Pudding

Summer Berry & Lemon Semifreddo

Summer brings long lazy days and lots of outdoor entertaining. You don’t want to be languishing in the kitchen too long so have a couple of desserts in the freezer ready to go. This recipe includes sweet and tangy summer berries and smooth no churn ice cream to make a semifreddo, when you’re ready to serve sprinkle over a pistachio and shortbread crumb.

50 minutes, freeze time 4 hours prep,

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

300g fresh or frozen summer berries (a mix of strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, red currants and black berries works well)

150g good quality lemon curd

1 tbsp limoncello (optional)

50g caster sugar

3 Large Clarence Court Burford Brown eggs, separated

Zest of 2 unwaxed lemons

400ml double cream

50g shelled unsalted, pistachios (blanched if you can find them)

50g good quality shortbread biscuit

Method

Line a 2lb loaf tin with a long strip of greaseproof paper that lines the base and goes up the shorter sides of the tin to leave overhang, this makes it a lot easier to remove or you can fully line the tin with cling film. Then place the tin in the freezer to chill.

Place 150g of the berries into a small saucepan. Simmer on a low heat for around 20 minutes until the fruit has broken down, strain through a sieve into a bowl and allow to cool.

Mix the lemon curd with the limoncello (if using) and place to one side.

Meanwhile place the egg yolks and sugar in a large mixing bowl and whisk until pale then stir in the lemon zest. In a separate bowl whisk the cream to soft peaks. Then in another bowl whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Carefully fold with cream and egg whites into the egg yolk mixture using a large metal spoon.

Remove the tin from the freezer. Spoon half of the semifreddo mixture into the lined tin ripple in half of the blitzed berry mixture and scatter in some whole berries then spoon over the lemon curd mixture. Spoon over the remaining semifreddo mixture and ripple in the remaining berry mixture. Reserve the remaining whole berries for serving.

Place the semifreddo in the freezer uncovered for 4 hours, then cover and freeze for at least another 4 hours or overnight.

When you’re nearly ready to serve, remove the semifreddo from the freezer and place in the fridge for 20 minutes. In a food processor blitz the shortbread and pistachios together to make a crumb. Turn the semifreddo out onto a serving plate or board and scatter over crumb. Slice and serve with the remaining fruit.