Cream Cheese Semifreddo with Maple and Balsamic
Inspired by techniques from NYT Cooking.
A velvety frozen dessert combining tangy cream cheese with a rich egg yolk base, finished with a sophisticated balance of sweet maple and sharp balsamic vinegar.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
Unlock all flavours with Premium
This flavour is part of Premium. You can see the ingredients and nutrition; the quantities and the full method are for members.
Premium: $4.99/month or $39.99/year.
Equipment
- 20 cm (1 litre) loaf tin
- cling film
- stand mixer with whisk
- heatproof bowl
- small saucepan
- instant-read thermometer
- silicone spatula
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 401 kcal |
| Protein | 5.4 g |
| Carbohydrate | 29.5 g |
| of which sugars | 27.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 24.8 g |
| Fat | 29.7 g |
| of which saturates | 17.3 g |
| Fibre | 0 g |
| Salt | 0.6 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.3 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 6 servings
Semifreddo
- 240 ml double cream, chilled
- 5 egg yolks, at room temperature
- 100 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1.5 g fine sea salt or table salt about ¼ tsp
- 200 g full-fat cream cheese, softened
To serve
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp good balsamic vinegar
- 1 pinch flaky sea salt
- 1
Line. Line a 20 cm loaf tin with cling film. Whip 240 ml chilled double cream to stiff peaks and keep it in the fridge.
- 2
Whisk. Whisk 5 egg yolks, 100 g caster sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and ¼ tsp fine salt in a heatproof bowl. Ensure you mix them immediately so the sugar does not make the yolks grainy.
- 3
Cook. Set the bowl over gently simmering water and whisk constantly for 5-7 min until pale and 71 °C. Remove from the heat and whisk for 8-10 min until the mixture cools to room temperature.
- 4
Combine. Beat the cooled yolk mixture with 200 g softened cream cheese for 3-4 min using a stand mixer. Scrape the sides down to ensure the base is completely smooth.
- 5
Fold. Gently fold the cream cheese mixture into the whipped cream using a silicone spatula. Stop just before the two mixtures are fully incorporated to maintain the light texture.
- 6
Freeze. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and wrap it well. Freeze for at least 12 h until the semifreddo is solid.
- 7
Serve. Dip the base of the tin in warm water for a few seconds, turn the semifreddo out and peel off the film. Cut 2.5 cm slices with a hot, dry knife and top each with maple syrup, a few drops of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of flaky sea salt.
Storage
Wrap well and keep in the freezer up to 2 weeks; slice straight from the freezer with a hot, dry knife.
