Italian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Pistachio Semifreddo

A semi-frozen pistachio cream of whipped cream and Italian meringue, sliced soft rather than frozen hard.

Ingredients · for 6 servings

• 150 g pistachios
• 400 ml cream
• 4 egg whites
• 150 g sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp powdered sugar
• 50 g dark chocolate

Instructions

1. Blanch 100 g pistachios in boiling water for 5 min., peel and grind in a blender with 2 tbsp powdered sugar for 3–4 min. into a smooth, oily paste; coarsely chop the remaining pistachios.
2. Bring the sugar to a boil with 4 tbsp water and cook without stirring to 118 °C until the syrup forms slow, thick bubbles.
3. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to soft peaks, pour in the hot syrup in a thin stream and continue whisking until the meringue is glossy and has cooled to hand-warm.
4. Whip the cream with the vanilla extract until creamy – not fully stiff – and fold in the pistachio paste until smooth.
5. Fold the meringue into the pistachio cream in three additions, pour the mixture into a loaf tin lined with plastic wrap and smooth the top.
6. Freeze for at least 6 hours, turn out 10 min. before serving, slice and sprinkle with chopped pistachios and shaved dark chocolate.