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Roasted Plum Semifreddo Recipe – Tasting Table

Seasonal desserts are especially desirable, as they feature an ingredient at its peak. Tasting Table recipe developer Katie Rosenhouse brings us this dazzling roasted plum semifreddo, which is sure to become a classic. “Plums are such a delicious, juicy summer fruit, but to me stone fruits always spell the beginning of fall,” she shares and describes, “This flavor combination is the perfect mashup of the two seasons — bright, ripe summer plums paired with classic fall spices in the form of gingersnaps, all rounded out with the creaminess of a whipped mascarpone filling.”

If you can’t decide between fresh summer fruits and warming spiced desserts, this frozen treat has you covered. Rosenhouse remarks, “Semifreddos are always impressive to serve, and deceptively simple to make. Once you get this base down, it’s easy to swap in different seasonal fruits and cookies to make it your own.” Whether you’re hosting a dinner party or preparing a special dessert to treat yourself, you won’t be disappointed.

Gather the ingredients for this roasted plum semifreddo recipe

Katie Rosenhouse/Tasting Table

For this recipe, you’ll need to start by pitting plums and cutting them in half. To season, get some honey, the zest and juice of a lemon, ground cinnamon, and kosher salt. Next, pick up a package of 2-inch gingersnaps for the textured crumb element. As for the creamy layer, you’ll need heavy cream, softened mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, a large egg, and a few large egg yolks.

Prep the plums

Katie Rosenhouse/Tasting Table

Begin by preheating the oven to 400 F. Next, add the halved and pitted plums to a medium-sized bowl and toss them with honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Transfer them into a baking dish, flipping them so that the sliced side is facing down. Bake the plums for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin is wrinkly and the fruit softens. 

Add half of the cooked plums to a bowl and let them cool until they come to room temperature. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate the fruit until it’s time to serve the dessert. Leave the remaining plums in the dish and continue baking them for another 10 to 15 minutes until they are very soft. Once the plums are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and discard them. Then, puree the flesh with a fork or in a blender until it’s smooth. Set the plum puree aside until it’s time to assemble the cake.

Prep the cookie crumb and cream mixture

Katie Rosenhouse/Tasting Table

Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap and pop it into the freezer until it’s time to assemble the semifreddo. Next, crush 18 gingersnaps until they turn into a fine crumb mixture. Simply snap the other gingersnaps into smaller chunks and set them aside to use for garnish.

Using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks. Add half of the lemon zest, mascarpone, ⅓ cup of sugar, vanilla, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Continue to whip the mixture until it forms stiff peaks. Transfer the bowl to the fridge until you need it.

Prepare the egg mixture

Katie Rosenhouse/Tasting Table

Pour 1 inch of water into a small pot and bring it to a simmer, then decrease the heat to low. In a medium-sized heat-safe bowl, whisk the egg, yolks, and ⅓ cup of sugar until combined. Place the bowl over the pot and continue whisking until the eggs are very warm — Rosenhouse estimates a temperature of 160 F. “Heating eggs over a double boiler can be intimidating! The goal is to keep the water at a very gentle simmer, and constantly move the egg mixture with a whisk or spatula (to avoid scrambled eggs),” Rosenhouse explains. 

At this point, remove the bowl from the pot and whip the egg mixture with an electric mixer until it is light and about three times the volume. “Don’t underwhip — you want a very voluminous mixture for the most decadent semifreddo,” Rosenhouse advises. Retrieve the bowl with the whipped cream and pour half of the egg mixture over top, folding gently until the two are combined. Then, add the rest of the egg mixture and fold it in until the mixture is uniform. “While some semifreddos call for whipping the whites and yolks separately, I like to whip them together in one shot. You achieve the same volume after folding and save yourself some cleanup and time in the process,” Rosenhouse comments.

Assemble the layers and freeze

Katie Rosenhouse/Tasting Table

Now that all the components are ready, spread about ¼ of the batter over the bottom of the plastic-lined loaf pan. Spoon some plum puree on top and sprinkle gingersnap crumbs over that. Repeat the three layers three more times, then cover the pan and freeze the dessert for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight until it is firm.

Garnish and serve this roasted plum semifreddo

Katie Rosenhouse/Tasting Table

When you are ready to serve the semifreddo, flip it onto a serving plate and remove the mold and the plastic. Rosenhouse suggests briefly running warm water over the bottom of the pan if it isn’t coming out easily. Get the plums you set aside in the fridge and slice them into thirds. Scatter them over the top of the semifreddo and pour any juices from the bowl over top. Sprinkle the rest of the gingersnap chunks over top, as well as the lemon zest. 

Slice and serve this delicious frozen treat. “It will defrost just enough in the few minutes it takes to try that first bite to be soft and luscious,” Rosenhouse describes. She comments, “To me, semifreddos are on the fancier side of dessert offerings. I would serve this at a dinner party, paired with a crisp white wine and a few extra gingersnaps for munching.” Once you’ve served everyone a portion, freeze the dessert until people are ready for seconds to keep it nice and chilled.

Roasted Plum Semifreddo Recipe 5 from 21 ratings PrintMake the most of those summer plums with this refreshing and creamy roasted plum semifreddo recipe.Prep Time6.5hoursCook Time30minutesServings10Slices
Total time: 61 hours Ingredients

• 5 ripe plums, halved and pitted
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
• 24 (2-inch) gingersnaps (about 6 ounces)
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
• 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 3 large egg yolks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2. In a medium bowl, toss plums with honey, lemon juice, cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. Transfer the plums to a baking dish, cut-side down, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the skin is wrinkled and the plums are softened.
4. Transfer half of the plums to a bowl to cool to room temperature, then wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Bake the remaining plums for an additional 10 to 15 minutes until very tender.
5. Peel away the skins and discard them, then use a fork or blender to puree the flesh until smooth. Set aside.
6. Line a standard loaf pan with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to use.
7. Crush 18 gingersnaps to fine crumbs and roughly snap the rest into chunks, then set aside.
8. Whip the heavy cream into soft peaks.
9. Add ½ of the lemon zest, mascarpone, ⅓ cup sugar, vanilla, and ½ teaspoon salt to the whipped cream. Whip to stiff peaks then refrigerate until ready to use.
10. Bring about 1 inch of water to a simmer in a small pot, then reduce heat to low.
11. Whisk to combine the egg, egg yolks, and ⅓ cup sugar in a medium bowl.
12. Place the bowl over the simmering water, whisking constantly until very warm to the touch (about 160 F).
13. Remove the bowl from the pot and whip the egg mixture until it is light in color and tripled in volume.
14. Pour about half of the egg mixture over the whipped cream and fold gently to combine, then add the rest and fold until uniform.
15. Portion ¼ of the batter into the bottom of the lined loaf pan, top with a few spoonfuls of plum puree, then cover with a layer of gingersnap crumbs. Repeat 3 times.
16. Cover and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight until firm.
17. Flip and unmold the semifreddo onto a serving plate and remove the plastic wrap. If it doesn’t come out easily, run warm water over the bottom of the pan for a few seconds to loosen.
18. Slice the remaining plums into thirds and pile them on top of the semifreddo along with any plum juices.
19. Top with the remaining gingersnaps and lemon zest, then slice and serve.

Nutrition

The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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