The vanilla semifreddo with cherries is a summer dessert with a sweet and delicate taste, enriched with many succulent cherries and dark chocolate. It’s prepared in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and then sliced to serve.
The cherries I added are from Val Venosta, where they grow lush, even though it takes a bit of patience to enjoy them. In fact, they mature slowly and are picked at the right time from mid-July to mid-August, which is what makes them so special.
In addition to pitting and adding them to the semifreddo itself, I also used the cherries to decorate the dessert before serving. Count at least 12, so each slice has its own cherry.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 10-12 slices
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Summer
Ingredients
- 7 oz dark chocolate
- 7 oz cherries (Val Venosta)
- 3 eggs
- 5/8 cup sugar
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 2/3 cups heavy cream
- 12 cherries (Val Venosta)
Steps
To prepare the vanilla semifreddo with cherries, coarsely chop the dark chocolate and melt it in a bain-marie or microwave, without overheating it.
Spread the melted chocolate on a sheet of parchment paper, forming a rectangle about 16 x 6 inches. Place in the fridge to set.
Line the loaf pan with plastic wrap.
Wash and dry the cherries, then cut them in half and remove the pit. Set aside.
Heat about two inches of water in a saucepan. Break the eggs into a bowl suitable for a bain-marie and add the sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Place the bowl on the saucepan with water (without the water touching the bowl) and start whisking the mixture with an electric mixer, in a bain-marie, until it becomes light and very foamy. It will take about 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue whisking the mixture with the electric mixer until it cools slightly.
Whip the heavy cream and fold it into the egg mixture using a spatula, making upward movements.
Place a third of the mixture into a bowl, add the pitted cherries, and incorporate them.
Cut the set chocolate slab into 4 rectangles about 8 x 4 inches (or according to the size of your pan).
Spread a quarter of the cherry-less mixture onto the bottom of the lined pan. Lay a piece of dark chocolate on top. Continue with another layer of vanilla mixture and a chocolate piece. At this point, add the mixture with cherries and a piece of chocolate. Then another layer of vanilla mixture, another piece of chocolate, and finish with the last layer of vanilla mixture. Level it, wrap well with plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for at least 5 hours or overnight.
Before serving, remove the semifreddo from the mold by turning it over onto a platter. Remove the plastic wrap and decorate the surface with washed cherries and chocolate pieces you set aside earlier.
Serve the vanilla semifreddo with cherries sliced.
