It’s hot here! And to have a good time in the sun, there’s nothing better than a cold dessert. This white chocolate and passion fruit semifreddo is perfect for summer :). It’s not at all complicated to make and the good thing about cold desserts is that you make it the day before.
This white chocolate and passion fruit semifreddo is the perfect summer dessert. It’s not only cold but also that tanginess from the passion fruit is refreshing. The white chocolate keeps it decadent because we LOVE decadent desserts. Actually, I’m not a fan of white chocolate except with passion fruit because I love the combination. If you like passion fruit, then I also recommend my easy passion fruit mousse.
I love making semifreddo because it’s not overly complicated and the result is always delicious. It’s a bit denser than ice cream but it’s still very airy and refreshing. It’s called “semifreddo” in Italian, which means “semi-frozen.” The sugar content and the air we add into the mix makes it go from frozen to semi-frozen in just a few minutes, which makes it very easy to serve.
I love the texture of a semifreddo. If you’re not a fan of white chocolate, I also have a chocolate semifreddo with praline which is sooo good. There’s also a mango semifreddo with raspberries in my ebook Recipes in one hour or less. If you want to make semifreddo in a more elaborate pan such as a bundt, then skip the lining with paper. When you’re ready to unmould, you dip it in warm water for a few seconds. Then you flip it and it should slide off the pan easily.
White Chocolate and Passion Fruit Semifreddo
Print Pin RateIngredients
For the passion fruit
- 400 g passion fruit pulp
- 100 g granulated sugar
For the semifreddo
- 4 egg yolks
- 60 ml water
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 250 ml whipping cream cold, straight from the fridge
- 150 g white chocolate
For the white chocolate curls
- 30 g white chocolate bar
Instructions
For the passion fruit
- Cook the pulp (with seeds and all) with the sugar over medium-high heat until you have half the original volume.
- Divide the result into two (I weigh it and divide it exactly): one part will be our sauce and the other one you will strain for the semifreddo.
- Let both cool down completely before using them.
For the semifreddo
- Melt the chocolate. I melted it in 30-second intervals in the microwave, mixing between intervals. You can also melt it in a bain-marie over low heat.
- Line a 22x11cm loaf pan with baking paper. Cut it to the size of the pan and stick it in place with a bit of vegetable oil, spread with kitchen paper.
- Place the egg yolks in a bowl to beat them and start beating on low speed just so that they don't form a dry skin on top.
- Boil the water and sugar over medium heat. Let the sugar dissolve completely and then boil profusely. Once you reach that point (the syrup doesn't have to thicken), start beating the egg yolks on high speed and add the syrup down the side of the bowl.
- Keep beating the egg yolks on high speed until the mix increases in volume and cools down to room temperature. Mix in the melted chocolate and the seedless passion fruit sauce using a spatula and folding motions.
- In a clean bowl, whip up the cream until foamy and glossy, not totally firm. Mix it with the egg yolk mix using folding motions. Also, add in half the praline in the same manner.
- Pour the mix into the pan and freeze for at least 8 hours.
For the white chocolate curls
- Place the bar of chocolate in the microwave in 10-second intervals (in total it should be 20-30 seconds tops), until it makes curls when you grate it with a coarse grater.
- Place them in a bowl and freeze them until you have to use them.
To serve
- Flip the pan over and place the rest of the sauce on top along with the white chocolate curls. In the semifreddo is too solid, give it a few minutes before slicing.
