Creamy Lemon Brick, semifreddo without gelatin
A simple, fresh, and delicious summer semifreddo, prepared in advance and always ready in the freezer for the hottest days or for summer dinners, or unexpected guests. It’s an elegant dessert that is suitable for occasions and holidays.
This lemon brick is so creamy that there’s no need to defrost it before serving; it can be brought straight to the table from the freezer and sliced easily.
A fresh summer dessert gluten-free (gluten-free) and without gelatin.
If you’re looking for summer recipes (both sweet and savory), click on my: “Summer Special“.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 People
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons, Spring, Summer
Ingredients for the Creamy Lemon Brick
- 2 cups Fresh liquid cream
- 5 Egg yolks
- 3 Egg whites
- 10.5 oz Powdered sugar
- 2 Lemon juice (about 80 g)
- 2 tablespoons Lemon zest (grated)
- to taste Wild strawberries (for garnish, optional)
- to taste Mint leaves (for garnish, optional)
- to taste Chopped pistachios (for garnish, optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Mixer electric Bosch, 450 W power, 5 speeds + turbo
- Citrus Juicer electric Magimix
- Loaf Pan non-stick
Preparation of the Creamy Lemon Brick
Beat the yolks with the sugar (using an electric mixer or stand mixer) until you get a light and fluffy cream (no less than 15-20 minutes), then, while still mixing, slowly add the lemon juice* and grated zest.
(*) for coffee cups, it means the type used in bars, not larger; otherwise, if the same amount is measured in larger cups, the semifreddo would be too sour.
Whip the cream. Separately, also beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Using a flexible spatula (or a wooden spoon), gently fold the whipped cream into the egg and lemon mixture, followed by the beaten egg whites.
Pour the mixture into a loaf pan about 11.81 inches long lined with plastic wrap (or even better, acetate).
Once the pan is lined, pour in the mixture, level it by tapping it on the table, cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer, for a few hours.
NO need to defrost the lemon brick before serving: it will be sufficient, after inverting it onto a serving platter, to slice it with a large kitchen knife whose blade has been run under hot water.
Place the slice of semifreddo on the plate and garnish with a sliced lemon and mint leaves (optional), I used chopped pistachios (optional).
As an alternative to the brick shape, individual molds can be made, served garnished in the same way.
The lemon brick can be accompanied by a strawberry sauce, blending strawberries with sugar and a bit of lemon juice to maintain the fruit’s vibrant color, once prepared it can be stored in the fridge in a closed container.
Or it can also be accompanied by this “Orange and Rum Sauce”
Ingredients:
12.34 oz orange juice (better untreated ones as the peel is used for the zest)
12.34 oz sugar
3.52 oz rum
orange peel cut into thin and small slices (amount to taste)
Procedure for the “Orange and Rum Sauce“:
Put the juice with sugar on the fire, let it boil for 30/35 minutes, then add the rum and boil for another half hour, turn off.
Meanwhile, boil the zest in water, the time is to taste depending on whether you want them more or less soft, then drain well and pour into the syrup (the zests are optional)
When the sauce is cold, pour it into a jar and store in the fridge.
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Notes and Tips
The brick is always stored in the freezer and taken out 5-10 minutes before serving.
The recipe is by Babette, it was very successful online in various cooking forums of the time (Coquinaria, Gennarino, etc.) and is thoroughly tested.
Shopping Tips!!!
I quickly prepared this semifreddo with the powerful Bosch electric mixer with 5 speeds (+ turbo) and 450 W power, available at a great price on Amazon.
I quickly obtained the lemon juice with my Magimix Juice Expert 3, a multifunction food machine for enjoying fruit and vegetables at their best, it functions as both a juicer and an automatic citrus press and is useful for making tomato sauces, jams, or smoothies, even plant-based drinks like almond milk and coconut milk at home. With its various patented exclusive technologies, the juice expert allows cold extraction of all the benefits of fruit and vegetables (extracts up to 96% juice, up to 85% vitamins, and 95% antioxidants). Very easy to clean, both under running water and in the dishwasher. Available at a special price on Amazon with excellent value for money.
Discover my review of the Magimix Juice Expert 3 citrus juicer published on the Giallozafferano site.
To weigh the ingredients, I use this practical digital kitchen scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer, available at a great price on Amazon.
To prepare the semifreddo I used this useful springform and non-stick loaf pan with integrated tray.
