Lemon and raspberry semifreddo

A delicious and healthy dessert

Semifreddo is an Italian half-frozen dessert or ice-cream cake but this recipe gives this Mediterranean classic a bit of a Brit twist.

It’s from a new book called Wild Sugar Desserts by Australian cooks Skye Craig and Lyndel Miller which does the unthinkable, taking cult classic desserts and giving them a healthy but delicious makeover. Recipes include strawberry yoghurt cheesecake and blackberry, elderflower and lemon mousse trifle.

This semifreddo uses coconut milk, nuts, agave syrup and edible flowers, making it practically saintly in pudding terms. Perfect for providing a floral and fuss-free finish to any dinner party.

Kcal: 179 per serving

Saturated fat: 2.9g per serving

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Freezing time: Overnight

Ingredients (makes 8)

3 cups of cashew nuts, raw and unsalted
½ cup honey, agave syrup or sugar syrup
2½ cups coconut milk
1¼ cups lemon juice and rind finely grated
Pinch of salt
Handful of fresh or frozen raspberries
Handful of macadamia or Brazil nuts, raw, unsalted and roughly chopped
Edible flowers
Loose berries
Shavings of crème fraîche ice cream and berry coulis (optional)

Method

Step 1: Blend cashews, honey, coconut milk, lemon juice and salt in a blender until the cashews have turned into a smooth cream. If there is still a grain in the cream, strain the mixture through a fine sieve.

Step 2: Carefully fold the raspberries and nuts through the lemon cream and then pour into a loaf tin. Wrap silver foil around the tin and place in the freezer overnight.

Step 3: When ready to serve, warm the outside of the tin with your hands. Take a hot knife, cut a slice of the log and place on a plate. To dress it up, scatter a few edible flowers and loose berries on the plate (add a few shavings of crème fraîche ice cream and a drizzle of berry coulis if desired).

Eat with

Wine expert Jane Parkinson suggests the perfect pairing

Perrone Elio Moscato d’Asti 2011, £6.75, thewinesociety.com

Seeing as delicacy is the name of the game here, Moscato d’Asti is a no-brainer match even if the semifreddo is packed with flavour. A northwest Italian wine, this works brilliantly because it’s floral, while the lower alcohol (only 5%!) means it won’t compete with the frozen dessert.

Tags: recipe, food