Looking for an absurdly delicious take on the classic “Creamsicle” flavor combination?
I thought so.
The second I saw this recipe, I was in. I wasn’t exactly sure what a semifreddo was, but I took a look at the ingredient list and figured that eggs, sugar, and heavy cream wouldn’t fail me – and a little tangerine love? Yes, please.
A semifreddo is really just a fancy Italian word for a frozen custard type of dessert. This recipe is actually quite simple – yolks, sugar, and citrus come together for a custard, the whites are beaten into a meringue-like cloud with the rest of the sugar, and cream is whipped into, well, whipped cream! They’re all folded together and frozen in layers with what happens to be the very best part of the recipe, which is the salted almond brittle.
Yes – it is the salted almond brittle that takes this one over the top. Without it, we’d be facing a super-creamy dessert with lots of fresh tangerine flavor – thanks to the quick sauce that’s added just before serving – but also a very sweet dessert. I actually added just a touch of lemon to the tangerine sauce to give it a little extra tartness, because my tangerines were oh-so-sweet. This way, we’ve got the holy flavor trifecta happening: salty, sweet, and tart. Holla!
In addition to bringing the salty vibe to the party, the brittle also provides that crazy-necessary element of crunch. Between the plush, ice-cream-like texture of the semifreddo (no ice cream maker required!) and the salty-crunchy goodness of the brittle, this dessert has it all.
