Panettone Semifreddo Ice Cream Sandwiches

This post is sponsored by Wilfa

Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy a frozen dessert; I’m of the firm belief that ice cream is an all weather affair. This particular frozen treat is a brilliantly festive semifreddo sandwiched with panettone. Semifreddo, half frozen in Italian, is a traditional no churn ice cream from Italy. Made with a whipped egg foam and whipped cream it’s brilliantly creamy and rich, flavoured with pieces of amaretto and frozen cherries. If you saw my video earlier this week on toasted milk powder, you can also add a tablespoon of that to the semifreddo to really boost the flavour. Once frozen the semifreddo is cut into discs and sandwiched between two pieces of panettone, a great use for the Christmas bread.

To make the semifreddo, I used my Wilfa Smooth Mix Hand Mixer. The mixer has Wilfa’s characteristic stylish design, like all there products, and of course brilliant function. It has a 5-speed action plus a boost button for when you need a little extra speed. For a hand mixer it also has a very impressive 500W motor meaning it has more than enough power. The thing that stands out for me though is how the mixer handles. Hand mixers are notorious for vibrating and over sustained use can be annoying to hold. The Wilfa hand mixer is much more stable and much nicer to use. I also think it would make a brilliant Christmas present, and using my code THEBOYWHOBAKES you can get 20% off!

Semifreddo
300ml double cream
2 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
125g caster
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Few drops almond extract
1 tbsp toasted milk powder (optional)
50g soft amaretti cookies
100g frozen cherries, chopped

For the Sandwiches
1x750g loaf panettone
200g white chocolate
2 tbsp coconut oil

Lightly grease a quarter sheet pan or a 9x13 brownie pan and line the base and sides and with parchment paper.

Add the cream to a large bowl and whisk, using a Wilfa Smooth Mix Hand Mixer, until soft peaks form. Set aside for the moment.

Add the eggs, yolks and sugar to a separate large bowl and place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Using the Wilfa Hand Mixer, whisk on low speed for about 6-8 minutes. Don’t worry about cleaning the beaters before whisking the eggs, since the egg yolks have fat the cream on them doesn’t matter. You want to whisk the mixture until it reaches 75C. This ensures the eggs are cooked but also helps us make a nice light foam. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk on high speed for another 6-8 minutes until you have a pale and fluffy mixture that’s holds a ribbon when lifted from the bowl. Pour half of this egg mixture into the cream and use a spatula to lightly fold together. Repeat with the remaining egg mixture. Scrape this semifreddo mixture into the prepared tray and spread into an even layer. Crumble over the amaretti and scatter over the chopped cherries. Press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the semifreddo and freeze for 8-10 hours or until firm.

Slice the panettone into 1cm thick slices and use a 8cm round cookie cutter to cut out 16 discs. Remove the semifreddo from the freezer and unmould it from the tray. Use the same cookie cutter to cut out 8 discs of semifreddo and sandwich together with two discs of panettone. Place back into the freezer whilst you prepare the white chocolate.

Note: don’t waste the leftover semifreddo and trimmings from the panettone. You can use both together to make a frozen trifle, the panettone off-cuts would also make a great bread pudding.

For the white chocolate, break it into small pieces and using either a microwave or a Bain Marie melt it together with the coconut oil. Pour into a small bowl and set aside until room temperature, liquid and pourable but without any real heat. Remove the ice cream sandwiches from the freezer and dip halfway into the chocolate mixture, allowing any excess chocolate to drop back into the bowl. Set down onto a piece of parchment paper and repeat with all 8 sandwiches. Once all have been dipped transfer to the freezer until ready to serve.

Oatnog aka Vegan Eggnog

This post is sponsored by Wilfa

Are we in the festive spirit yet? I think I’m getting there. It definitely helps that everything I have been making the past couple weeks are decidedly festive. It also helps that I was in central London a few times this week and there is nothing like a wander through the city, taking in the lights and all the decorations, to get you in the spirit. Talking of the festive spirit I have a literal festive spirit recipe for you, a vegan take on eggnog, or Oatnog as it really should be called. Made with homemade oat and cashew milk and flavoured with cinnamon, nutmeg and of course lots of rum, it’s a truly delicious alternative to the classic dairy based drink. The drink, straight out of the bottle, is lighter than classic versions as it’s missing the richness the cream and eggs bring. I don’t mind this, as I enjoy the flavour but can normally only drink one small glass due to the richness, obviously not an issue with this version. If you miss the body of a slightly richer drink you can actually shake this with a little aquafaba. To make the oat/cashew milk I used my Wilfa Powerfuel XL blender which is incredibly powerful and broke down the nuts and oats in seconds. To ensure the milk doesn’t have a slimy texture you want to blend for shorter than you’d imagine, 20-30 seconds works well. This is shorter than other recipes might suggest but that’s simply because the Wilfa Powerfuel XL will break down the oats much quicker than other blenders. This is because the blender has a very powerful 2000 watt motor which makes the blades turn 32000 times a minute at full speed

When you’ve made the oatnog it will keep in the fridge for about 5 days but as it is homemade and doesn’t include any emulsifiers it will split as it sits, but don’t worry simply shake it before you serve it and you’ll have a delicious creamy oatnog once again.

