Semifreddo alle fragole

This Strawberry Semifreddo may be easy to make, but it's guaranteed to elicit oohs and aahs from your guests.

I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but I love me a semifreddo. As mentioned our earlier post on the subject, a semifreddo is one of the easier Italian frozen desserts to make at home. The initial prep takes perhaps 20 minutes (assuming you have a standing or hand mixer) and then you need only arm yourself with patience for a few hours while it firms up in the freezer.

Unlike other frozen desserts like gelato, sorbetto or granita, no churning or stirring is needed to make a semifreddo. Essentially a frozen mousse, it remains fluffy and creamy because of the egg yolks, egg whites and cream, which are each whipped separately with the sugar until frothy. The air and sugar, along with the optional liqueur, keeps the semifreddogetting too cold and hardening too much. That said, like other frozen desserts, a semifreddo improves after a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

Once you've gotten the basic technique down, you can make almost infinite varieties of semifreddi. In the spring, my go to is semifreddo alle fragole or Strawberry Semifreddo. You prepare the basic batter, then fold in a quickly made strawberry purée, which I like to lace with a drizzle of Cointreau. After pouring this batter into a mold, either a loaf pan for serving homestyle or individual molds for a more elegant touch, it's into the freezer.

You can serve your semifreddo alle fragole if you like accompanied with fresh strawberries or a coulis, or both. A few mint leaves wouldn't be amiss, either. It's quite a sight to behold. It may be easy, but a semifreddo alla fragole looks awfully elegant—a kind of gussied up version of strawberries and cream—guaranteed to elicit oohs and aahs from your guests.

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Vox Populi…

Well, the results of last week’s poll on a possible Memorie di Angelina cookbook are in. And the responses were overwhelmingly positive.

71% of respondents said they’be interested in a cookbook and a further 19% might be, for a total of 91%. Most respondents want a physical book (67%) or both a physical and an e-book (23%).

So it sounds like a plan! It’s inspiring to know there so much interest out there. Thanks so much to all of you who took the time to respond to the poll, left comments and sent me DMs and emails as well.

Now I just need to get started. Truth to tell, I’m a complete neophyte so if you have any experience in publishing don’t hesitate to send in your thoughts and advice.

And in other news…

And by the way, I’m also assisting on another publishing project that I’m sure many of you would be interested in: the first English language translation of the classic La Cucina Napoletana by Jeanne Caròla Francesconi. As regular readers will know, this is the book on Neapolitan cuisine and a major inspiration for many recipes on Memorie di Angelina. And yet, it’s still hasn’t been translated into English, or any other language as far as I’m aware.

This is a joint project with a reader with a passion for Neapolitan cuisine. He wrote to ask for some back up with translation and writing style, which I’m happy to do. But, to be clear, the effort is 90% his.

Will keep you posted as that project moves forward.

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You might also like…

Tiramisù alle fragole (Strawberry Tiramisu)

Tiramisù is one of those desserts everybody’s tried, and it seems just about everyone loves. But did you know that there are seasonal riffs on the classic recipe? Tiramisù alle fragole, or Strawberry Tiramisù, makes that iconic springtime fruit the star of your dessert. The technique is just like the one for the classic coffee and cocoa flavored version, but switches out the coffee for a strawberry coulis and bits of macerated fruit, and uses strawberries as a topping instead of the usual dusting of cocoa.

If you ask me, tiramisù alle fragole is every bit as appealing as the original. And if you like strawberries—and who doesn’t?—you may find you like this version even more. So why not give it a try while strawberries are still in season?

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Fragole al vino rosso (Strawberries in Red Wine)

We’re in the midst of strawberry season, that blessed time of year when you can buy strawberries from local farmers that actually taste like strawberries. Imagine that!

Those berries are so sweet and juicy, you can enjoy them just as they are. But if you want to dress them up just a little, try fragole al vino rosso or Strawberries in Red Wine, tossed in sugar and lemon juice in typical Italian fashion as you would for a fruit salad, and then macerated in red wine. The sugar and lemon intensify the strawberry flavor; the wine provides its own delicious complement.

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Fragole all’aceto balsamico (Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar)

One easy and effective way to coax some flavor out of the mediocre fruits you all too often find in these days of industrial agriculture is to macerate them. In this classic dessert from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar, the usual Italian method for macerating fruit in sugar and lemon juice is taken up a notch in the simplest but most exquisite way: with a drizzle of fine balsamic vinegar. It’ll turn even the most insipid supermarket strawberries into something worth eating, good strawberries into something remarkable. And if you’re lucky enough to have access to wild strawberries—fragoline di bosco in Italian—you’re in for a superb treat.

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Budino di ricotta al coulis di fragole (Ricotta Pudding with Strawberry Coulis)

This elegant but easy dessert is a kind of dressed up version of Angelina’s humble pizza dolce, Italian style cheesecake. The basic recipe for this ricotta pudding calls for just ricotta, eggs and sugar. It’s simple but perfectly delicious. But if you like, you can add various the fillings and toppings according to the season and your whim. Here the pudding is dressed in a velvety red strawberry coulis.