Praline Semifreddo Popsicle

We have made it to week #8, in our Nailed it or Failed it series. It’s still a little hot in Texas, so why not go with the Praline Semifreddo Popsicle. It was perfect for eating, but almost a little too hot for photographing. Even with keeping these frozen for the image, once plated, I had only a few minutes to photograph this semifreddo popsicle before it started melting in the fall heat.

Praline Semifreddo Popsicle

Not a lot of changes to this Bachour recipe. I did scale down the ingredients to make only six popsicles. One other change was that the recipe called for almond hazelnut praline paste in the semifreddo and the cremeux. Best I could find locally was Valrhona Hazelnut praline paste. If you don’t have access to this in a local grocery store, Amazon has just about everything now a days.

I made popsicles in a mini Silikomart silicone mold. Each popsicle was about 3″. The mold was easy to use, but I would recommend gloves when you take the popsicle out of the mold. The best part about making this was, of course, the hazelnut malto. Every time we get a chance to play with tapioca maltodextrin to make snow, it puts a smile on my face.

What is semifreddo?

In Italian “semifreddo” means “half-cold” or “half-frozen”. Unlike ice cream, semifreddo isn’t churned, so it’s able to stay soft and creamy. It’s compared to having the texture of frozen mousse. Typically 6 hours is long enough to freeze your semifreddo, but freezing overnight is even better. Unlike ice cream that is served by scooping, semifreddo is typically prepared in a loaf pan and sliced or poured into a shape mold. One perk of semifreddo is that you don’t need an ice cream maker to make it! Once you take a bite of a praline semifreddo you’ll notice the creamy, velvet texture.

How to Make the Praline Semifreddo Popsicle

1. Heat 48 g cream in a small pot and whisk in praline paste until smooth.
2. Heat the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the graininess in the sugar is gone.
3. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to medium peaks. Fold 1/3 of meringue mixture into praline cream, then fold in the remaining whites.
4. Whip 137.5 g heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into meringue praline mixture.
5. Pipe praline semifreddo into popsicle molds, insert sticks and freeze until firm.
6. Unmold a popsicle and place onto center of plate. P.S. Highly recommend wearing gloves when you take the popsicle out of the mold!

Tips for Microwaving Cake

My second favorite part of this recipe was the microwave sponge cake. There is something great about 40 seconds in the microwave and you have a cake! Here are a few tips to make the process go smoother.

• All microwaves are not created equal. The first one you make is going to be the experiment to test the microwave. Cooking time will depend on your voltage and watts.
• I cooked this for 40 seconds on high power.
• Put your cup on a paper towel in the microwave. It makes for easy cleanup if you have an overflow.
• Don’t fill your mug more than half way full to prevent overflows.
• This cake is not meant to be cooked and stored for later. Microwave cakes are meant to be eaten once done.

I will say this dessert may be more than a home cook might be up for. It isn’t that it is hard, but I don’t know a lot of home cooks that have an iSi whipper in the cupboard. Once we start talking about specialized equipment, and ingredients like maltodextrin, praline paste and agar agar, it could make a lot of people’s eyes glaze over and run them off. It’s not that any of these ingredients are hard to come by, they just aren’t a regular pantry staple. But if you are looking for a wow type of dessert that isn’t too difficult to make, with perfectly paired flavors, this praline semifreddo popsicle could easily be your go to recipe.

Tips for Photographing Ice Cream

• Set up everything you possibly can for the photograph in advance, leaving room for the ice cream to be placed in last minute.
• Have your photograph in mind, and work fast.
• Use a tripod and have your camera setup and ready to go. Use a stand in ice cream to get your focus set.
• Paper towels or a wet cloth should be within reach. Makes for a quick drip wipe up if needed.
• Make sure you have more than one frozen item to be photographed. Then you can easily swap out if you want different angles or other photographs.
• Make it simple. Make the props and ice cream look natural. It’s ok to have a few drips. Go ahead and embrace them.

Give this semifreddo a try, we would love to hear how you do. If you are still catching up on the other seven weeks of the nailed it or failed it series, here’s where you can find all the past weeks.

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Praline Semifreddo Popsicle

Print Recipe

A praline semifreddo popsicle paired with almond sponge cake and garnished with mango and hazelnut flavors.

Prep Time:15 mins

Cook Time:20 mins

Total Time:35 mins

Ingredients

Praline Semifreddo

• 48 g heavy cream
• 137.5 g almond hazelnut praline paste
• 35 g egg whites
• 30 g granulated sugar
• 137.5 g heavy cream

Mango Gel

• 100 g mango puree
• 15 g granulated sugar
• 1 g agar agar

Almond Caramelia Microwave Sponge Cake

• 70 g granulated sugar
• 125 g egg whites
• 80 g egg yolks
• 60 g ground almonds toasted
• 19 g all purpose flour
• 40 g Valrhona Caramelia chocolate melted

Hazelnut Malto

• 40 g tapioca maltodextrin
• 60 g hazelnut oil
• 15 g confectioner’s sugar

Praline Cremeux

• 1 g gelatin sheets
• 15 g heavy cream
• 100 g almond hazelnut praline paste
• 50 g heavy cream

Instructions

Praline Semifreddo

• Heat 48 g cream in a small pot and whisk in praline paste until smooth.
• Heat the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, whisking constantly, until the graininess in the sugar is gone.
• Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip to medium peaks. Fold 1/3 of meringue mixture into praline cream, then fold in the remaining whites.
• Whip 137.5 g heavy cream to soft peaks and fold into meringue praline mixture.

Mango Gel

• Bring all ingredients to a boil in a small pot. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours and then blend until smooth.

Almond Caramelia Microwave Sponge Cake

• Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Strain into an iSi whipper, charge with 1 N2O charger and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Cut slats in plastic cups on the bottom, fill halfway with batter and microwave for 40 seconds to cook.
• Flip cups upside down and set aside to cool.

Hazelnut Malto

• Combine all ingredients in food processor. Process, scraping sides of bowl occasionally, until crumbs form.

Praline Cremeux

• Soak gelatin in ice water until softened; squeeze out excess water and set aside.
• In a small pot, bring 15 g cream to a boil. Add gelatin and stir to dissolve.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, slowly beat praline paste and hot cream to combine. Add 50 g cream and mix well to combine.

Popsicle Assembly

• Pipe praline semifreddo into popsicle molds, insert sticks and freeze until firm. Unmold a popsicle and place onto center of plate.
• Top with Almond Caramelia Sponge Cake, Mango Gel, Hazelnut Malto and Praline Cremeux. Garnish with chocolate.

Notes

Recipe Source: SerenaLissy.com

All images and content are copyright protected. Do not use our images without prior permission.

Course: Dessert

Keyword: Ice Cream, Praline Semifreddo Popsicle, Semifreddo

Servings: 6 popsicles

Here are a few of our favorite summer recipes:

• Key Lime Tarts
• Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
• Cherry Semifreddo Popsicle

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