Chocolate Semifreddo With Chile Chocolate Sauce Food

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.

CHOCOLATE CHILI SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine chocolate, cream, butter and chili pepper in a heavy sauce pan.
• Cook over very low heat until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
• Serve warm or cold.
• Can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks and gently reheated.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line 8x4 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, extending the wrap at the sides and ends of the pan.
• In a bowl, mix hazelnut spread and melted chocolate.
• In a second bowl, beat cream just until stiff peaks form.
• Stir a large spoonful of whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.
• Fold the remaining cream into the chocolate mixture, half at a time (mixture will not be uniformly blended).
• Pour mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Freeze for 1 hour.
• Remove from freezer and cover top with plastic wrap, and freeze overnight until firm.
• To serve: remove plastic wrap from top and invert semifreddo on to a platter.
• Remove remaining plastic wrap.
• Let stand a few minutes at room temperature (not more than 10) to soften slightly.
• Cut into 1-inch thick slices and place on plates, drizzle each serving with 1 Tablespoon of chocolate sauce and garnish with a few fresh strawberries.
• Serve immediately.

BERRY SEMIFREDDO WITH WARM CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 90C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4 and cover a baking sheet with baking parchment. Tip the egg whites into a large bowl, sprinkle in the coffee powder and whisk until the whites are stiff. Add half the caster sugar and whisk in well, then tip in the remaining sugar and the chopped hazelnuts and whisk until blended and standing in stiff peaks.
• Spread the meringue mixture to a depth of about 2cm on the baking parchment (any shape will do as you're going to break it up later). Bake for 3 hours until crisp right through. Remove and cool.
• Cut out a 28cm circle of baking parchment and make 10cm cuts towards the centre all the way round. Use this to line the bottom and sides of a loose-bottomed 20cm round cake tin.
• Pour the cream from both cartons into a bowl and whip until it just holds its shape. Break the meringue into smallish pieces with your hands. Set aside about a third of the meringue for the top of the cake, and mix the rest into the cream. Spread out about a third of the cream mixture in the bottom of the tin and cover with half the frozen berries. Repeat these layers once more, then cover with the remaining cream mixture and top with the reserved meringue. Cover the cake with cling film and compress evenly with a small plate that fits inside the tin. Wrap in foil, label and freeze for up to a month.
• Make the sauce. Put the cream and golden syrup in a small pan with 3 tbsp water. Heat until just bubbling, then turn the heat down to low and add the chocolate and butter. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Pour into a freezer container, cool, seal, label and freeze for up to a month.
• On the day transfer the cake and the chocolate sauce from the freezer to the fridge 8 hours before you plan to serve. After 2-3 hours, take out the cake. Unwrap it and carefully balance the cake tin on a jam jar or can, then push down on the sides of the tin to release. Peel away the baking parchment from the sides. Now lift the cake off the base of the tin, discarding the parchment underneath (a wide palette knife or fish slice will help here) and stand the cake on a serving plate. Return to the fridge for 5 hours before serving with the chocolate sauce.
• To warm the chocolate sauce, pour it into a heatproof bowl over a pan with a little hot water in the bottom and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until warm, smooth and glossy.