I absolutely love ice cream and all of its variations – gelato, kulfi, frozen yogurt, vegan ice cream – you name it. And that includes semifreddo. A cross between ice cream and custard, semifreddo in Italian means “Semi-frozen”. It’s luscious, rich, and unbelievably easy to create.

What’s convenient about this recipe is that it does not require an ice cream machine at all. (Although I honestly think it’s high time that I do invest in one. After all, I claim to be an ice cream aficionado amongst my friends.)

The base consists simply of egg yolks and sugar whisked vigorously in a double broiler until a lovely pale yellow custard is formed.

The second item required in a semifreddo is fresh whipped cream. This gives the semifreddo extra creaminess and allows you to forgo the churning process altogether.

Along with vanilla bean and almond paste, I wanted to add a bit of a South Asian twist to this Italian classic – so I added in some cardamom and ground pistachios.

Semifreddo is usually made in a loaf pan; thus giving it a signature shape.

Finally, I topped the semifreddo off with Rooh Afza – a bright and brilliant rose-flavored syrup with an aroma unique to the region of Pakistan. You can usually find it at any Indo-Pak grocerty store.

To cut the sweetness, I added a squeeze of lemon juice before adding to the semifreddo. (In a future Ramadan blogpost, I’ll show you guys how to make Rooh Afza lemonade.)

And there you have it – a show-stopping Italian-Indian fusion dessert. Make this for a spring-time dinner party and your guests will surely be impressed!

Cardamom Pistachio Semifreddo

An Indian twist to an Italian semifreddo

Servings 5

Ingredients

5 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
1/2 tsp almond paste or extract
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp chopped pistachios (divided)
2-3 tbsp Rooh Afza syrup
1-2 squeezes lemon juice

Instructions

Set up a double broiler. Add a few inches of water to a pot and bring to a simmer. Find a clear bowl that fits on top of the pot. Make sure the water doesn't hit the bowl.
In the bowl add your egg yolks, sugar, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
Bring the bowl over the pot and whisk vigorously for about 10 minutes. Make sure the eggs do not scramble and that the water does not touch the bowl.
The custard should turn pale yellow. Remove from double broiler. And allow to cool.
In the meantime, using a hand-held mixer or standing mixer, beat the whipping cream until you create soft peaks. An easy way to know you're done, is to flip the bowl upside down. If nothing falls out of the bowl, then your whipped cream is ready. If it's a little runny, keep beating. Make sure you do not overbeat or else you will make butter!
Combine the custard and whipping cream. Add in your vanilla and almond pastes/extracts, cardamom powder, and 2 tablespoons of ground up pistachios. Save the remaining tablespoon for garnish.
Take a loaf pan and line it with plastic wrap. Add your custard mixture into the loaf pan and cover. Place in freezer for at least 5 hours or preferably overnight.
Before serving, take your Roohafza syrup and add a few squeezes of lemon juice.
Take your semifreddo out of the freezer and drizzle over the Roohafza. Top with the remaining pistachios.