Death by Chocolate 

Double Chocolate Semifreddo

I rarely make desserts. This one makes up for the small number of dessert recipes I will post by being super indulgent!

My recipe below has been created to participate in the Sweet Adventures-Death by Chocolate blog-hop hosted by The Hungry Australian.  If you are a chocolate lover, ensure that you visit after reading this to see some other amazing desserts.

Participating in a blog-hop means there are some rules to follow. I have my own set of rules for making desserts and I have followed them for this recipe. 

These are my rules for desserts:

1. The recipe must be technically easy for a home cook – like me
2. It must be quick to make or be possible to make in stages -I have small people who need my attention often!
3. It must be memorable
4. It must be tried and enjoyed by others – Our guests yesterday tried it, loved it, ate it all
5. It has to have a really long name (just kidding)

Here is my recipe, divided into the stages of preparation:

Total Preparation Time: 1 hour plus overnight freezing
Serves: 8

Double Chocolate Semifreddo

*You will need to make the Semifreddo a day ahead

Ingredients for the Semifreddo:

• 2 eggs and 4 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup of castor sugar
• 600ml of cream
• 20 grams of cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste
• 100 grams of good quality chopped chocolate. I used Lindt “Dessert” cooking chocolate
• 80 grams of chopped Pecan nuts
• 1 banana thinly sliced
• Plus – 1 banana for serving

Steps:

1. Prepare a loaf tin by lining it with baking paper
2. Set a saucepan of water to simmer
3. Select a bowl that will sit up in the top of a saucepan, without touching the water in the bottom of the saucepan
4. Put the eggs and sugar into the bowl, whisk them together and place the bowl on top of the saucepan of simmering water and continue whisking until the mixture thickens. Avoid letting the water in the saucepan get too hot
5. Remove from the heat when the mixture has thickened and then continue to whisk until the mixture cools.  This will take a few minutes and will thicken the mix further
6. Beat the cream, cocoa powder and vanilla paste until thick and peaks form
7. Add the chunks of chocolate, the pecans and the banana to the cream mixture and stir through gently
8. Add 1/4 of the cream mix at a time to the eggs and fold through
9. Pour the Semifreddo mixture into the lined tin and freeze for 6 hours, or overnight
10. Peel the second banana and slice it into 1 cm pieces. Fold in Al Foil and place in the freezer for the same amount of time as the Semifreddo.

Ingredients

Whip cream

Add banana, pecans & chocolate

Pour into tins to set

Pecan Toffee

 Ingredients for the Pecan Toffee:

• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of water
• 100 grams of pecans

Steps:

1. Cover a baking tray with baking paper and lay out the nuts
2. Combine the water and sugar in a pot and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. Increase the heat to bring to the boil, cook without stirring for 10 minutes until the color changes to golden. Remove from the heat and pour over the pecans
4. Pour onto tray and put aside until set. Break into pieces and use to top the semifreddo

Pecan Toffee

 Chocolate Sauce

 Ingredients for Gooey Chocolate Sauce:

• 100grams of good quality cooking chocolate chopped – I used Lindt “Dessert” cooking chocolate
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste
• 150 ml of pouring cream
• 1/2 cup of icing sugar
• 1/4 cup of water

Chocolate Sauce Ingredients

Steps:

1. Combine the water, sugar, cream and vanilla and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves
2. Stir in the chocolate until it melts
3. Put in a pouring jug to serve warm

 To assemble for serving

1. Remove the Semifreddo and the banana from the freezer and allow it to sit for 5 minutes
2. Remove the Semifreddo from the tin by turning it carefully over onto a serving plate
3. Top with some Pecan toffee and the frozen bananas
4. Slice to serve and add the chocolate sauce

Large Double Chocolate Semifreddo

Tagged as: dessert