Cool Recipe

STRAWBERRY SEMIFREDDO
Directly from The Tuscan Sun Cookbook, a cool summer recipe:

"Not gelato, not sorbetto—semifreddo occupies a niche. The light and creamy texture melts fast in your mouth, leaving the essential freshness of the fruit. It’s easy, too, since you need no ice cream machine. Semifreddo keeps well in the freezer for a week."

Yes, it has heavy cream and as long as you eat this delicious treat with a group of friends - so that you only serve yourself a small amount - put your guilt aside and enjoy! Grazie, Frances and Edward...

Serves 8

11/2 pints strawberries, hulled

1 tablespoon orange juice

11/4 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup (4 ounces) mascarpone

11/2 cups heavy cream

Puré the strawberries (reserving and refrigerating several pretty

ones) with the orange juice and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Chill the

puré in a large bowl until ready to use.

Bring water almost to a boil in the bottom of a double boiler, then

lower the heat to a good simmer. In the top, beat

the eggs with the remaining sugar, the milk,

and vanilla. Whisk continuously for 10 to

14 minutes, or until the mixture thickens and

forms trailing ribbons. Reserve 1/4 cup of the

strawberry puré, then whisk the egg mixture

into the puré.

Cool the mixture in the fridge

about 11/2 hours.

Line a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a few inches overhanging the sides.

When the strawberry-egg mixture has cooled, whisk in the mascarpone.

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until firm peaks form.

Fold the cream into the strawberry and mascarpone

mixture.

Pour the semifreddo into the pan, and freeze

for at least 4 hours. Unmold by loosening the

plastic wrap, then inverting the pan onto a

serving dish. Add the reserved strawberries

to the remaining 1/4 cup strawberry puré and

spoon this over the semifreddo in the dish or

over individual servings.

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Tuscan Sun Cookbook
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