Strawberry Meringue Semifreddo with caramelized almonds

This is a riff on an old recipe I've made - a raspberry semifreddo. I happened to have a bunch of out-of-season strawberries - pretty good ones though, and I wanted to make something for an Easter dessert. It's been ages since I made ice cream or semifreddo, so this seemed like it would work out perfectly.

As with all frozen desserts, make sure to thaw it for a little while prior to serving - at least 20 to 30 minutes. If not, it will be way too cold and solid and the flavors won't be very clear either.

You can substitute lemons for the lime if you'd like, I bet that would be really nice too.

Strawberry Meringue Semifreddo with caramelized almonds

500 g strawberries
1 lime, zest and juice
100 g sugar
300 ml heavy cream
3 eggs
50 g sugar
150 ml greek yogurt
meringues - as much as you want, tiny ones, or larger ones, crushed

First, make the strawberry compote, Clean and chop up the berries. Place in a saucepot with the lime zest, juice and sugar. Cook for about ten minutes, then leave to cool completely.

Next, start by lining a loaf tin that holds about 1 litre with clingfilm, or use a silicone mold.

Beat eggs and sugar together very very well, they should be nearly white and very fluffy. Beat the cream until stiff, and add the yogurt. Add both of these to the eggs and then the strawberry compote and the meringues.

Pour into the tin and freeze until solid - overnight is good.


Caramelized almonds
200 g water
100 g sugar
20 g butter
200 g almonds
pinch of salt

Start by toasting the almonds. It's easiest in the oven - 175 degrees or so, for maybe 8-10 minutes. Watch them closely - they should get some color but definitely not burn.

Let the sugar and water cook until it's an amber-colored caramel. At this point, add almonds and butter and stir until well combined. Add a pinch of salt, too.

Pour onto a lined baking sheet (a silpat mat or something similar will make your life much easier) and try to spread everything out so you don't have heaps of almonds in one place. Leave to cool completely, then chop as finely as you like.