Banana Coconut Semifreddo Food

PEANUT BUTTER-BANANA SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Prepare the crust: Spray a 9-by-5-inch metal loaf pan with cooking spray and line with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides; spray the plastic wrap. Finely grind the peanuts and graham crackers in a food processor. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and refrigerate.
• Make the ice cream: Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Fill a bowl with ice water. Whisk the egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, the banana puree, hazelnut liqueur and salt in a large metal bowl. Place the bowl over the pot of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and whisk until thickened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pot and put in the ice water to cool.
• Beat the heavy cream and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar with a mixer until the cream just holds stiff peaks (do not overbeat). Gently fold the cream into the banana custard.
• Heat the peanut butter in the microwave until soft, about 20 seconds; let cool slightly.
• Drop spoonfuls of the peanut butter into the banana cream and fold until swirled.
• Spread the mixture over the crust in the pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 9 hours. Lift out of the pan using the plastic wrap and cut into 1-inch slices.
• Photograpy by Kate Sears

BANANA COCONUT LOAF

Steps:

• Mix together flour, coconut, baking powder, baking soda, salt, chopped walnuts, and cherries.
• Break eggs in a mixing bowl, and beat until light and frothy. Add sugar and melted butter or margarine. Beat well. Stir in mashed banana and flavoring. Add flour mixture, and stir just to combine. Spoon into greased 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let stand for 10 minutes, and remove from pan. Cool.

CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 4 to 5 inches to extend over all sides.
• Stir cookie crumbs and almonds together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Place chopped bittersweet and semisweet chocolate in a large bowl and set a fine wire-mesh strainer over the bowl; set aside.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Heat 1/2 cup cream and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture until completely combined. Return mixture to the saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan, until mixture is slightly thickened and registers 160 to 165 degrees F (70 to 74 degrees C), 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let mixture simmer.
• Immediately pour into the strainer over the chocolate. Discard any solids left in the strainer. Let chocolate mixture stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth; whisk in vanilla and almond extracts. Let stand until completely cool, about 15 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream with an electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Whisk 1/3 of whipped cream into chocolate mixture until completely combined. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula until incorporated and no streaks of whipped cream remain. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth evenly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with cookie crumb mixture.
• Pull excess plastic wrap at sides tightly over cake, gently pressing down on cookie crumb mixture. Freeze, 12 to 24 hours.
• Lift semifreddo from pan, using plastic wrap as handles, and transfer to a serving plate. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cut semifreddo into 8 slices, using a serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice.

BANANA SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toast almonds on baking sheet in oven for 7 to 10 minutes or until fragrant and crisp. Cool. Coarsely chop.
• Combine bananas, brown sugar, rum and lime juice in food processor and whirl until pureed.
• Transfer puree to large bowl.
• Beat cream in small bowl until frothy. Gradually beat in granulated sugar and salt until soft peaks form. Gently fold cream into banana mixture.
• Reserve 2 tablespoons nuts for garnish and fold remaining nuts into banana mixture.
• Spoon into 8 individual ramekins or dessert cups then cover with plastic wrap and freeze 1 1/2 hours or up to 3 days. (The longer the mixture is frozen the longer it will need to warm up slightly before serving.).
• To serve: Remove from freezer and let stand for 30 minutes or until softened to smooth and creamy consistency. Sprinkle with reserved nuts.

BANANA & COCONUT SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Pour into a 1 litre capacity airtight container.
• Freeze for 4-5 hours or until just frozen.

FRIED COCONUT BANANAS

Steps:

• Heat the sugar in a small frying pan. When melted, add the bananas and caramelise on each side for 3-4 mins. Lift out and set aside.
• Tip the coconut milk into the pan with a pinch of salt, stir into the sugar and bubble until syrupy. Divide between 2 bowls, top with the caramelised bananas, then add a scoop of ice cream and scatter with toasted coconut.

COCONUT-LIME SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line a 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan with parchment, leaving a 4-inch overhang on all sides. Prepare a large bowl of ice water. In a medium saucepan, combine coconut milk and condensed milk and bring to a boil over high. Reduce heat and cook at a rapid simmer, stirring frequently, until thickened, 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lime zest and salt. Place saucepan in bowl of ice water and stir until mixture is cool, 4 minutes.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream on high until stiff peaks form, 2 minutes. Gently fold whipped cream into coconut milk mixture. Pour into loaf pan; evenly sprinkle coconut over top. Freeze until firm, 6 hours (or, covered, up to 3 days). Let sit 20 minutes at room temperature. Invert onto a serving platter; peel away parchment. Layer mango on top and serve.

