Semifreddo Is the Easy Answer to Making Homemade Ice Cream Without a Machine

A couple of summers ago, on a hot day, I found myself craving an ice cream sandwich. While I could certainly throw together cookies (I always keep frozen cookie dough in my freezer), I didn't have ice cream on hand or an ice cream machine to whip some up at home. A quick internet search led me to many "no churn" ice cream recipes, which have gained popularity over the last handful of years. I then realized that this title was merely a guise for a lesser-known frozen treat called semifreddo.

Using ingredients similar to what goes into a traditional ice cream recipe, I combined sugar and egg yolks. Then, I folded these ingredients into whipped cream for a quick mousse. It went straight into the freezer and, a couple hours later, I was blissfully enjoying my own homemade ice cream sandwich.

Summertime is the official season of ice cream, popsicles, and anything frozen to keep us cool on these long, hot days. So please, let me direct you towards the versatile and low-hassle delight that is semifreddo. Semifreddo is the answer to making ice cream without a machine and a whole day (or more) of waiting for the ice cream base to chill and the ice cream to fully set. The Italian word translates to "half frozen," referring to a dessert that is a marriage of mousse and ice cream. Like ice cream, the most common ingredients are eggs, sugar, milk and heavy cream.

The technique for creating semifreddo varies from recipe to recipe. Some recipes will come together by combining whipped cream, whipped egg whites and beaten egg yolks, and sugar. I've made versions where I've skipped the yolks entirely and simply folded together whipped cream and Italian meringue (which consists of egg whites whipped with sugar syrup). Regardless of the method, once these ingredients are combined into an airy mousse, it is typical to pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan lined with plastic wrap and set it in the freezer for at least an hour.

One of the best parts of making (and eating) semifreddo is how endless the flavor possibilities are. Many recipes incorporate honey, vanilla, fruit purées or even soft cheeses like mascarpone into the base of the semifreddo. Another way to create unique flavors is by mixing in ingredients when you transfer the semifreddo base to the container or pan you're freezing it in. You can add fresh fruit, nuts, chocolate, candy pieces or swirl in jams and sauces before you freeze the mousse.

To serve, if you stored the semifreddo in a loaf pan, you can let it warm up slightly and turn the pan over onto a large plate. Gently remove the plastic wrap and from there, you can slice slabs and serve with fresh fruit and honey or chocolate sauce drizzled on top. For ice cream sandwiches, you can scoop the semifreddo from the container you froze it in with an ice cream scoop and smash between cookies. To create a frozen pie, pour the semifreddo into a baked pie or cookie crust (rather than a pan) and then freeze until the mousse is set.

In short, semifreddo is a perfect summer dessert project where you can keep the oven off, experiment with different techniques, and have fun making whatever flavor sounds good to you. Skip churning ice cream this summer and try an easier, faster dessert that will be just as refreshing to eat and even more enjoyable to make!

Semifreddo Recipes to Try:

• Raspberry and Pistachio Semifreddo
• Mocha Semifreddo
• Chef John's Strawberry Semifreddo (pictured above)
• Chocolate Semifreddo
• Orange Semifreddo
• Coffee Semifreddo