Tangerine Chocolate Semifreddo Food

TANGERINE CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• In top of a double boiler or metal bowl over simmering water, combine egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, tangerine zest, juice and salt. Beat on medium speed until mixture is thick, frothy and holds a ribbon and a thermometer reads 160°. Remove from heat; whisk in melted chocolate and vanilla. Quickly transfer to a bowl; place in ice water and refrigerate 15 minutes or until completely cool, stirring occasionally., In a large bowl, beat cream until it begins to thicken. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold into cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into six freezer-safe dessert glasses or dishes. Freeze until firm, 4 hours or overnight., Just before serving, top with sweetened whipped cream and dust with cocoa. Serve immediately.

TANGERINE SEMIFREDDO WITH SALTED ALMOND BRITTLE

Steps:

• For brittle:
• Coat large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon butter. Combine sugar, corn syrup, 1 cup water, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in heavy large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Attach candy thermometer to side of pan. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to boil. Boil without stirring until mixture turns amber and thermometer registers 330°F to 340°F, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat; immediately stir in remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then almonds and baking soda (mixture will bubble). Working quickly, pour mixture out onto prepared baking sheet. Using offset metal spatula, quickly spread mixture into irregular 15x10-inch rectangle. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon sea salt evenly over brittle. Cool brittle completely at room temperature until firm, about 2 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Break brittle into irregular pieces and store in airtight container.
• Coarsely chop enough brittle to measure 1 1/2 cups; store in airtight container while making semifreddo mixture.
• For semifreddo:
• Line 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with 2 layers of plastic wrap, leaving generous overhang on all sides. Fill large bowl with ice cubes and water. Whisk egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar, tangerine juice, and tangerine peel in medium metal bowl. Set bowl with yolk mixture over saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until mixture thickens and instant-read thermometer inserted into mixture registers 160&Deg;F, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over hot water and set over bowl with ice water. Using electric mixer, beat mixture until thick and cool, about 3 minutes. Remove bowl from over ice water.
• Beat cream in another large bowl until peaks form; set aside. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Fold in remaining whites in 2 additions. Fold in whipped cream in 2 additions until just incorporated.
• Spread 1/3 of semifreddo mixture (about 3 cups) evenly in loaf pan. Sprinkle 3/4 cup chopped brittle evenly over. Repeat layering with half of remaining semifreddo mixture; sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup brittle over, then spread remaining semifreddo mixture over (loaf pan will be very full and mixture will extend slightly over top of pan). Fold plastic wrap overhang over semifreddo to cover. Freeze overnight. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep frozen.
• For sauce:
• Bring tangerine juice and honey to boil in heavy small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Boil until mixture is syrupy and reduced to generous 1/3 cup, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool completely. Stir in tangerine segments. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• Invert semifreddo onto platter. Remove plastic wrap. Dip large knife into hot water, wipe dry, then cut semifreddo crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices, dipping knife into water and wiping dry as needed. Place 1 slice on each plate. Spoon tangerine sauce alongside semifreddo and serve.
• Ingredient tip:
• Maldon sea salt has soft, pyramid-shaped crystals and a mild flavor. It's available at some specialty foods stores and from igourmet.com.

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 SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• To make the base for the semifreddo, melt the dark chocolate, cool slightly.
• Pulse the cornflakes and the melted chocolate until combined.
• Spread thinly over the base of 8 flan tins lined with cling wrap.
• Place in fridge for at least 1 hour.
• Melt the milk chocolate and put aside.
• Put egg yolks, Frangelica and 40g sugar in a bowl and place the bowl over a pot of boiling water then whisk until the mixture is light, thick and forms a slowly dissovling ribbon when the whisk is lifted.
• Set aside and cool. Then add the melted milk chocolate.
• While the egg yolk mixture is cooling, whisk egg whites until foamy.
• Slowly add the 75g sugar until they form a stiff meringue.
• Fold the meringue into the cooled chocolate egg mixture.
• Fold in the whipped cream until well incorporated.
• Pour the mixture into the 8 flan tins and freeze for 2-3 hours.
• To unmold lift out using the cling wrap.

TANGERINE SEMIFREDDO (FROZEN TANGERINE SOUFFLE)

Steps:

• To form a collar, cut a sheet of waxed paper, aluminum foil or parchment that's long enough to fit around a 1qt souffle dish. Fold it in quarters lengthwise to make a ribbon about 3" wide. Wrap the collar around the top of the souffle, and tape the ends together. The collar should extend about 2" above the rim of the dish; secure with tape and/or a rubber band, and place in the freezer to chill.
• Zest the tangerines with a fine grater/microplane to make about 1t zest (or more to taste) and juice the tangerines, until you have 1/2c of juice. In a small saucepan, combine the zest and juice, and warm over low heat. Add gelatin and stir until it dissolves, then add vanilla extract. Place the saucepan in a bowl of cold water until the mixture thickens into a jelly (or place in a bowl of ice water if your kitchen is warm, or if you live in a hot climate). Set aside.
• Bring a small stockpot of water to a simmer. Mix egg yolks & sugar in a medium metal or glass mixing bowl, and place over the simmering water (being careful not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Immediately start whisking the egg yolks and continue until they are pale, and have approximately doubled in volume. You'll know the sugar has melted when you rub a little of the mixture between your fingers, and you don't feel any grit from the sugar.
• When the yolks have doubled in volume, whisk in the thickened, cooled tangerine juice, and continue whisking and scraping until the entire mixture has cooled further (a few minutes). It should be thick and sticky. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks; set aside (I stowed them in the fridge). In a large bowl, beat heavy cream to soft peaks; set aside. Spoon half of the egg whites into the cooled egg yolk mixture, and stir until its color becomes lighter. Add remaining egg whites to the large bowl of whipped cream, and add the tangerine mixture on top. Gently fold them all together to make a uniform mixture.
• Gently spoon the mixture into the chilled souffle dish. It should come about halfway up the paper collar, but if not, it will still taste and look good (my dish was slightly bigger, and it turned out great). Freeze until firm, about 4hrs. If you freeze it overnight, transfer it to the fridge for at least 1hr so it can soften before serving. However, ours froze for six hours, and 20 minutes in the fridge wasn't enough for it to thaw as much as we would have liked (so use your best judgement).
• When ready to serve, if desired, sprinkle with pistachios, and carefully remove the collar. Cut into sectons with a very sharp knife, and carefully remove with a small offset spatula.
• If you make this in advance and it will be in the freezer for more than 4hrs, once it freezes, cover it with plastic wrap and gently press the wrap against the surface of the dish.

CHOCO-DIPPED TANGERINES

Steps:

• Dip half of each tangerine segment in the melted chocolate, then put on a baking sheet lined with parchment. Keep in the fridge for 1 hr to set completely, or overnight if you prefer.