Ah yes, semifreddo. I absolutely love the stuff. This silky smooth half-melted ice cream is my idea of the ultimate dessert. From raspberry to pistachio to mint, give me any flavor and I will have it devoured in no time. It really surprises me that all these gelato shops popping up around the area don’t offer semifreddo. It is the creamiest, richest custard, but at the same time it is so light and ethereal – I can’t help reaching for seconds. If you were to walk into the Campania kitchen, chances are you will see me (covered in flour from head to toe) whipping up some new frozen creation, some sort of gelato, semifreddo, granita or sorbet- Especially this time of year when we are getting our daily share of perfectly ripe delicious fruit from Farm’s View. As soon as that fruit comes marching through the kitchen door, I am ready – armed with a rubber spatula and my cherry red Kitchenaid (nick-named Betsy). I don’t waste any time getting down to sticky sugary business. And then later on.. the guys accuse me of “stealing” all the fruit in the kitchen. Which is true. I can’t help it.

I just got my hands on some of the first Jersey blackberries of the season, and already I am overwhelmed with all the sweet possibilities. This is what I first dreamt up; creamy, cold blackberry semifreddo paired with crunchy buttery roasted hazelnuts. The fragrant hazelnuts sitting atop, slowly melting into the cold sweet-tart berry cream sounded amazing. I got to work ASAP.. and after spending some quality time with Betsy, I felt pretty confident that I nailed this one. After waiting a very long 8 hours for the semifreddo to set up, I finally got to taste it, and yes, it was sooooo good! Here is the recipe. It is quick and easy to prepare and can even be made up to 3 days in advance.

Blackberry Semifreddo with Toasted Hazelnuts- serves 8

equipment needed:

loaf pan 9”x5” (or similar size) lined with plastic wrap

food processor or blender

stand mixer or hand mixer

fine mesh strainer

ingredients:

2 pints ripe blackberries, washed, plus more for garnishing

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 cups heavy whipping cream

6 large egg yolks

1 cup granulated sugar, divided

½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped

method:

Using a food processor or blender, puree the two pints of blackberries with the lemon juice. Strain the puree using a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Set aside puree. Using a stand mixer (fitted with the whisk attachment) or hand mixer, beat the yolks and ½ cup sugar on high speed until very light and pale in color, about 8 minutes. Transfer yolk mixture to a large mixing bowl. In a clean dry bowl, beat heavy cream with remaining ½ cup of sugar on medium speed until soft peaks form. On low speed, slowly pour the blackberry puree into the whipped cream (at this point it’s okay if mixture is streaky). Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the yolk mixture, making sure there are no large streaks. Transfer semifreddo to the prepared loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 8 hours or up to 3 days.

To serve, invert pan onto a serving plate, slice into 1 ½” wedges. Lay each piece down on a serving dish, sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts and garnish with a few ripe berries. Allow the semifreddo to soften for a few minutes at room temperature before serving.

*** and just a little note on buying berries…

It is mid July and berry season is pretty much in full swing in the garden state. All sorts of delicious berries grow here in New Jersey, including the more common strawberry, blueberry, blackberry and raspberry. So if you plan on eating berries this summer, buy them local! It is definitely worth it. Local berries are picked when truly ripe, making them juicer, sweeter and more nutritious than their supermarket counterpart. There are open-air farm markets and farm stands all over North Jersey- they will definitely have what you are looking for plus so much more. Plus, by buying your produce directly through a farm, you are supporting New Jersey agriculture. To find a farmer’s market in your area check out www.farmersmarket.com.

Also, many Jersey farms have “u-pick” berry patches- a great weekend activity with the kids. Not only do you get to savor the best fruit around.. but the kids get a hands-on mini lesson in food science (where does our food come from?) And what kid doesn’t love playing in the dirt? Find a “u-pick” farm herewww.pickyourown.org/NJ.htm.