Semifreddo is little more than three core ingredients: whipped sweetened egg whites, cream for richness and chocolate for flavour. Our preferred method, and the one used here, starts with whole eggs, whipped to a rich aerated zabaglione. The need for an ice-cream machine is replaced by whipping ingredients to envelop air, which along with sugar prevents ice crystals forming, creating a pleasant semi-frozen mouthfeel for which the dessert gets its name. Our flavourings, while decidedly non-traditional are delicious and perfectly in tune with Australian summer entertaining.
Step 1
Place 300gm finely chopped white couverture chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Using a 600ml carton of thickened cream, bring 125ml (½ cup) cream and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste to the boil in a small saucepan; pour over chocolate; stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tbsp lemon juice, 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest and ¼ tsp ground cloves. Beat remaining cream and 200ml crème fraîche with an electric mixer until soft peaks form; refrigerate until required.
Step 2
Place 4 eggs, 110gm (½ cup) caster sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Using hand-held beaters, whisk continuously until mixture is thick and pale and has tripled in volume (8 minutes). To test that mixture is sufficiently beaten, drop a little in a figure of eight, it should hold its shape for a few seconds.
Step 3
Grease a 2.75-litre bundt tin or other mould. Using a large metal spoon, fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture, followed by whipped cream.
Step 4
Using a 250gm jar wild hibiscus flowers in syrup, remove 6 flowers and slice thinly. Take 300gm raspberries and 100gm pistachios and divide into three. Spoon one-third of semifreddo mixture into prepared mould and layer with sliced hibiscus, raspberries and pistachios. Repeat twice more with remaining semifreddo, raspberries and pistachios. Cover and freeze overnight.
Step 5
Meanwhile for base, finely chop 100gm Scotch Finger biscuits. Process 125gm pistachios until finely chopped. Combine nuts, biscuits and 100gm browned melted butter in a bowl. Press firmly over top of semifreddo. Return to the freezer until set (2-3 hours).
Step 6
To make sauce, process 200gm raspberries with drained hibiscus syrup (reserved from candied flowers, about 80-100ml) until smooth, strain through a fine sieve into a saucepan. Add 150ml water and 150gm sugar over high heat, bring to the boil and simmer rapidly until syrupy (8-10 minutes).
Step 7
To serve, dip the base of the mould into warm water briefly then invert onto a chilled serving plate. Top with sauce, if using, remaining hibiscus flowers, and extra raspberries.
