Sunday 3 July 2011

My Semifreddo is Hot! Semifreddo al ribes rosso ( Red Currant, Biscuit and Vanilla Flavour Semifreddo)


I come from a city on the Adriatic Coast, where, though you would be able to grow figs, dates and even bananas, it's so hot, you'd never ever would grow a red, a white or a black currant. A colder climate suits currants better.
I like the beauty of red currants: the tiny little translucent berries look as if they were made from very expensive Murano glass. Red currants are like tiny, shiny rubies. So beautiful! "Too beautiful to eat" I thought the first time I saw them...




I bought a large punnet of red currants, which someone had grown in their garden and wanted to use them to make something really pretty and Italian and... yes, I actually found a semifreddo recipe where one of the delicious ingredients was... red currants!
I love semifreddo, even just plain, vanilla flavoured semifreddo. This recipe combines the creamy sweetness of vanilla cream semifreddo with the gorgeous taste and colour of red currants.


It's easy to make and it will be the last sweet I make and post for a while, as I already have posted a lot of "sweet" recipes. The thing is: taking photos of cakes, biscuits and pastries is so much fun!

Il mio semifreddo preferito al ribes rosso
(My favourite Red Currant Semifreddo)
Ingredients:
(Makes 5-6 slices)
4,5 dl ( just over 3/4 of a pint) fresh whipping or double cream
100g (4 oz) icing (confectioner's) sugar
50 g ( 2 oz) biscuits (any kind you like!)
few drops vanilla extract
150 g ( 5 oz) red currants
  
To crystallized currants for garnish:
a few small bunches of red currant 
1 tbs sugar
the white of one egg
Before you begin, you need to get rid of all the stalks on your currants. The quickest way is to run a fork through the bunchlets, as if you were "combing " them. Alternately, you can pick every berry, like you do with grapes.
Next, crumble your biscuits very roughly ( don't make it into thin crumble) next, whip your cream, then fold your icing sugar into it and add a few drops of vanilla extract.



Divide the cream between two cold bowls: pour the biscuits into one bowl and the currants into the other, to create two different textures, flavours and colours. You can puree the berries if you like. I didn't, as I didn't want to crush the pips. I still got a delicate pink mixture with a fantastic taste.



You now have two lots of cream and they both taste delicious! I know, because I tasted them!

 

Line a bread or plum cake tin with cling film, make sure you have some overlapping, on the outside of the tin. Make layers of pink and white cream (I made two layers) Cover with cling film and freeze for at least 4 hours.



I had a lot of berries, so I decided to make a coulis to go with my semifreddo. I put 200g of berries in a pan with a couple of tablespoons of water and 3 tbsp of sugar. I cooked on a moderate heat for a few minutes, then sieved. I ended up with a silky, ruby red thick sauce, liquid enough to be poured. As this is a creamy pudding, I decided to also serve it with my home made crunchy flower biscuits. The recipe I used for these is the same as my crostata dough. If I had not forgotten them in the oven, I wouldn't have burnt half of them! Mummy's girl...



Coulis and biscuits

Semifreddo is a fantastic Summer and Winter pudding, as, at Christmas time you could use cranberries instead of red currants and then decorate your semifreddo so it looks like something that Rossetti would have painted, being as decadent as he was! I so love looking at things which look beautiful!


My Semifreddo really looks "Hot!"

23 comments:

  1. I love it how we share things that we miss from our respective countries with each other Anna. Your semi freddo looks delicious, we are not great sweet eaters preferring to eat the fruit freshly harvested. However if we had guests this would be ideal but I would have to use another fruit wouldn't I, no redcurrants where we are. :)

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  2. Hi Lindy! I just tried posting a comment... where did it go? I share your opinion about eating fruit rather than puddings. I love exotic fruit, though! Like you, I tend to make puddings for guests. My favourite puddings are: creme brulee, cannoli (or anything with ricotta or cream) and I like semifreddo... it's a really lovely "thing" and good for taking photos of!If I had to pick an absolute winner Granita di caffe` alla panna would get the OSCAR!

    I'll be in Italy, soon!

    BUONA DOMENICA

    ANNA

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  3. Ciao Anna! Thank you for sharing your recipe, it sounds and looks absolutely delicious!
    I'm hopeless in the kitchen,today I made my very 1st cheesecake and if I'll ever survive after having once slice, one day I'll venture myself in the land of Semifreddo! :D

    P.S. May I be cheeky and ask you where are you from? :-)

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  4. Ciao a te, Michaela. You asked where I am from and I am going to tell you. I was born in the centre of the beautiful city of Bari, city celebrated by the Latin poet Horace and by all those who love Her.

    Bari is possibly the only city in Italy which is not "in the red," a wealthy city, where it's all happening, not thanks to signor Berlusconi and the likes of him. Nichi Vendola, the smartest Italian politician, was born and educated in Bari. One day he will be a Prime Minister we don't have to be ashamed of!

    Bari is my city and I love it!

    Now, Michaela, well done for making cheesecake, which I love. Try my semifreddo recipe. You can use strawberries, peach, or any fruit you like, instead of red currants. It's light and So delicious! And really, really easy! You can do it, girl!

