Spiced Honey Semifreddo with Dried Fruit and Almonds
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 8 servings
- Nutritional Analysis Per Serving (1 of 8 servings): Calories 512, Total Fat 27 g, Saturated Fat 13 g, Carbohydrates 64 g, Dietary Fiber 4 g, Sugar 59 g, Protein 8 g, Cholesterol 207 mg, Sodium 58 mg
- Total time: 2 hr 58 min
- Prep: 40 min
- Inactive: 2 hr
- Cook: 18 min
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups milk
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon amaretto liqueur
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Spiced Honey
- 6 figs, fresh or dried, quartered
- 6 dates, pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 cinnamon stick
Garnish: Amaretto cookies, crumbled
Instructions
- Heat milk in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it just begins to boil.
- Whisk egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl for about 3 minutes until the mixture lightens. Slowly stream in the hot milk while whisking to temper the yolks, then return to the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickly coats the back of a spoon (4-5 minutes). Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and amaretto, then chill completely in the refrigerator or using a water bath.
- Preheat your oven to 350F (175C). Toast the chopped almonds on a baking sheet for 7-10 minutes until golden and fragrant.
- Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream together with the cooled custard and toasted almonds. Transfer to a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan, cover, and freeze until firm.
- Combine figs, dates, honey, water, lemon juice, and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes until the fruit softens. Cool slightly and remove the cinnamon stick.
- To serve, briefly dip the loaf pan bottom in hot water for about 5 seconds. Invert onto a serving platter, slice, and plate the portions. Top with spiced honey, softened dried fruit, and crumbled amaretto cookies for added texture and elegance.
