Light, airy ice cream without an ice cream maker, with tangy buttermilk, soft raspberries and toasted almonds for a little crunch.
Semifreddo literally means ‘half-frozen’: the dessert is set in a mould, which makes it easy to slice. The base of whipped egg yolks and cream gives it a softer, airier texture than a firm scoop of ice cream. Buttermilk adds a gentle tang that balances the sweet cream and ripe raspberries. The result is creamy but not heavy, with a fresh burst of berry here and there.
The egg yolks are heated with sugar over a bain-marie, then whipped until light and fluffy. This creates a stable, foamy base; a kitchen thermometer helps you heat the yolks evenly to 71 °C. Keep whisking as you go so they don’t stick to the bowl or set. Whip the cream separately to soft peaks. It doesn’t need to be stiff: that way, the semifreddo stays light rather than dense when you fold everything together.
Raspberries are at their best in summer, but frozen raspberries work too. Let them thaw and drain off any excess liquid so the base doesn’t become unnecessarily watery. Roughly crush some of the berries for fruity pieces, then purée the rest to make thin, contrasting ribbons through the mixture. Strain the purée if you’d rather not have any seeds. You can replace the buttermilk with full-fat yoghurt loosened with a splash of milk; don’t use very thin milk, as it lacks that fresh, thick texture.
A loaf tin lined with baking paper makes the dessert easy to remove. Swirl the raspberry purée through the layers with a skewer in a few gentle strokes. Stirring too much will blur the marbled pattern. Leave the tin to set for at least six hours; the exact time depends on your freezer and the tin. Take the semifreddo out of the freezer briefly before slicing so you can cut neat slices.
Toast the almonds separately and sprinkle them over the slices just before serving. That way, they stay crisp. Serve the dessert after a meal with coffee, or with extra fresh raspberries when they’re in season. Keep the semifreddo covered in the freezer and ideally eat it within a week for the best texture and flavour. Slice off only what you need and put the rest straight back.
Line a loaf tin with a capacity of about 1 litre with baking paper. Toast the flaked almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and leave to cool.
Purée 130 g raspberries with 25 g sugar and the lemon juice. Strain the purée if you like to remove the seeds.
Put the egg yolks, 110 g sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over a pan of gently boiling water; the bottom must not touch the water. Whisk continuously until the mixture reaches 71 °C.
Remove the bowl from the pan and beat the mixture with a mixer until pale, thick and cooled. In another bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks.
Stir the buttermilk into the egg yolk mixture. Then fold in the whipped cream in two additions. Roughly crush 220 g raspberries with a fork and gently fold them in.
Spoon a third of the mixture into the tin and swirl some raspberry purée through it with a spoon. Repeat with the rest of the mixture and purée. Run a skewer through the layers a few times to create a marbled pattern.
Cover the tin and freeze for at least 6 hours, until the semifreddo is firm. Leave it on the counter for 10 minutes before slicing. Cut into slices and serve with the toasted flaked almonds.
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