It’s been a while since we posted a nice recipe on our website. It is still cold out, very cold indeed, but when it comes to desserts, it doesn’t really matter if they’re chilled, right? This recipe puts together two of the best things you can possibly find: chocolate and vanilla, in the form of a luscious semifreddo with a lovely, rich sauce.
Before giving you all the information to make this delicious dish at home, let’s say a few words about it.
Semifreddo is a very popular dessert in Italian cuisine and it is made mixing two part of gelato, with one part of whipped cream; you would then freeze the mixture and usually serve it with fruit, coulis or sauces. This recipe is perfect to try semifreddo for the first time, as it uses fresh ingredients and flavors we all love. It is also incredibly simple to make.
Take note of what you need to pick up at the supermarket:

- 60 gr of walnuts
- 4 large eggs (better if free range!)
- 300 gr of whipped cream
- 125 gr of sugar
- a glass of milk
- one tablespoon of vanilla essence (or a couple of vanilla pods)
- 60 gr of white chocolate

As per usual, the better the quality of the ingredients, the better the results so go for the freshest stuff you can find and choose vanilla pods over vanilla essence if you can.
Heat up about half of the sugar with a teaspoon of water until it caramelizes, then add the roughly chopped walnuts to it. Stir them in and keep on the heat for a few minutes, then pour the mixture on a large plate and let it cool: and here you have it, homemade walnut brittle! Once it is cold, chop it very finely and set it apart.
Bring some water to the boil, then place a large bowl on top of the pan to cook the semifreddo mixture in the bain mairie: add the 4 egg yolks, 40 grams of sugar and mix well, then add the white chocolate and let it melt. Once the mixture is cooled, add the whipped cream and the chopped walnut brittle. Place in small containers and freeze for at least 2 hours.
While the semifreddo is cooling in your freezer, you can get started on the sauce: bring the milk to the boil, add the sugar and the vanilla pods. Stir well, then take off the heat and let it rest for about 45 minutes, so that the vanilla pods may infuse the milk with their wonderful aroma. Fish the pods out of the milk, place on the heat again and add a beaten egg yolk to the milk, then cook until it becomes thick.
Pour some sauce on a small dessert plate, then place the semifreddo on top: enjoy with a nice cup of coffee!