove from the heat and add the chocolate and butter, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Serve warm.
- To make the Whipped Cream:
- With an electric mixer, whip the cream until it begins to mound and hold its shape. Whisk in the sugar and vanilla, then whip until the cream forms soft peaks.
- To assemble the Sundaes:
- Place one scoop of the Semifreddo each in four sundae glasses. Top with 1 or 2 tablespoons Hot Fudge, a few banana slices and a few peanuts (if using). Top each with another scoop of Semifreddo, more hot fudge, banana slices and peanuts (if using), a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry. Enjoy immediately.
Leave a Reply