Certainly on the luxe side but oh so delightly, this combination of truffle, egg and honeycomb was addictive from the first bite.
Now, a word of warning is that as far as frozen desserts go, this one is technically simple, but there are a few steps…and also unfortunately some moderate levels of dishwashing involved…but don’t let that deter you! You’ll have plenty of tasty delights at the end as a reward.
About this recipe
When Robert, my truffle source, mentioned to me “truffles just love dairy” it really got my thinking about how I could use this delicious morsel in more than just the usual pasta or risotto dish. Ice cream is a bit of a treat in our house, so thought what better than to try this combination!
The semifreddo recipe is part of Jock’s Masterchef recipe and the honeycomb, I really wanted to be able to use honey and not golden syrup, so there could be floral notes from this Victorian 3 bees honey that I was gifted could come out and be present. The honeycomb recipe is originally from Akis Petretzikis.
Before you begin
Source good produce
There are so few ingredients to put this together, so being a bit extra (especially for the eggs) to really bring in the best flavours makes a big difference. And given that you’re already luxing it up with truffles, if you can be a touch more extra, it’ll be worth it. For this recipe, I was able to get most things from my local, South Melbourne market.
- Eggs from Babe’s Farm Fresh Produce
- Vanilla paste from Essential Ingredient
- Yellow/Red Gum Honey from The 3 Bees
I was able to find glucose syrup from my local Woolworths in the baking section from Queens brand.
Lining the tins
I used Go-Between to line the tins. It’s kind of like Glad Wrap but not so sticky and wrinkly. You can use a loaf tin if you want to make a big semifreddo loaf, but I opted for small cake tins as it was easier to create single serves.
Using glad wrap/cling film – you can use it in place of Go-Between but it’s really sticky and wrinkly so you might have some difficulty trying to get it smooth.
Using baking paper – you CAN use baking paper but I found that if you are storing it for too long it holds water and can tear and get a little soggy.
Plan ahead
Saving some for later
Serve it with...
The obvious being more freshly shaved truffle heh, but a Negroni wasn’t too bad!
Watch the Instagram reels
Truffle Semifreddo with Honeycomb
Ingredients
Semifreddo
- 5 egg yolks
- 5 egg whites
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tbsp vanilla paste
- 250 ml heavy cream
- 125 g caster sugar
Honeycomb
- 25 g honey
- 60 g glucose syrup
- 7 g baking soda
- 160 g caster sugar
- 30 g water
Instructions
For the semifreddo
- The semifreddo will need to be made at least 8 hours in advance for freezing.
- Start by lining your tins. Spray the tins slightly with oil to help the Go-Between stick.
- In a mixer, add your egg whites and mix on medium speed. Gradually add in the caster sugar and continue to mix until stiff peaks form. Set the mixer to low speed for about 30s to help stabilise the mix. Scoop out with a spatula and gently place the beaten egg whites into a clean bowl, saving for later.
- In the same bowl (slightly dirty doesn't matter, just make sure you've taken the egg white mixture out), add in your heavy cream and salt and mix on medium speed until whipped.Scoop out the mix into a clean bowl (NOT the same bowl as your egg whites)
- In the same bowl, add your egg yolks and vanilla paste. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.
- Here's where you fold it all together. Start by folding the whipped cream into your egg yolks. Start with a little and mix thoroughly before adding in the rest and gently folding. Into your egg yolk and cream mixture, shave in your desired amount of truffle (don't forget you'll need to add some to the top too!)
- Once your egg yolk, cream and truffle is well incorporated, start to gently fold in your beaten egg whites. Similarly with the egg yolks + cream mixture, start by mixing in a bit of the egg whites before gently folding in the rest.
- Once everything is mixed together, gently scoop the semifreddo mixture into your moulds. Cover the top with Go-Between or baking paper so it doesn't get freezer burn.
- Freeze overnight or at least 8 hours.
For the honeycomb
- Line a baking tray with baking paper.
- In a saucepan, add the sugar, water, honey and glucose syrup.
- Place it on medium heat and stir with a heatproof spatula to incorporate. Bring it to bubbling. Watch it carefully over ~3 minutes for everything to melt, bubble away and then turn an amber caramel colour. Make sure you watch it because if it get's too dark, it'll burn and taste bitter.
- Once caramelised, immediately take it off the heat.
- In this step, the mix is going to bubble up and it's going to be hot, so be careful.Working quickly, add and incorporate the baking soda by stirring, until it dissolves - make sure it's all mixed through.
- Pour the mixture onto your lined baking tray. Don't touch the top with your spatula! It's just going to stick.
- Leave the honeycomb to rest, cool and harden for about 30 minutes.
- Once it's set, smash it up by breaking it a part with your hands.
To serve
- Remove the semifreddo from the freezer. De-mould and peel off the Go-Between and place on a plate. Tip: Freeze your serving plate beforehand to keep it cold.
- Top with the broken honeycomb pieces and freshly shaved truffle. Serve and eat immediately.
One Response
Oh! Keen to try when truffle season comes back around.