Are you coffee lovers? Then you absolutely must not miss this recipe to make a delicious and really simple dessert! It is a semifreddo that evokes very beautiful memories of when I was a teenager and always went to visit my dear and beloved maternal grandmother with my sisters! She called it moka slice, and she always had it ready for us in the freezer to be sliced and enjoyed! Here below, I leave you her recipe which was egg-free, but prepared with ladyfingers soaked in coffee at the base. Over the years, I thought that this dessert could be lightened or made more delicate with the addition of yogurt in the final mixture, also significantly reducing the amount of sugar! At the base instead, I prefer to use the clever trick of rusks, which are simpler and less sugary than biscuits, but if you want to make it the classic way, you can always opt for classic sponge cake! Of course, this will involve a few extra steps, but if you have time and patience, go for it! So, I also offer you my personal version, hoping that my grandmother will approve from above! Whichever of the two you decide to try, you will obtain in a few simple steps a semifreddo with an intense and super tasty aroma, which you can cut into slices and serve on any small or large occasion!
If you love semifreddos and wish to experiment with new versions, try these alternatives:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 8 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: pan 11.8×3.9 inches
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Spring, Summer and Fall
Ingredients
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- 1 3/4 cups whipping cream
- 1 cup Greek yogurt 2% fat
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 2 oz coffee (about 3 cups)
- 3 teaspoons instant coffee
- 2/3 oz coffee liqueur (optional)
- 4 rusks
- 1/2 oz coffee
- 1/2 oz coffee liqueur
- to taste milk
- 5 oz dark chocolate 85%
- 0.7 oz vegetable oil
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 3 coffee cups coffee (espresso)
- 10 ladyfingers
Tools
- 1 Coffee maker
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Teaspoon
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Spatula
- Electric whisks
- 1 Pan
- 1 Plastic wrap
- 1 Cooling rack
Steps
Start by making the espresso coffee without sweetening it. It must be very cold, so I recommend putting it in the fridge as soon as it reaches room temperature.
In a bowl, dissolve the instant coffee with the cold coffee and the coffee liqueur using a teaspoon.
Stir well until you obtain a well-blended mixture without lumps.
In the meantime, whip the cream to stiff peaks using electric whisks in a large bowl that has been well chilled in the fridge.
Then incorporate the Greek yogurt.
Add the powdered sugar and resume whipping for just a few seconds with the electric whisks, just enough to combine all the ingredients without deflating the mixture.
Finally, gradually pour in the cold coffee mix prepared earlier.
Gently fold with a spatula from bottom to top until you obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Transfer the mixture into a loaf pan suitable for refrigeration 11.8×3.9 inches, slightly moisten it with a little water just to better adhere a sheet of plastic wrap, without PVC, with which you will line it.
Level well and give 2-3 taps to allow the mixture to penetrate well into the corners and temporarily place in the freezer.
In a large bowl, mix coffee, liqueur, and milk enough to soak the rusks. Pass each rusk on both sides in the soak without softening them too much, they should be just moist enough.
Place them on top of the dessert covering all the empty spaces if necessary with some leftover cuttings.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours.
After the resting time in the freezer, remove the semifreddo from the mold by turning it gently onto a serving dish* and remove the plastic wrap it is covered with. Temporarily place back in the freezer.
Break the chocolate into small and regular pieces, fill a saucepan with hot water, and place a smaller bowl containing the chocolate over it.
Melt over medium-low heat (not more) and start stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until it is completely melted. Turn off and add the oil immediately***, stirring again.
Once lukewarm, carefully transfer the semifreddo onto a rack with a plate underneath and pour the melted chocolate over the entire surface. Immediately place in the freezer for at least 3 hours.
After the resting time, take the semifreddo out of the freezer at least half an hour before serving, or cover it with plastic wrap to avoid frost formation.
And voilà… the coffee moka slice is ready to be enjoyed!
Bon Appétit from La Cucina di FeFè!
Storage
👉 You can store the moka slice in the freezer, always covered with plastic wrap, for up to 3 months.
Tips
🟣* Unmolding the dessert: if you have difficulty unmolding the dessert, don’t worry! A tip that will always come in handy is to slightly wet the mold with warm water for a few seconds. You will see that once turned over, it will come off in a flash!
🟣** Thinning chocolate with oil serves to make the glaze more fluid so as to have a thinner and more chewable coverage. In fact, the chocolate would remain too thick and difficult to cut. Any vegetable oil will do.
🟣The dark chocolate coating is too bitter? It’s possible to replace it with white chocolate which is much sweeter on the palate and proceed as per recipe.
🟣If you want a version without chocolate glaze on top, you can simply sprinkle the surface of the semifreddo with unsweetened cocoa.
🟣For a more indulgent version: I recommend decorating with whipped cream tufts along the entire edge and chocolate-covered coffee beans, or adding a layer of hazelnut spread or salted caramel topping in the center of the semifreddo.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Can this dessert be made entirely vegan?
There are many adjustments, but it is certainly possible! You just need to use plant-based cream and yogurt for the base mixture, and as for rusks, there are now variants available on the market without animal ingredients, or you can make them at home by preparing a not-too-sweet basic brioche which you will slice and toast in the oven. I will show you how very soon!
