The coffee semifreddo is a spoon dessert always much appreciated by everyone, ideal to enjoy in summer for its freshness.
It has always been considered an elegant dessert, but it is also very practical and versatile: a semifreddo requires just a few simple ingredients, it does not require cooking and you can easily have fun customizing different combinations and decorations and making it in the shape you prefer, from the traditional tile to single-serving glasses.
The recipe I am proposing to you involves pairing coffee with coconut and a very fragrant spice that is vanilla.
A successful marriage that offers aromatic taste experiences with slightly exotic scents that, in the warm season, we all appreciate.
The roundness and sweetness of coconut combine really well with the bitter hint of coffee.
In this recipe I used the blend of caffè Velluto, a real specialty, in limited edition, coming from selected plantations in Central America. This blend is composed of 70% Robusta, which gives it a characteristic intense taste of bitter cocoa and a very pleasant velvety consistency. Its aroma, rich and soft, I found it perfect for making this semifreddo.
Another nice feature of this dessert is that you can prepare it in advance, even days in advance, bring it to the table when needed or always have it ready in case of unexpected visitors or dinners organized at the last minute.
You will certainly make a great impression and satisfy even the most demanding palates.
This recipe may seem a little elaborate since it involves several steps, but in reality they are all simple.
Preparing the Italian meringue will allow you to have a very creamy dessert, with the ideal consistency, in addition to the certainty of having the egg whites pasteurized.
When your semifreddo is ready to serve, decorate it as you prefer: I served it with a sprinkling of coffee, some crunchy flakes of desiccated coconut, a few delicate mint leaves and some coffee beans covered in chocolate.
Other ideas could be a drizzle of melted dark chocolate, or even white chocolate chips, a sprinkling of cocoa or chopped dried fruit that in this semifreddo could be almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and macadamia nuts.
Summer is upon us and this semifreddo with an intense and delicious flavor will not disappoint you. Also offer it as an excellent alternative to a hot coffee at the end of the meal.
INGREDIENTS
for a log mold
For the coffee cream
30 ml of coffee made with Velluto blend
60 g of fine granulated sugar
65 ml of whole milk
1 egg yolk
1 level tablespoon of brown sugar
1 level tablespoon of 0 flour
a pinch of salt
For the Italian meringue
60 g of egg white
160 g sugar
35 ml water
a pinch of salt
For assembly
250 g fresh whipping cream
2 teaspoons Velluto blend coffee powder
2 tablespoons coconut flour
For decoration
qb Velluto blend coffee powder
qb dehydrated coconut flakes
qb covered coffee beans of chocolate
PROCEDURE
For the coffee cream
Prepare a coffee syrup, taking the coffee boiling and pouring it into a bowl with the sugar and stir until it has dissolved. Let it cool.
Place the egg yolk, sugar and flour in a saucepan and mix well with a small whisk. Pour in the milk that you have heated, then mix until you obtain a mixture without lumps. Now place the saucepan with the cream on the stove on a low flame and continue until it has thickened. Finally add the syrup to the coffee and mix everything well.
For the hot meringue
Put the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring the mixture to 121°C.
In the meantime, put the egg whites in a bowl with a pinch of salt, beat them lightly with an electric whisk and, as soon as the syrup reaches 121°C, pour it slowly over the egg whites, continuing to beat until they cool and the mixture is nice and shiny and firm.
Assembly
Whip the cream, a little soft. Now delicately combine, making movements from top to bottom, both the coffee cream and the meringue, to obtain a smooth mixture. Add to the mixture one or two teaspoons of coffee powder and coconut flour, to your taste. Take a silicone log mold or cover it with cling film and pour the mixture of coffee and coconut. Place the mold in the freezer for at least 12 hours (after about an hour you can also cover the upper part of the mold with cling film).
Service
When you want to bring the semifreddo to the table, remove it from the freezer, turn it upside down on a rectangular tray and decorate it as you like, with coconut flakes, coffee powder and chocolate beans.
