Vanilla Bean Semifreddo

Want to make some ice cream, but don’t want to stuff around with an ice cream maker? Bill Granger hits the nail on the head when he refers to ice cream makers as the “Foot spas of the kitchen… they always end up on the sidewalk, in a garage sale”.With this simple, Bill-inspired recipe, you’ll have a simple semifreddo, and you won’t even have to turn on the stove.

Ingredients

1. 6 Egg Yolks
2. 1/3 cup honey
3. 1 cup cream, whipped
4. 2 Vanilla pods

Directions

1. Beat egg yolks and honey together, with an electric mixer for 5 minutes, until the mixture turns pale in colour, and about doubles in volume.
2. Gently fold through the whipped cream and the seeds from the vanilla pods
3. Freeze overnight, or until mixture reaches the consistency you’re after.

Notes

• Now that you know how to make a basic vanilla ice cream, you can mix anything you want. Chocolate chips, nuts, berries, cookie dough, anything you else you fancy.
• After letting the mixture freeze for about 2 or 3 hours, you can then fold through any mix-ins. This time is needed so the ice cream gets a chance to thicken enough that you mix-ins don’t sink to the bottom.
• You may also substitute different flavourings and essences instead of vanilla bean.
• The original recipe this is based off used rosewater for flavouring, and raspberries and pistachios as a mix-in.
• Consider reducing any fruit juice you use, unless you want to end up with a sorbet.

Prototype Semifreddo

Prototype Semifreddo
Originally uploaded by tunaranch

My attempt at an Orange M&M tribute dessert; Vanilla bean semifreddo with orange M&Ms, and and Orange semifreddo with White M&Ms.

Unfortunately, the shells seem to have dissolved, and because I used fresh orange juice, the orange half became more like a Sorbet. Should reduce the juice to a syrup next time...

The colour on the orange sorbet-freddo is also a little light. Need to pick up some more vibrant dyes.

Baked New York Cheesecake

A denser, citrusy cheesecake. I've added some extra egg whites to this recipe so that it's not too heavy.

Ingredients

1. 1 packet (250g) Ginger Nut biscuits
2. 70g butter, melted
3. 750g cream cheese, softened
4. 1 cup caster sugar
5. 1/4 cup plain flour
6. 2 tsp orange zest
7. 2 tsp lemon zest
8. 4 whole eggs
9. 2 egg whites
10. 2/3 cup thickened cream

Directions

1. Pulse the Ginger Nut biscuites in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
2. Pour in the melted butter, and pulse until the mixted through
3. Line a springform tin with baking paper, and spread the biscuit mixture along the base and sides. Refridgerate until needed
4. In a bowl, beat everything else except eggs and cream until the mixture is smooth.
5. beat in the eggs and egg whites, one at a time
6. Beat in te cream.
7. Pour mixture over base
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 150℃, for about 90 minutes.
9. Cool, and refridgerate, preferably overnight.