Tiramisu Semifreddo

I came across this Tiramisu Semifreddo on the Better Homes & Gardens website and I knew immediately that I wanted to give it a try. It’s easy to make and utilizes some help from the grocery store, which on a hot summer’s day is a nice welcome. No need to turn on an oven or spend too much time in the kitchen. It’s like a classic tiramisu but made with layers of ice cream instead. My tip to you would be to splurge on some good quality ice cream because it makes all the difference in the world. It’s a show-stopping dessert so you might as well go all out. This will be your new favorite way to make a tiramisu (when you want to take a break from the classic version that is) and it’s perfect to cool you down this summer. I’ll be eating it as often as possible.

Line a large (9x5x3-inch loaf pan) with plastic wrap, allowing it to hang over the edges of the pan. In a shallow dish, combine the warm espresso with the sugar, whisking until the sugar has dissolved. Carefully dip a ladyfinger into the espresso, quickly coating both sides and then place in a single layer on the bottom of the prepared pan.

**Note: Line them up snuggly, in a single layer. You should be able to fit about 8 ladyfingers in a row. Set aside.**

In a medium bowl, stir together the softened coffee ice cream with the coffee liqueur until smooth. Spoon ice cream mixture over the ladyfinger layer in the pan, spreading evenly. Carefully dip a lady finger into the espresso, quickly coating both sides and then place in a single layer on top of the coffee ice cream layer. Place loaf pan in the freezer to chill slightly.

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In a separate bowl, beat mascarpone cheese on medium speed for about 30 seconds or until smooth. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the softened vanilla ice cream. Remove loaf pan from the freezer and top with the mascarpone vanilla ice cream mixture, spreading out to an even layer.

**Note: You want to make sure that the mascarpone has softened so that it blends into the ice cream easily. If you can’t find mascarpone, you can use cream cheese in a pinch.**

Carefully dip a ladyfinger into the espresso, quickly coating both sides and then place in a single layer on top of the vanilla ice cream layer. Place loaf pan in the freezer to chill slightly.

**Tip: If you don’t have an espresso machine, you can simply mix hot water with instant espresso or just use very strong warm coffee instead!**

In a medium bowl, stir together the chocolate ice cream, whipping cream and vanilla extract until smooth. Remove the loaf pan from the freezer and spread out the chocolate ice cream mixture on top of the ladyfinger layer.

Repeat with the final layer of ladyfingers, dipping and placing on top in a single layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Let semifreddo stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving. Carefully invert onto a platter and remove the loaf pan. Peel away the plastic wrap and then dust the top with cocoa powder.

The semifreddo can be made several days in advance and kept in the freezer, for up to 4 days, until ready to serve. That makes this the perfect dessert to make when you’re having people over for dinner.

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If you don’t have a large loaf pan to make this, it all wont fit in a smaller pan. So I recommend that you omit one of the ice cream and ladyfinger layers. You can omit the coffee ice cream layer since the espresso soaked ladyfingers will still bring you the coffee flavor you’re looking for!

The original recipe over at BHG is made and served with a chocolate ganache on top which would be delicious. I omitted it because it’s an already a decadent dessert but if you really want to take it over the top, then you can top it with a simple ganache.

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Keep this recipe up your sleeve when you want a sweet treat but don’t want to worry about turning on a hot oven for the payoff. It’s a great dessert because it utilizes a lot of help from the store, leaving you more time to enjoy your summer, a party or just your life. Give it a try and let me know what you think below. Thank you for reading and following along, always.