Recipes

Maple–Cherry Semifreddo

Christopher Edwards

Restaurant Eugene, Atlanta

Christopher Edwards served this semifreddo with a dark chocolate cake and roasted nut turrón at his Beard House dinner. Maple syrup lends this frozen dessert a deep, robust flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whipping cream
  • 8 egg yolks
  • 1 3/4 cups raw cane sugar, divided
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup, divided
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup dried cherries
  • 1/4 cup fresh cherries, pitted
  • 1/4 cup water
  • Zest of 1 lemon

Method

Line a 48-ounce loaf pan with plastic wrap, using enough so that about 4 inches of plastic hangs over the edges of the pan.

Whip the whipping cream to soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.

In a large bowl set over a pot of boiling water, whisk together the egg yolks, 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, and salt. Continue to stir until the mixture is very thick and coats the back of a spoon, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip the mixture until it has doubled in volume. Fold in the whipped cream and dried cherries. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan, cover loosely with the overhanging plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.

When ready to serve, combine the fresh cherries, water, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1 tablespoon maple syrup in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil and cook over low heat until the sauce reaches a syrupy thickness, about 7 minutes. Stir in the lemon zest.

Remove the frozen semifreddo by inverting the loaf pan onto a cutting board and carefully removing the plastic wrap. Slice the semifreddo into individual portions and serve with the warm sauce.

Yield

12 servings