Do you know the Genoese semifreddo or pànera? I didn’t, and when I saw the recipe in the July 2023 issue of Sale & Pepe, I decided to make it and taste the Genoese Pànera.
The recipe for this semifreddo with cream and coffee dates back to the 19th century, specifically in the cookbook Vera Cuciniera Genovese by Emanuele Rossi and in Cuciniera Genovese by Giovanni Battista Ratto.
Today, the Pànera is defined as a P.A.T. meaning traditional agri-food product typical of Liguria, although the Genoese semifreddo is only produced in Genoa.
Since then, it was said to consist of coarsely ground coffee and hot cream, sweetened with fine sugar, then filtered through a cloth, a thin and tightly woven fabric.
Simply let the mixture cool completely and whip it with an electric mixer!
Furthermore, it must be noted, and it is the main point, that the recipe for the Genoese semifreddo or Ligurian pànera is secretly guarded by every artisan workshop in Genoa, as there is no officially registered recipe or method.
You will thus find a Genoese semifreddo that is sweeter than another or with a very intense coffee aroma, or with the addition of small meringues and/or crumbled lagaccio biscuits added to the soft mass.
The recipe for the Genoese semifreddo I made today, as suggested by Sale & Pepe, is the homemade version of the Ligurian pànera and it’s a very creamy dessert that we can enrich with ground coffee as I did, or small dark chocolate flakes randomly placed on the dessert.
If you like the taste of coffee, here are some other recipes that might interest you…
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Liguria
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 espresso cups espresso coffee (strong)
- 4 egg whites
- 4 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup whipped cream (the recipe says 1 and 1/4 cups but I disobeyed 😉)
- to taste ground coffee (optional)
- to taste dark chocolate (in flakes and always optional)
Tools
#adv
- Loaf Pans
- Plastic Wrap
- Mixers
- Spatulas
Steps
1) First, I separate the yolks from the whites in two different bowls.
2) In the bowl with the yolks, I add the cold strong espresso.
3) I whip the egg whites with the electric mixer, gradually adding the granulated sugar to achieve a glossy and soft meringue.
4) In another bowl, I whip the liquid cream, either with electric beaters or with a stand mixer whisk, as preferred.
5) Now, to the coffee and yolk mixture, I add the whipped cream, mixing from top to bottom to retain the incorporated air.
6) I also add the meringue, always in several additions, and mix everything well.
7) To finish the Genoese semifreddo or pànera recipe, I line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, letting it overhang the edges of the mold, and then pour in the mixture, leveling it well.
8) The Genoese semifreddo now goes into the freezer to set for at least 6 hours.
9) When ready to enjoy, I personally moisten the bottom with hot water to allow the cold dessert to come out quickly without any particular problems and place it on the serving tray.
10) I added pinches of ground coffee and off you go…
11) Delicious Genoese semifreddo!
Bon appétit!
Annalisa
RETURN TO THE HOME FOR NEW AND TASTY RECIPES FROM THE BLOG The kitchen of ASI
Do you like my recipes? Then follow me on your favorite social network! You can find me on INSTAGRAM and on the blog’s fan page on Facebook to not miss any recipe or special and comment with me on the various preparations!!!
Copyright 2023© Annalisa Altini, All rights reserved
Annalisa says…
I want to clarify that I used 50 grams less cream because… I didn’t want unused cream in the fridge, a not quite correct reason for someone who wants to present and tell about cuisines from around the world and thus wants to be precise but… perhaps understood by those who then find a mix of strange little things in the fridge, which risks being thrown away! I hope home cooks like me can understand… bye!
P.S. If you prefer, you can put the semifreddo in individual crème caramel molds!
