The Best of Fine Cooking — Real Italian 2017

1 cup cold heavy cream

4 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbs. whole milk

4 oz. dark chocolate (70% to 85%), finely

ground in a food processor (11/4 cups)

1/2 cup Nutella

2 large egg whites, at room temperature

1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

1/4 tsp. table salt

Thoroughly chill a large metal bowl and the

beaters of an electric hand mixer. line the

bottom and long sides of a 9x5-inch loaf

pan with a 12x20-inch piece of plastic wrap,

leaving 4-inch overhangs on the long sides.

Smooth the plastic along the sides and into

the corners; it’s Ok if there are wrinkles.

The plastic will not completely cover the

short sides.

Whip The cReAm

Beat the cream in the chilled bowl with the

chilled beaters on medium-high speed

just until firm peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes.

Refrigerate.

chocolate-hazelnut semifreddo

Based on the classic pairing of chocolate and hazelnuts, this treat gets its

hazelnut flavor from Nutella, an Italian hazelnut-cocoa spread available at

the supermarket. Be sure to use a dark chocolate with at least 70% cocoa

solids to temper the Nutella’s sweetness. Serves 8

mAke The ZAbAglioNe

clean and dry the beaters. In a 4-quart

saucepan, bring 11/2 inches of water to a boil

over high heat and then lower the heat to

maintain a gentle simmer. Put the egg yolks,

1/4 cup of the sugar, and the milk in a medium

metal bowl and set the bowl over the pan of

simmering water; make sure the bottom of

the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Beat on

medium speed, frequently scraping down the

sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, until

the zabaglione is thick, almost doubled in vol-

ume, and the beaters leave a trail when you lift

them, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from

the heat, leaving the bowl over the water. Fold

the chocolate and nutella into the zabaglione

until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl

from the pan and set aside.

mAke The meRiNgue

clean and dry the beaters. Return the pan to

the heat and maintain the water at a gentle

simmer. Put the egg whites, the remaining

1/4 cup of sugar, the cream of tartar, and salt

in a large metal bowl and set it over the pan

of water. Beat on medium speed, occasion-

ally scraping down the sides of the bowl with

a clean silicone spatula, until light, fluffy, and

shiny, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl

from the pan and continue beating until the

meringue is very thick and billowy, about

2 minutes more.

FolD AND FReeZe

Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the zaba-

glione into the meringue and then fold in the

whipped cream until no streaks remain.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan

and smooth the top with an offset spatula,

scraping off excess if necessary to create

a level top. Wrap the overhanging plastic

over the top to cover and freeze for at least

6 hours and up to 3 days.

uNmolD AND SeRve

Peel back the plastic wrap from the top of

the semifreddo. Invert the pan over a cutting

board or serving platter. lift off the pan, hold-

ing the overhanging plastic down on one side

and then the other. Remove the plastic wrap.

If the semifreddo looks wrinkled, warm a long

knife or small offset spatula under hot running

water, wipe the blade dry, and run it over the

wrinkles to smooth them out.

Slice the semifreddo crosswise into 1-inch-

thick pieces to serve.

desserts

80 Real ITalIan 2017