5 hours ago
5
I believe in divine communion, especially when it comes to food; an alliance of ingredients that come together as though they were meant to feed spirit and body. It might be too lofty to say that this semifreddo is divine, but the combination of Hobnobs, ricotta, chocolate and amaretto really does it for me. That said, there are many alliances that can be formed in the Christmas store-cupboard, so use this as a base for any biscuits, dried fruit and chocolate to which you feel most spiritually aligned.
Christmas ricotta semifreddo
You’ll need a large loaf tin, baking tin or tub with an approximately 1.8 litre capacity that’s suitable for the freezer (or two smaller tins). Semifreddo melts quicker than ice-cream, so be sure not to leave it out for too long before or after serving (if there’s any left, that is).
Prep 10 min
Cook 30 min
Freeze 6 hr+
Soften 15 min
Serves 8
3 medium eggs
75g runny honey, plus extra to drizzle
75g caster sugar
250g ricotta
400ml double cream
2 tsp ground cardamom
75ml amaretto (5 tbsp)
¼ tsp fine sea salt
60g stem ginger in syrup, cut into irregular 2mm-thick slices
60g dark chocolate, very finely chopped, plus extra to decorate
100g Hobnobs, or ginger snap biscuits, finely chopped, plus extra to decorate
30g mixed chopped candied citrus peel
Line your tin or tub with baking paper. Separate the egg yolks and whites into two large bowls, then whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Shake off the beaters (but don’t wash them).
Put the honey and sugar in the egg yolk bowl, whisk until pale and creamy, then add the ricotta and whisk to combine. Again, shake off the beaters but don’t rinse them.
Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture a bit at a time – and gently, so as not to whack out any air. Rinse out the egg white bowl, add the double cream and whip to soft peaks.
Add the cardamom, amaretto and salt to the whipped cream, then whisk to soft peaks. Fold the cream into the egg and ricotta mixture, then gently fold in the chopped ginger, chocolate, biscuits and mixed peel.
Transfer the mixture to the lined tub or tin, smooth out the top with the back of a spoon, then cover the top with a sheet of baking paper. Freeze for at least six hours, until solid.
Take the semifreddo out of the freezer 15 minutes before serving. Put a couple of biscuits in a mortar, then crush to a fine-ish crumb (or bash with a rolling pin on a board). Peel the top layer of baking paper off the semifreddo, then invert it on to a platter. Carefully peel off the second sheet of paper, then evenly sprinkle the crushed biscuits over the semifreddo. Grate on the extra chocolate, drizzle with more honey, then cut into slices and serve.
