An Italian frozen mousse that is, in short, life-changing. The silky dessert has a ‘half frozen’ texture (as the name semifreddo suggests), so slice and serve quickly. 

Chocolate semifreddo log  

Serves 8-10 

Ingredients

1 ½ cups (375ml) cream, whisked to stiff peaks
4 extra-large eggs, separated cup
⅔ (145g) castor sugar
2 Tbsp (30ml) hazelnut liqueur (optional)
200g dark chocolate
250g chocolate hazelnut spread   

For topping  

Whipped cream (optional)
Toasted hazelnuts 
Chocolate shards  

Method

1. Place a small pot filled halfway with water over medium heat. Place a glass or metal bowl that fits snugly on top to create a Baine Marie or water bath. Bring water to a simmer, ensuring water won’t touch the bowl’s base. 
2. Place egg yolks, sugar and half the sugar in a glass bowl.
3. Whisk for 8-10 minutes using an electrical hand-held whisk, or until mixture has tripled in volume and reaches ribbon stage. The bowl should never be too hot to handle, so remove from heat as needed. 
4. Whisk together melted chocolate and hazelnut spread until smooth, heating if needed. 
5. Whisk together chocolate and egg yolk mixture. Should the mixture turn clumpy or seize, add 1 Tbsp tepid water at a time while whisking vigorously until smooth.
6. Whisk egg whites to stiff peaks, then add remaining sugar in 2-3 batches while whisking for 8-10 minutes.
7. Fold meringue into chocolate-egg mixture using a large metal spoon.
8. Pour into a 23x10cm loaf tray lined with baking paper or cling wrap. Freeze for a few hours or overnight.  
9. To unmould, rub a warm cloth along the outsides
   of tin to warm edges, and invert on a serving platter. 
10. Spoon whipped cream on top, if using, and top with nuts and chocolate shards. Slice and serve immediately. 

Good to know
‘Ribbon stage’ is reached when sugar and eggs are whisked together at high speed for a long time. The texture becomes thick and spongy, color is pale, and most importantly, when a spoon of the mixture is lifted, it falls down in one long ribbon, with breaking.

Recipes & styling: Liezl Vermuelen 

Photographs: Zhann Solomons