Peaches are coming….so be prepared. This is a wonderful dessert for company. My sister-in-law loves this and has asked me to make when she would come to visit.
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups Italian macaroons, finely ground in food processor (amaretto)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place rack in the middle. Invert bottom of springform pan (2 inches deep) to make it easier to slide the semifreddo out. Lock in and oil pan.
Stir together the cookie crumbs and butter in a bowl and press into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake until firm and a shade darker. (10 minutes). Cool completely on a rack for about half an hour. Be sure to leave the oven on.
Praline
- 1/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup sugar
Spread out in a baking sheet and stirring one or twice, until fragrant and golden (8-9 minutes). Transfer to a bowl. Lightly oil the same baking pan. Set aside.
Semifreddo
- 1 1/4 lb. firm, ripe peaches
- 1 Vitamin C tablet, crushed finely*
- 1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tbsp. – divided
- 6 large egg yolks
- 3/8 tsp. pure almond extract
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Peel, pit and chop peaches, then puree in a food processor along with the crushed Vitamin C tablet, 1/2 cup sugar, pinch of salt. Force through a sieve set over a large bowl and discard the solids.
Stir in the egg yolks, then place bowl over the pan of barely simmering water and beat until thick and pale in colour and a thermometer has reached 140 degrees. Now, beat 3 minutes more.
Remove bowl and set in a bowl of ice water. Add the almond extract and continue beating for about 6 more minutes (until cold).
Beat cream with the remaining 2 tbsp. sugar in another bowl with clean beaters (of course) until they form soft peaks.
Fold one third of the cream into the peach mixture, fold in the praline mixture and remaining cream gently but thoroughly. Pour into a cooled crust, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for no less than 4 hours. Let stand in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.
Topping For Semifreddo
- 1 lb. ripe, firm peaches
- 1 Vitamin C tablet, crushed finely*
- 1/4-1/3 cup sugar
Cut an X in the bottom of each peach and blanch in a saucepan of boiling water for 10 seconds. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl of ice water so it will stop cooking. Peel peaches and slice in 1/2 inch wedges.
Toss the peaches with the crushed pill and sugar and let stand, stirring once in a while until the sugar has completely dissolved (10-15 minutes). Spoon peaches over the sliced semifreddo just before serving and listen to the oohs and aahs!
*reason for the Vitamin C is to prevent the peaches from turning brown. Now you know!
