Go Back
Print
Rose Harissa Rhubarb Raspberry Semifreddo

Rose Harissa Rhubarb and Raspberry Semifreddo

This easy breezy Italian dairy dessert with a frozen mousse-like texture comes together with less effort than ice cream, but will totally satisfy all your creamy cravings!  Sliced instead of scooped, it makes for a wonderful dessert for company.  Top it in a myriad of ways, including a spicy rhubarb compote

Course Dessert
Cuisine Italian
Prep Time 50 minutes
Chilling 6 hours
Servings 10 slices

Ingredients

Rhubarb Purée

  • 12 oz (340 grams) rhubarb stalks, leaves removed
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 tsp rose harissa
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Semifreddo

  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups (355ml)heavy cream (whipping cream)
  • 1 cup raspberries rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/2 cup (60 grams) chopped or slivered pistachios
  • Lightly sweetened whipped cream for serving if desired

Spicy Rhubarb Compote

  • 1 pound (450 grams) rhubarb stalks, leaves removed
  • 2 inch (5cm) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated finely
  • 1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/4 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar
  • 1 whole star anise
  • 1/2 tsp ground cloves
  • 1 lemon juiced (about 3 tbsp)

Instructions

Rhubarb Purée

  1. Position a rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 375F (190C)
  2. Line a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, making sure there is at least 3 inches of overhang on each side.
  3. Slice the rhubarb stalks into 2 inch pieces and put them into a baking dish large enough to hold them all in one layer.
  4. Sprinkle them with 3/4 cup of sugar, the harissa powder and the salt. Toss gently to combine. Bake until the rhubarb is soft and juicy, about 15 minutes.
  5. Remove and let cool slightly.
  6. Place everything into a blender or food processor and blend till smooth. You should have about 2 cups worth of purée. Refrigerate till needed.

Semifreddo

  1. Whip (use your whip attachment) the eggs in an stand mixer with the remaining 1/4 of sugar on high speed. Whip until the eggs are light in colour, and almost tripled in volume, this should take about 7-8 minutes.
  2. In a separate bowl, whip the cream with clean beaters. Start of slow but gradually increase speed till it is on high. Whip until the cream has achieved peaks, just not stiff ones.
  3. Take the chilled rhubarb purée and a hand whisk to blend them gently into the eggs. They should be well combined- this will take a few minutes, keep at it. Don't be worried if some of the egg volume drops.
  4. Take some of the whipped cream and fold it gently into the egg and rhubarb mixture. Once that is folded in, add more, until everything is combined.
  5. Gently fold in the raspberries.
  6. Now pour the entire mixture into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top. Fold the plastic wrap over the top. Freeze until completely firm, at least 6 hours to overnight.
  7. When ready to serve, remove the loaf pan from the freezer, and let it warm up slightly, about 2 minutes or so.
  8. Uncover the surface of the semifreddo. Turn the loaf pan over onto a cutting board or platter. Gently pull the plastic away from the frozen mass.
  9. Slice into thick slices (you should be able to get 8-10 slices easy from the loaf) and serve on a plate with your preferred toppings.
  10. Some sweetened whipped cream, chopped pistachios, fresh berries or the rhubarb compote below all work great.
  11. Store any unused semifreddo in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Spicy Rhubarb Compote

  1. Chop the rhubarb into 1/2 pieces and place them in a non-reactive pot (stainless steel)

  2. Use the tip of a knife to spit open the vanilla bean, and the back of the knife to scrape out the seeds.

  3. Add the the ginger, vanilla seeds and the seed pod, the sugar, star anise and cloves into the pot as well.
  4. Finally add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Cover with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let it sit for about 2 hours at room temperature. After this rest, the rhubarb should be quite juicy.
  5. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
  6. Stir occasionally to make sure nothing is sticking and scorching on the bottom. Use a rubber spatula.
  7. Keep cooking till thickened and jammy (or thickened to the consistency you would like), 10-15 minutes.
  8. Remove the star anise and the vanilla pod (if you didn't use extract)
  9. Let the rhubarb cool before storing in containers.
  10. This recipe makes about 3 cups, depending on how much you cook it down. It can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month, or if placed into correct containers, frozen for a few months. You can use this on ice cream, yogurt, in smoothies, on toast etc.

Recipe Notes

A total riff on Yossy Arefi's Rhubarb Semifreddo recipe from 'Sweeter Off The Vine'.