BLACKBERRIES

BLACKBERRY SEMIFREDDO

Semifreddo (half-frozen), is an easy and impressive dessert, especially when you ‘dress it up’ as pictured with white chocolate sauce, crushed meringues, blackberry purée and dotted berries.

If you aren’t a fan of white chocolate, dark works just as well.

You can make the semifreddo ahead of time, taking it out of the freezer 20 minutes before garnishing and serving.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 250ml double cream

• 300g blackberries - plus extra for garnishing

• 1 lemon - zested

• 85g caster sugar

• 2 egg whites

• 4 small meringues – broken up

• Mint leaves – optional, for garnishing

For the white chocolate sauce:

• 100g white chocolate

• 100ml single cream

• A small knob of butter

Method

• Line a loaf tin with clingfilm

• Put the blackberries in a blender and blitz until smooth, then sieve the juice

• Transfer a few tablespoons into a separate bowl (for garnishing later) and set both batches of whizzed blackberries aside

• With an electric whisk, whip the egg whites and sugar to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes

• In a separate bowl, add your lemon zest and cream, then whip to soft peaks

• Fold the cream and most of the crushed meringues (keep aside a few bits for garnishing) into the egg whites

• Loosely fold in the blackberry juice and pour the mixture into the loaf tin

• Freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight

• Take the dessert out of the freezer 20 minutes before you want to serve it

• To make the white chocolate sauce, break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until melted then add the butter and remove from the heat. Pour in the cream and mix

• Turn out the semifreddo onto a plate and remove the clingfilm. Dot the blackberries and remaining broken-up meringue on the top of the dessert and drizzle with the white chocolate and leftover blackberry juice. Garnish with mint leaves and serve