Heartbreakingly Good Bourbon Caramel Semifreddo

by Caitlin Collins

Probably one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted, our bourbon caramel semifreddo is (thankfully) back on the dessert menu after a lengthy hiatus. If you're wondering what semifreddo is, it's a close cousin of gelato and isn't frozen quite as hard due to the ratio of sugar to dairy to egg. What you end up with is a creamy, rich, and smooth final product that will have you scraping the bottom of your dessert bowl for every last melty drop...or maybe that's just me. 

Scott Klukas, daytime Sous Chef and dessert master (the guy can make a flaky and light crust, a beautiful chocolate cake, and everything else on our dessert menu) is in charge of the bourbon caramel semifreddo. 

He begins by simultaneously heating sugar water until it is brought up to the soft ball stage while also whipping a mixture of sugar, egg yolks, and whole eggs in the mixer. The idea is that the sugar water will hit the soft ball stage in the same moment that the egg mixture will become fully whipped. 

When the sugar water begins cooking it looks like the photo on the above left, but by the end, it is brought to a very dark caramel, as pictured on the above right. "If you don't caramelize your sugar enough," explains Scott, "it comes out too sweet. You want a little bit of that dark, almost bitter flavor to cut the sweetness. It also makes the semifreddo spin more firmly. If you don't caramelize your sugar enough, it's too soft and won't freeze properly."

Now that the sugar water is a very dark caramel, it is briefly removed from the heat to add in rye whiskey, resulting in a fireball. 

Cream is added to the now gorgeous saucepan of deliciousness and about this time, the egg mixture is finished as well. 

Slowly the caramel whiskey mixture is added to the mixer, and the heat of it cooks the eggs. Once fully incorporated, more cream is added to halt the cooking process and everything is slowly mixed before being chilled overnight and spun in an ice cream maker the next day. 

Pantry cook Ian takes some of Scott's delicious bourbon caramel semifreddo and forms a quenelle shape before placing it on the round of hazelnut chocolate cake. 

The semifreddo is garnished with a chocolate pine nut circle, tuile, and olive oil snow next to the meringue. It is now ready to serve!