Almond Semi-cold, An Italian Delicacy

Inside the Italian pastry there is an extremely appetizing dessert throughout the year : the almond semifreddo ( semifreddo de mandorle ). And despite the fact that it sounds sumptuous, gourmet and more, in reality, it is a very easy recipe to prepare.

You just need to have a little whipping cream on hand, a couple of eggs and, of course, sliced ​​almonds. The rest are ingredients of daily use that later, in preparation, will not pose any challenge, not even for the inexperienced cook. 

It does not hurt to have an unflavored gelatin tablet in sight, to get the semi-cold to acquire the proper consistency (solid enough, but without compacting). And although the one in the following recipe uses almonds, it can also be prepared with coffee, pistachios or other nuts or fruits of the season.

Almond semi-cold: Italy in a bite

The almond semi-cold is a dessert similar to the  mousse in certain aspects. Both are smooth, delicious, and are eaten cold. However, there are variations that, although slight, differentiate one from the other.

Let’s now properly with the recipe that will take you to enjoy Italy in a single bite.

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites.
• 4 tablespoons of honey (40 g).
• 3 cups of whipping cream (300 g).
• 1 cup of almonds to garnish (100 g).
• 2 cups of powdered sugar (200 g).
• 1 teaspoon of almond essence (5 ml).
• 1 cup of sliced ​​natural almonds (100 g)
• Caramel or caramel syrup to decorate (to taste).
• 10 soletillas cakes, crumb cake or vanilla cookies.

Optional

• 3 tablespoons of pomace brandy or punch cream (30 ml).
• 5 tablespoons of plain yogurt or half a tablet of unflavored gelatin (50 g).
• 10 grams of unflavored gelatin (it must be dissolved in two egg yolks or in the 30 ml of pomace cream).

Preparation

• Take the 100 grams of almonds and with the help of a kitchen hammer or a blender, convert it into small pieces, but avoid almond powder.
• In a bowl, place the two egg whites and beat until peaks.
• In another bowl with an electric mixer, lift the cream to whip. This must be worked cold for it to work.
• Now add the powdered sugar. Rectify the flavor.
• Now, add the four tablespoons of honey.
• Add the egg whites, keep beating.
• It is time to incorporate the almonds and the essence of almonds.
• At this point, we already have the cream of our semi-cold almonds. However, if you want to give it more consistency and then be able to disassemble it. Here is the procedure.

Semi-cold almonds with greater consistency

• Join the 20 grams of unflavored gelatin with the pomace liqueur or cream punch, so that the gelatin is hydrated and then add this liquid to the rest of the mixture. This way you will also be giving an aroma and flavor of liquor to the semi-cold.
• If you do not want to work or do not have pomace liquor, the same procedure is repeated with the yogurt.
• Another way is to place the gelatin in a little water, take it together with the egg yolks to a bain-marie and then add them to the mixture.
• Now comes the assembly process. If you have decided to work with sponge cake or cookies, we recommend that you crush them with the blender and then place it at the bottom of a few glasses. On top of these add the semi-cold almonds and then another layer of cookies covered by another layer of semi-cold.
• Refrigerate for two hours (at least) or until the mixture has set. Serve with sliced ​​almonds on top and liquid caramel.

This dessert is from the refrigerator, therefore, it is not convenient to serve it on a picnic or in environments where you must spend a lot of time outdoors. Keep in mind that the colder it is, the firmer and the better it tastes. 

To enjoy!

Enjoy your almond semi-cold along with an espresso, a good tea or any other hot drink of your choice. The contrast of flavors between coffee and dessert is exquisite but that does not mean that you cannot enjoy it with other drinks.