VANILLA SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line 1 quart (9x4 inch) loaf pan with plastic wrap and place it in your freezer to chill while you make the egg-and-cream mixture.
• In a bowl, beat the cream with an electric mixer on high until doubled in volume and holds soft peaks when the beaters are turned off and lifted up.
• Set aside at room temperature, away from the stove's heat.
• Bring about 3 inches water to a boil in a large saucepan set over high heat; decrease heat so the water simmers gently.
• Clean and dry the beaters for your mixer; place the egg yolks and ¼ cup of sugar in a bowl that will fit snugly over the pan with the simmering water.
• Beat away from the heat at medium speed until thick and pale yellow; about 1 minute.
• Set the bowl over the saucepan and continue beating until the mixture will make little mounds when the beaters are turned off, lifted up, and any mixture on them is allowed to dribble back into the pan, about 2 more minutes.
• Beat in the vanilla, then remove bowl from the saucepan (do not turn off the heat under the pan) and set aside at room temperature for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, clean and dry the beaters again; place the egg whites, salt, and the remaining ½ cup sugar in another bowl and fit it snugly over the saucepan with the simmering water.
• Beat at medium speed for 1 minute, until frothy.
• Add in the cream of tartar and continue beating at medium speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally with a rubber spatula, until smooth, shiny, and satiny, about 3 minutes.
• Remove the bowl from the saucepan and continue beating off the heat until room temperature, about 1 more minute.
• Fold about half of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth, then fold in the remaining egg white mixture.
• Fold in the whipped cream gently, just to incorporate it without losing much of the volume.
• Take the prepared loaf pan out of the freezer and pour this mixture into it.
• Spread the mixture gently to the corners with a rubber spatula.
• Return to you freezer and chill until cold and thick, about 6-8 hours.
• Once the semifreddo is set, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap to ward off freezer odors, can be stored this way for up to 2 weeks.
• To serve, turn the loaf pan upside down on a serving platter; hold the plastic wrap at the sides and lift off the pan, wiggling it from side to side.
• Pull the plastic off the semifreddo and cut into slices about 1 inch thick.

STRAWBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line a 13x23 cm (5 1/2 inx9in) loaf tin or small brownie pan with some non-stick baking paper.
• Halve the strawberries, then crush with a potato masher to make a chunky puree.
• In a large heatproof bowl, add the eggs, yolks, vanilla extract and caster sugar. Place over a saucepan filled with 1 inch of simmering water. Using an electric whisk, beat the mixture over the water for 4 minutes (keep the simmer going steadily as you beat). Remove and continue to beat until thick, frothy and completely cool.
• Whip the double cream and fold into the egg mixture, along with half of the strawberry puree.
• Spoon a third of the strawberry mixture into the bottom of the tin. Fold the rest into the cream mixture and pour over the fruit.
• Freeze covered for 4-6 hours, or overnight. When ready to serve, cut into thick slices or spoon out with an ice-cream scoop. Serve with little biscotti and extra strawberries, sliced in half.

TOASTED ALMOND SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• It is easier to use a handheld mixer for this but a sturdy wire whip or ballon whisk can definitely be used with good results. Make sure that if doing so, enough time is allowed for the eggs and sugar to expand voluminously.
• Put the egg yolks into a large glass or metal bowl. Add the sugar, do not ever allow raw egg yolks to sit with sugar on them, without being whisked immediately.
• Stir in the corn syrup, liqueur, and salt. Beat well. Put over a bowl of lightly simmering water.
• Beat for seven or eight minutes, or until light and well increased in volume.
• Remove from heat. Continue beating to room temperature. No longer use the mixer. Fold in the 1/2 cup almonds. Set aside.
• Whip the cold cream with vanilla until rather stiff, but not butter. Fold into the almond mixture until very little, or no white remains.
• Put into a 13x9 inch glass or china baking dish. Freeze at least four hours, covered with plastic film.
• Scoop servings into chilled bowls and top each with some of the remaining almonds and chopped chocolate.