Raspberry and Pistachio Semifreddo

Try creamy raspberry and pistachio semifreddo the next time you feel like making dessert. The name, semifreddo, means half frozen in Italian. It’s similar to ice cream but with a very smooth, creamy texture. The addition of fruit and nuts adds a texture contrast.

Berry Sweet is this week’s theme for the I Heart Cooking Clubs Challenge. I found several recipes for a berry centric semifreddo from various IHCC featured chefs.

Donna Hay’s recipe featured marinated raspberries and pistachio nougat. She uses a bain marie to cook the eggs and a couple extra yolks with sugar and vanilla. These are later folded into whipped cream.

Yotam Ottolenghi’s recipe for rose, cardamom and pistachio semifreddo with chocolate sauce omits the egg yolks and instead blends hot sugar syrup into beaten whites, like an Italian style meringue. These are also folded into whipped cream.

I would love to try both recipes/techniques another time. For my first semifreddo, I wanted something easy and less “pastry chef-y.” Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredient Raspberry and Pistachio semifreddo was exactly what I was looking for.

Recipe Notes

Depending on the time of year, frozen raspberries will be less expensive than fresh. I bought the smallest pack of fresh berries I could for the garnish and used the rest in salads or mixed with yogurt.

Unlike the other recipes, neither the egg yolks or whites are cooked in Jamie’s version, which is more like a traditional chocolate mousse. If this weirds you out, try one of the other recipes or use pasteurized eggs.

As written, Jamie Oliver’s version uses only 5 ingredients (he was promoting his 5 Ingredient Cookbook and show at the time.) I added more sugar and vanilla to the egg yolks. If you wish, add a couple tablespoons more when whipping the cream.

The end result was creamy, sweet and delicious. I could have eaten it from the mixing bowl with a spoon, but restrained myself, hahaha.

The semifreddo needs a 6 to 8 hour freezing time so it’s best made in the night before or morning of the day you wish to serve. Let it sit on the counter for 15 – 20 minutes to soften before serving. You can scoop it, or unmold it and slice.

Raspberry and Pistachio Semifreddo

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Freeze: 6 hours hours

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 0

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup pistachios, chopped
• 10 oz frozen raspberries plus fresh berries for garnish (Thaw the berries overnight in the fridge.)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1.5 cups whipping cream
• chocolate sauce for garnish

Instructions

• Place a standard loaf pan into the freezer while you prepare the ingredients.
• Chop the pistachios using a food processor. Transfer to a small bowl.
• Give the food processor a quick wipe and puree the thawed raspberries. Press the puree through a fine sieve set over a bowl. Discard the seeds/solids. Set the puree aside.
• If you use a stand mixer, clean everything well between the next steps. I have a hand mixer with two sets of beaters, so I switched beaters and used separate bowls.
• Whip the cream to soft peaks in a large bowl.

  In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until the sugar has dissolved and the yolks lighten in color.

  Swap out the beaters and whip the egg whites to soft peaks in yet another bowl.
• Fold the egg yolks and the egg whites into the whipped cream.
• Remove the loaf pan from the freezer. Spoon about half the semifreddo mix into the loaf pan. Drizzle half of the raspberry puree over the mix and marble it with the tip of a knife. Sprinkle with half the chopped pistachios.

  Repeat for another layer.

  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then foil.

  Freeze for at least 6 hours.
• Before serving allow the semifreddo to soften at room temperature for 15 – 20 minutes. Garnish with chocolate sauce, fresh raspberries and more pistachios.

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Looks like it’s going to be a berry sweet summer!