RECIPE
© Antonis Achilleos
Semifreddo S'mores
- Contributed by Mathew Rice
- ACTIVE: 50 MIN
- TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS 25 MIN
-
SERVINGS:
8
Semifreddo, the luscious Italian dessert, is cold and creamy like ice cream but much simpler to make. Pastry chef Mathew Rice's favorite is toasted marshmallow, which he serves with salted milk-chocolate sauce and graham crackersan homage to s'mores, and what he calls his "holy trinity."
- ACTIVE: 50 MIN
- TOTAL TIME: 4 HRS 25 MIN
-
SERVINGS:
8
- MAKE-AHEAD
- STAFF-FAVORITE
- VEGETARIAN
Ingredients
-
Semifreddo
- 2 cups Marshmallow Fluff
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 8 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup water
-
Graham Crackers
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 teaspoon salt
-
Milk-Chocolate Sauce
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 cup milk-chocolate chips
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt, such as Maldon
Directions
- Preheat the broiler. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly spray the parchment with vegetable oil spray. Spread the Marshmallow Fluff on the parchment in an even 1/2-inch-thick layer. Broil the Fluff for 1 minute, until golden brown all over. Let stand until cool, then fold the fluff a few times to slightly incorporate the browned top.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream at medium-high speed until it holds firm peaks. Refrigerate the whipped cream until ready to use. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg yolks at medium-high speed until pale, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the water and bring to a boil. Boil over moderately high heat until the syrup reaches 235° on a candy thermometer, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately.
- With the mixer at medium speed, gradually pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg yolks, then beat at medium-high speed until tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. Fold in the chilled whipped cream until no streaks remain.
- Using a fork, pull off 1-inch chunks of the marshmallow and fold into the whipped cream. Scrape the semifreddo into an 8-by-11 1/2-inch glass dish, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 4 hours, until frozen.
- Preheat the oven to 325°. Line an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a standing mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar and honey at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour and the salt and mix at low speed until just combined.
- Turn the dough out onto the prepared baking sheet and pat it into a disk. Lightly dust the dough with flour and roll it out to a 1/4-inch thickness. Bake for 30 minutes, until golden; turn the baking sheet halfway through for even browning. Let stand until completely cool, about 1 hour, then break into 3-inch shards.
- In a small saucepan, bring the brown sugar, corn syrup, heavy cream and cocoa powder to a simmer. Cook over moderately high heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat. Stir in the chocolate chips and vanilla until smooth. Pour the sauce into a small pitcher and let stand until cooled slightly, about 30 minutes. Stir in the salt just before serving.
- Let the semifreddo stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop the semifreddo into bowls and top with the warm chocolate sauce. Garnish with the graham cracker shards and serve.