Chocolate Semifreddo With Chile Chocolate Sauce Recipes

CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO WITH CHILE-CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• For semifreddo:
• Spray a 9x4 1/2 x 3" loaf pan with nonstick spray. Line with plastic wrap, leaving a 2" overhang; set aside. Whisk egg whites and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering water until sugar dissolves and egg whites are warm (but not hot), about 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed until cool, tripled in volume, and stiff peaks form, about 8 minutes. (If egg whites look grainy, you've gone too far.)
• Stir chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl over same saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth; remove from heat; let cool slightly.
• Beat cream in another medium bowl until medium-stiff peaks form (cream should be soft and pillowy; peaks will just fall onto themselves). Using a rubber spatula, gently fold egg whites into warm chocolate. Fold in whipped cream. (Stop folding as soon as mixture becomes one smooth texture and light brown color.) Scrape semifreddo into prepared pan; smooth top. Cover tightly and freeze until firm, 3-4 hours. DO AHEAD: Semifreddo can be made 5 days ahead. Keep tightly wrapped and frozen.
• For chile-chocolate sauce:
• Bring first 5 ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and cover. Let steep for 15 minutes.
• Place chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl; set aside. Strain milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a medium bowl; return to saucepan. Bring to a boil. Gradually pour milk mixture over chocolate, stirring until melted and smooth. Stir in tequila, if using. DO AHEAD: Sauce can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool completely. Cover and chill. Gently rewarm before continuing.
• Cinnamon whipped cream and assembly:
• Combine cream, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl; scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; discard bean. Using an electric mixer, beat until soft peaks form.
• Uncover semifreddo and invert onto a platter. Lift pan and discard plastic wrap. Using a knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, cut semifreddo into clean slices. Transfer to plates. Garnish with cinnamon whipped cream and warm chile-chocolate sauce, if desired. Sprinkle almonds over.

CHOCOLATE SEMIFREDDO

Steps:

• Line the bottom and sides of a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 4 to 5 inches to extend over all sides.
• Stir cookie crumbs and almonds together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Place chopped bittersweet and semisweet chocolate in a large bowl and set a fine wire-mesh strainer over the bowl; set aside.
• Whisk eggs, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl until well combined.
• Heat 1/2 cup cream and water in a small saucepan over medium heat until mixture begins to simmer, 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly whisk hot cream mixture into egg mixture until completely combined. Return mixture to the saucepan and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula and scraping the bottom of the pan, until mixture is slightly thickened and registers 160 to 165 degrees F (70 to 74 degrees C), 4 to 5 minutes. Do not let mixture simmer.
• Immediately pour into the strainer over the chocolate. Discard any solids left in the strainer. Let chocolate mixture stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth; whisk in vanilla and almond extracts. Let stand until completely cool, about 15 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 1/2 cups cream with an electric stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, on medium-high speed until soft peaks form, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.
• Whisk 1/3 of whipped cream into chocolate mixture until completely combined. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into the chocolate mixture using a rubber spatula until incorporated and no streaks of whipped cream remain. Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth evenly with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with cookie crumb mixture.
• Pull excess plastic wrap at sides tightly over cake, gently pressing down on cookie crumb mixture. Freeze, 12 to 24 hours.
• Lift semifreddo from pan, using plastic wrap as handles, and transfer to a serving plate. Let stand for 15 minutes. Cut semifreddo into 8 slices, using a serrated knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each slice.

BERRY SEMIFREDDO WITH WARM CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to fan 90C/ conventional 110C/gas 1⁄4 and cover a baking sheet with baking parchment. Tip the egg whites into a large bowl, sprinkle in the coffee powder and whisk until the whites are stiff. Add half the caster sugar and whisk in well, then tip in the remaining sugar and the chopped hazelnuts and whisk until blended and standing in stiff peaks.
• Spread the meringue mixture to a depth of about 2cm on the baking parchment (any shape will do as you're going to break it up later). Bake for 3 hours until crisp right through. Remove and cool.
• Cut out a 28cm circle of baking parchment and make 10cm cuts towards the centre all the way round. Use this to line the bottom and sides of a loose-bottomed 20cm round cake tin.
• Pour the cream from both cartons into a bowl and whip until it just holds its shape. Break the meringue into smallish pieces with your hands. Set aside about a third of the meringue for the top of the cake, and mix the rest into the cream. Spread out about a third of the cream mixture in the bottom of the tin and cover with half the frozen berries. Repeat these layers once more, then cover with the remaining cream mixture and top with the reserved meringue. Cover the cake with cling film and compress evenly with a small plate that fits inside the tin. Wrap in foil, label and freeze for up to a month.
• Make the sauce. Put the cream and golden syrup in a small pan with 3 tbsp water. Heat until just bubbling, then turn the heat down to low and add the chocolate and butter. Heat gently, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Pour into a freezer container, cool, seal, label and freeze for up to a month.
• On the day transfer the cake and the chocolate sauce from the freezer to the fridge 8 hours before you plan to serve. After 2-3 hours, take out the cake. Unwrap it and carefully balance the cake tin on a jam jar or can, then push down on the sides of the tin to release. Peel away the baking parchment from the sides. Now lift the cake off the base of the tin, discarding the parchment underneath (a wide palette knife or fish slice will help here) and stand the cake on a serving plate. Return to the fridge for 5 hours before serving with the chocolate sauce.
• To warm the chocolate sauce, pour it into a heatproof bowl over a pan with a little hot water in the bottom and heat gently, stirring occasionally, until warm, smooth and glossy.