The Perfect Refreshing Dessert for Summer
Looking for a cold, flavorful, and creamy sweet treat for the hot days ahead? Then this cherry semifreddo is the fresh dessert you’ve been searching for!
With the heatwave sweeping across Europe right now, I decided it was time to make something chilled. And since I already had a box of delicious Fundão cherries in the fridge, the idea for this cherry semifreddo came to life.
The base of this semifreddo is a homemade cherry jam, which on its own is already delicious and spoon-worthy. Half of the jam is blended and folded into the semifreddo. The rest, with halved cherries, is layered between the semifreddo to add texture and give this irresistible dessert an even more intense flavor.
Now let’s learn how to prepare this delicious treat!
Tips for the freshest, most flavorful cherry semifreddo:
- Nail the jam’s consistency. It should cook until it’s thicker, with a texture similar to store-bought jam. Test it with a spoon—if it coats the back of a spoon easily, it’s ready. It will also firm up a little more as it cools.
- Gently fold the ingredients into the egg whites. It’s essential to use gentle, upward folding motions with a spatula rather than stirring or whisking. This will help the mixture retain its volume and result in the perfect semifreddo texture.
- To unmold: take the semifreddo out of the freezer and place the pan briefly in a tray of hot water for a few seconds. This will help release it from the mold. Carefully pull the edges of the cling film to loosen it further, and invert it onto a serving plate.
Want more icy summer recipes? I recommend the pistachio semifreddo, lime pie, or passion fruit cheesecake.
Without further ado, here’s the recipe!
Cherry Semifreddo
Ingredients
For the cherry jam:
- 600 g cherries (fresh or frozen)
- 250 g white sugar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp cornflour
For the semifreddo
- 4 egg whites (large)
- 50 g white sugar
- 400 ml heavy cream
- cherries for decorating
Instructions
For the cherry jam:
- If using fresh cherries, remove the stems and pits.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cherries with the remaining ingredients, stirring occasionally.
- When the mixture thickens to a jam-like consistency, remove from heat.
- Transfer to a container, cover with cling film, and refrigerate to cool faster.
For the semifreddo:
- Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until foamy.
- Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat until you get a firm meringue.
- Meanwhile, whip the cream until stiff peaks form.
- Blend half of the cherry compote with an immersion blender.
- Gently fold this blended compote into the meringue using a spatula until evenly combined.
- Fold in the whipped cream until fully incorporated.
- Prepare a rectangular mold greased and lined with cling film.
- Pour about 1/3 of the mixture into the mold. Spread some of the chunky cherry jam on top.
- Add another 1/3 of the mixture, followed by more jam.
- Finish with the remaining mixture and cover with cling film.
- Freeze for at least 8 hours or overnight.
- Unmold the semifreddo onto a serving plate.
- Decorate the top with the remaining cherry jam and cherries.
