CHEF JOHN'S STRAWBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Chef John's Strawberry Semifreddo image

My lighter, no-cook adaptation of semifreddo skips the traditional egg custard and cuts down on fat, sugar, and time. It just so happens to be lighter, with a cleaner, more distinct berry flavor and a texture that's less creamy than classic semifreddo, falling somewhere between strawberry ice cream and a strawberry ice pop.

Provided by Chef John

Categories Desserts Fruit Dessert Recipes Strawberry Dessert Recipes

Time 4h

Yield 10

Number Of Ingredients 13

Ingredients

1 pound fresh strawberries
½ cup white sugar
¾ cup full-fat Greek yogurt
lemon, zested
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 pinch salt
1 ¾ cups cold heavy cream
6 shortbread cookies
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 ½ cups diced fresh strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar, or more to taste

Steps:

Line 10 ramekins with plastic wrap and place them onto a baking sheet.
Hull strawberries with the tip of a knife. Place strawberries in a food processor. Add sugar, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle in a tiny pinch of salt. Pulse on and off to combine; finish pureeing on high until smooth.
Whisk heavy cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Add the strawberry puree. Stir and fold with a spatula until most of the major streaks disappear. Fill ramekins 1/4 to 1/8 inch from the top with the strawberry mixture. Tap baking sheet against the counter to settle the tops. Cover ramekins in plastic wrap and freeze until mostly firm, about 1 1/2 hours.
Meanwhile, place cookies in a resealable plastic bag. Seal; crush cookies through with a rolling pin to get 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Place crumbs into a bowl; add butter and mix well.
Divide the cookie crumb mixture among the ramekins and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Cover again and freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.
Toss diced strawberries with sugar in a bowl. Let rest at room temperature until a syrup forms below the strawberries, about 1 hour.
Warm up each ramekin in your hands to help unmold the semifreddo; invert onto a plate. Top with the strawberries in syrup. Thaw for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 289.2 calories, Carbohydrate 22.9 g, Cholesterol 70.6 mg, Fat 21.7 g, Fiber 1.5 g, Protein 2.6 g, SaturatedFat 12.8 g, Sodium 88.3 mg, Sugar 17.3 g