Seattle Cook Local Examiner

Port Madison Goat Yogurt and Honey Semifreddo

Though you'd hardly know it by the weather today, just last weekend it was over 90. When the temperature rises that much, the only dessert that really appeals to me is one that's frozen. Enter semifreddos. The word semifreddo actually means partially frozen in Italian and today's dessert requires no heat at all, though it does require a bit of planning ahead.

Port Madison Farms makes amazing goat cheese. They sell at a variety of the local farmers markets including Phinney, University District, and Ballard. I particularly love their goat cheese rolled in truffle salt. They sell plain yogurt too, and although I've never been particularly fond of plain yogurt, I've heard from many of their other customers that it is amazing.

Yogurt and Honey Semifreddo adapted from the Washington Local and Seasonal Cookbook

Serves 6

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup plain goat yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

 

1. Beat the heavy cream until it reaches stiff peak stage (be careful not to overbeat)
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and honey together until they lighten in color.
3. Mix in the yogurt.
4. Combine the whipped cream and the yogurt/egg/honey mixture together and stir gently until well mixed.
5. Lightly grease 6 ramekins and then line them with plastic wrap.
6. Fill the lined dishes with the cream mixture and freeze for 12-24 hours.
7. Invert the semifreddo on a plate (or in a bowl) and pull off the plastic wrap.
8. Top with berries and serve within 5 minutes of removing from the freezer.

 

Patricia's Notes: This was incredibly simple to assemble. Since there's no cooking involved, it is the perfect dessert to make on a hot evening. The original recipe didn't call for vanilla, but after tasting it, the vanilla lends a nice depth to the mix that just isn't there in the original version. The semifreddo will melt, or soften, relatively quickly, so I recommend serving it in a bowl, even though the presentation is nicer on the plate. A drizzle of caramel would go nicely over the top if you don't have berries. The semifreddo is creamy, but it is slightly heavier than I'd like for an evening over 90. I also recommend making smaller servings, which might require up to 8 ramekins. You can skip the step of greasing the ramekins, but then you'll have to wait just a bit longer to remove the semifreddo from the dishes as the plastic wrap will stick to the dishes and will need to thaw slightly. Since my husband is diabetic, we substituted agave nectar for the honey and the results were very tasty.

 

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