    A presto. Give my love and heart to Venezia. You do live in Venice, don't you?

    ANNA

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  5. Anna, I wanted to reply you by email, but your address is not shown :-(
    Actually I live on the Venitian mainland, only 10 minutes by car from Venice, that's why I have such a big and fruitful garden (thank you for your lovely comments about it)
    This message is the evidence that I survived my own cheesecake, so why not trying to give it a go?!
    Oh, you're from Apulia then, such a beautiful region, I've been only to Vieste, but would love to visit Salento one day and stay in a Masseria!
    I don't like our Prime Minister too, he's really causing us great embarrassment, especially abroad.
    Ciao, hope you can come to Italy and enjoy our hot Summer for a while?!

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  6. Dear Michela,

    I'm glad you survived your own cheesecake! I survived mine, too, when I made them. Yes, I have given it a go... many goes, in fact! You should see my cheesecakes topped with chrystalized grapes (bunches of it!) and vine leaves. So beautiful to look at!I especially like Delia Smith's uncooked cheesecake recipe. It's light and delicious. I do love English food.
    I am off to Italy in a couple of weeks. We were there in April. We have a lovely place in Campania, with olive trees, my plants, my oleander I love and a few cats who visit every day, as we love to spoil and play with them. I love Italy!

    Ciao

    ANNA

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  7. Anna - this Semifreddo looks absolutely scrumptious.Your description of the redcurrents resembling murano glass is a perfect analogy. Figs are my all time favourite fruit, especially when eaten in Italy.
    Again a wonderful posting and you cook, like you live your life, with passion and enthusiasm
    Have a really beautiful week.

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  8. Hello Anna, another beautiful collection of photographs and recipes, it looks a delicious summer pudding and perfect for the sunny weather we're having. Hope you had a happy weekend, Jane x

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  9. Ciao Anna, me again as I wanted to respond to your kind words about our garden but I am unable to reply direct, did you realise you can change this option making it easier to respond to your questions? :)

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  10. Hi Helen!
    You are so right about figs. Every morning, in Italy, where we have two or three fig trees, I go outside and eat my "breakfast" fresh from the tree. What could be better? Fresh fruit, blue sea, blue sky... yes, please! Can't wait to get there!

    ANNA

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  11. Jane, I see you had quite a good day on Saturday and ... it didn't rain! I'm glad you like my photographs, as I really love styling the food so it looks beautiful.

    It's very hot here, today, but I don't complain!

    Ciao

    ANNA

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  12. Lindy, I just assumed that you didn't reply, because on your blog it says that you only reply by email. I sometimes comment on Jane's or helen's posts and they are able to reply. I'll look into it, though.

    Grazie mille

    ANNA

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  13. Me again, I just tried to reply to your Sunday Song comment but it says "Sender reply address says do not reply" It is a setting within blogger under comments I think you need to change if that helps.

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  14. Lindy, the only thing I can see, below the comment box, is the "thinghy" which says: Comment as: Google account, Open ID, URL... etc." or "Subscribe by email"
    Do I have to sign in as something else, rather than my Google Account? As I don't see anything else.

    Buona serata

    ANNA

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  15. No Anna it is something you do from your dashboard but unfortunately I cannot recall how to enable it which you have to do as some people prefer that you cannot reply to them. Sorry I am useless technically.

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  16. Lindy, I think it's the Open ID thing I should change. The only thing is that every time I make changes I seem to lose a feature! In fact, if I want to see who my followers are, I have to use Firefox, rather than my AOL. Why don't you change your settings so you can reply on your blog, like we all seem to do. I think it's better that way, more open, more exchange and nice. Don't you think? Anyway, I'll look into the open ID. Still love your blog...

    CIAO (anche qui fa nolto caldo, oggi! Come in Italia!)

    ANNA

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  17. Oh well never mind! I do not need to change my settings I can reply on my blog if I wish to, however I had to stop doing so as it was becoming too cumbersome with the number of comments and I discovered that the majority of commenters never return to see your response! In fact I never normally subscribe to comments as my in box would be over loaded. I still respond on posts on my book blog but it has far less followers. Maybe I can make an exception for you do you subscribe to replies? Stormy here today.

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  18. Greetings from Southern California

    I am your newest follower.

    I invite you to follow TOGB.

    God bless and have a Nice Day :-)

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  19. Thank you "OLD GEEZER!" and welcome to my blog.

    I will certainly visit yours!

    ANNA

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  20. Lindy, I will have a look tomorrow as I have to do some writing now. You are very kind. Thanks.

    It was very hot today and sunny, but it's raining now. It's nice... I cam smell the earth as I write.

    Buona notte

    ANNA

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  21. Lindy, I subscribed by email. See if it works!

    Buon pomeriggio

    ANNA

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  22. This link might help
    http://eisymorgan.blogspot.com/2011/07/blogging-tips-tricks-are-you-no-reply.html

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  23. Hi! Your semifreddo recipe was nominated as one of the "Best 300 Semifreddo Recipes on the Net". To vote for it, please visit http://easyitalianrecipes.org/dessert-recipes/best-300-italian-semifreddo-recipes-on-the-net-vote-for-your-favorite/ - your recipe is positioned at #55 (random order).

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