Lemon Blackberry Semifreddo Food

LEMON-RASPBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line a 4 1/2-by-8 1/2-inch loaf pan with 2 sheets of plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on long sides. In a blender, puree raspberries and sugar, scraping down sides as needed. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing on solids; discard solids.
• In a large bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. With a rubber spatula, fold in lemon curd. Spoon 2 cups cream mixture into pan and smooth top. Dip ladyfingers in raspberry puree and arrange in pan, parallel to long edges. Pour remaining raspberry puree on ladyfingers. Top with remaining cream mixture and smooth top.
• Wrap pan with overhanging plastic and freeze 8 hours (or up to 2 weeks). To serve, invert onto a serving platter, remove plastic, and slice.

GENOISE ROLL WITH LEMON-BLACKBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Stir limoncello and simple syrup in a small bowl. Unroll cake, remove towel, and place on parchment on the back of a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with limoncello syrup. Spread with semifreddo, leaving a 2-inch border on 1 short side and a 1/2-inch border on the long sides. Freeze until semifreddo is firm but not hard, about 25 minutes.
• Starting at the short side with semifreddo spread to the edge, roll cake, using parchment to help roll it. Transfer rolled cake, seam side down, to a platter; freeze until semifreddo is hard, at least 3 hours or up to overnight. Let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Serve dusted with sugar.

LEMON-BLACKBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Make lemon curd: Put egg yolks, eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice in a medium heatproof bowl; set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until mixture is very thick and smooth and temperature registers 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in butter. Pour through a fine sieve into a medium bowl; cover with plastic wrap, pressing wrap directly on surface of curd. Refrigerate until cool and firm, about 1 hour.
• Put egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on low speed. Meanwhile, bring 1/3 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water to a boil in a small saucepan over high heat. Swirl pan to dissolve sugar. Wash down sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent crystals from forming. Boil until syrup registers 248 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Raise mixer speed to medium high; beat until egg whites have formed almost-stiff peaks. With mixer running, slowly pour in syrup; beat until mixture has cooled and stiff, glossy peaks have formed, about 4 minutes. Set meringue aside.
• Stir mascarpone in a large nonreactive bowl with a rubber spatula until smooth. Fold in lemon curd and lemon zest. Fold in meringue.
• Pulse berries and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until berries are broken up but not smooth. Fold into lemon mixture, leaving it slightly swirled. Freeze until slightly firm, about 20 minutes. Use immediately.

BLACKBERRY SEMIFREDDI WITH WALNUT MERINGUE

Steps:

• Make meringue:
• Preheat oven to 200°F.
• Beat egg white with a pinch of salt in a small deep bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until it holds soft peaks. Beat in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and continue to beat until meringue holds stiff glossy peaks, 3 to 5 minutes. Fold walnuts into meringue, then spread into a 9- by 6-inch rectangle (1/4 inch thick) on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
• Bake meringue in middle of oven until crisp, about 1 hour. Slide meringue (on parchment) onto a rack and cool completely. Peel off paper and break meringue into 1/2-inch pieces.
• Make sauce and semifreddo:
• Line bottom of molds with rounds of wax paper or parchment. Cut 10 (10-inch-long) strips of wax paper or parchment (wide enough to cover sides of molds) and arrange, ends overlapping, around insides of molds. Put lined molds in a baking pan (for transferring to freezer).
• Purée blackberries in a food processor, then force through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, discarding seeds. Divide purée evenly between 2 bowls. Stir 2 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon lemon juice into 1 bowl (for sauce) and chill, covered. Stir remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice into other bowl (for semifreddo).
• Beat eggs with a pinch of salt and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a metal bowl with a handheld mixer at medium-high speed until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Set bowl over a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water and beat until mixture registers 160°F on thermometer, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and chill mixture until cool, about 10 minutes. Fold in blackberry purée (reserved for semifreddo) gently but thoroughly.
• Beat cream with cleaned beaters until it just holds stiff peaks and fold gently into blackberry mixture, then fold in walnut meringue pieces. Spoon into molds, smoothing tops if necessary, and cover with plastic wrap. Freeze semifreddi until firm, at least 2 hours.
• To serve, dip each mold in a bowl of hot water 3 seconds, then wipe dry and invert onto chilled dessert plates, using paper to help pull each semifreddo from mold. Remove paper and let desserts stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Serve with blackberry sauce.
• *Available at some cookware shops and Bridge Kitchenware (800-274-3435 or 212-838-1901).