Last year I made a batch of this cranberry semifreddo. We had the kids over for dinner and I had not the time to make dessert. This is unusual for me, but the very reason I keep ice cream in one form or another in the freezer. Hannah enjoyed it so much she asked for more the next time she came over. And the photo I have shared is as exactly as I dished it up.
Head straight on to the Recipe For ♥ Cranberry Semifreddo ♥
I am an avid watcher of My Kitchen Rules Australia. Most of the time I comment to myself on the menu. And on the choices the contestants make when cooking. Firstly, it would make sense for them to do a trial run on the entire meal. They don’t have to cook for 12 people, but they do need to see if they can get it done well within the time limits. Secondly they need to see if the meal makes sense as a whole. Whilst we are privy to the preparation time of 3 hours, I have no idea how much time there is between the competitors and the judges arriving. And what allowance is made for each course. But I am always surprised at how little gets done in the prep time. I am also shocked that competitors don’t make extras for in case, and also for tasting.
Today’s inspirational recipe from Lavender and Lime ♥ Cranberry Semifreddo ♥ #LavenderAndLime Share on X
Last month I hosted a dinner party. Despite not having 12 people over for dinner, I did have a complex menu. We had ajo blanco to start which is a Spanish almond soup. Main course was braised brisket with mushrooms and tattie scones. And dessert was galaktoboureko, a baked custard in phyllo pastry of Greek origin. I was a little bit all over Europe with my menu, but as this was for pleasure and not competition I was working on memories. I was alone in the kitchen and timed myself during the prep and cooking, up until our guests arrived. It took me 3 hours and 50 minutes to do everything other than the carving of the meat. This included cleaning up and baking a batch of granola while the oven was on. As a bonus, our dinner was amazing and everyone enjoyed the meal.
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Cranberry Semifreddo
Ingredients
- 2 eggs, separated
- 100 g xylitol, divided
- 125 g mascarpone
- 312.5 mls cream
- 5 mls vanilla extract
- 50 g dried cranberries
Method
- Lightly oil a terrine dish (or anything similar) and line with clingfilm, leaving enough of an overhang to cover your semifreddo
- Place the egg yolks into a large mixing bowl, add 50g of the xylitol and whisk until pale
- Add the mascarpone and gently fold in
- Place the egg whites into a stand mixer bowl and whisk until frothy
- Add the remaining xylitol a tablespoon at a time until a stiff meringue forms
- Add this to the egg yolk mixture, and gently fold in
- Place the cream and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk until soft peaks form
- Add this to the egg yolk mixture, and gently fold in
- Pour half into the prepared container and scatter the cranberries over the top
- Pour the rest in, smooth as best you can and and cover with the clingfilm
- Place into the freezer overnight, remove when ready to serve and if serving it whole, unwrap and tip over onto a plate
- Or just scoop it like I did and serve in bowls
View the previous posts on February 21:
- 2022: Bourbon And Orange Glazed Gammon
- 2021: Private Moscow
- 2020: Salsa Verde Couscous
- 2018: Pernod Ricard
- 2016: The Mistake I Made
- 2013: Creamy Lemon Orange Gelato
- 2011: Food Quiz Number 47 For A Friday
Cranberries make a great addition to many dishes. I try to freeze a bag of them when they are in season so I can have them in spring and summer. Of course the dried version was a hit when they started to sell them a number of years ago, so that we could enjoy them all year.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
We very seldom get fresh ones here, but such a great idea to freeze them 🙂
What a deliciously fresh idea. YUMMY!
Thank you Jeanne 🙂
I occasionally make instant ice cream with frozen fruit and an egg-white! Always stuns the guests 🙂 Yes it’s hilarious watching those contestants and thinking -‘just get on with it!’ And taste everything and keep aside a spare one etc etc … But it’s all for show of course, to make it more dramatic.
Yes, it is all about the drama! And your ice cream sounds interesting 🙂
Now wonderful! I love cranberry ice cream, but I’ve never used dried cranberries. Also, loving the use of mascarpone here.
Thank you Ben 🙂
Your dinner party sounds like it was great. You served a splendid dinner.
Thank you Robbie 🙂
The ice cream looks so delicious; I can see why Hannah loved it. I very seldom cook the day of a dinner party- I get too worn out so I prep everything the day before and make everything in advance except the rice or vegetables.
I wish I had time to be that organized!