To get 20% off the Wilfa Powerfuel XL or any other Wilfa products in my collection make sure you use the code THEBOYWHOBAKES.

Oatnog (aka Vegan Eggnog)
100g raw cashews
100g traditional rolled oats
75ml maple syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
750ml water
150ml dark rum

To make the oatnog first soak the cashews in cold water for a couple hours.

Drain the cashews and add the nuts, oats, maple syrup, spices, vanilla, salt and water to the jug of the Wilfa Powerfuel XL blender. Pop the lid on the blender and process for about 20-30 seconds until smooth. Over blending the mixture at this point can make for slightly slimy oat milk so don’t overdo it. Pour the milk mixture into a nut milk bag (or use a very fine cheesecloth) and allow the milk to strain through, adding gentle pressure to extract as much milk as possible. Don’t squeeze the mixture too hard or more of the starch will be extracted into the milk. Discard the sediment left behind.

Stir in the rum and then decant into a bottle. Pop in the fridge and stir for up to 5 days. To serve pour into a glass filled with ice and top with a fresh dusting of grated nutmeg.

Ginger Eggnog Baked Alaska

This post is sponsored by Doves Farm Organic Flour

Ginger Eggnog Baked Alaska
Serves 6-8

Every year I seem to try and solve the issue of what dessert to make for Christmas when you’re not a fan of Christmas pudding. This year’s recipe, possibly my favourite of this genre, is a wonderfully retro Baked Alaska, a centrepiece dessert for Christmas dinner or just a Sunday lunch when you’re feeling fancy. Baked Alaska made a frequent appearance when I was a kid, it’s my older brother’s favourite dessert. In my house Baked Alaska generally meant a shop bought flan case (a fairly dry cake in the shape of tart case), raspberries, vanilla ice cream and a classic French meringue. Once it was assembled it was popped under the grill to toast the meringue, pretty classic, pretty simple. To update that recipe the flan case is replaced with a gingerbread cake, topped with an eggnog ice cream and surrounded by an amaretto meringue. It’s Christmas flavours in a 70’s shell, which somehow seems more than appropriate for the festive season, the retro vibes seem somehow comforting on the Christmas table. 

To make the cake I have used Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour, which is the flour I use most often in my kitchen, from the UK’s no.1 organic flour brand. The recipe is impressive but trust me it is more than achievable and the benefit is that two of the three elements can be made in advance and the final element, the meringue, is the work of minutes. If you wanted to add another layer of flavour you could also use one of Doves Farm’s extensive ancient grain range, a rye gingerbread would be a wonderful addition to this recipe. 

The Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour is available from Ocado, Sainsburys, Tesco and dovesfarm.co.uk 

Eggnog Ice Cream
300ml whole milk
450ml double cream
1 whole nutmeg
125g caster sugar
2 tsp vanilla bean paste
6 large egg yolks
Pinch of fine sea salt
3 tbsp dark rum

Gingerbread
120g Doves Farm Organic Plain White Flour
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
60g unsalted butter
40g light brown sugar
120g golden syrup
1 tbsp fine cut marmalade
1 large egg
50ml whole milk

Meringue
2 large egg whites
160g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tbsp amaretto (optional)

To make this dessert we first need to make the ice cream and thankfully this portion of the dessert can be made up to a week in advance, making it a helpful prepare ahead element for Christmas. 

Place the milk and cream into a large saucepan and grate in the nutmeg. I would suggest using no  less than half of a single nutmeg but to get that strong flavour we associate with eggnog I would recommend using the whole thing. Add half of the sugar and place the saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. 

Meanwhile in a mixing bowl whisk together the remaining sugar, vanilla bean paste, yolks and salt, whisking until the mixture is slightly lighter and the sugar has dissolved. When the milk mixture is at a simmer slowly pour it into the egg mixture, whisking as you pour to prevent the egg yolks from scrambling. Once combined pour this custard mixture back into the pan and place over low/medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches between 75-80C or until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Pour this mixture into a bowl set over an ice bath and stir until room temperature. Stir in the Amaretto and cover, refrigerating the ice cream base for at least 4 hours before churning in an ice cream machine, using the manufacturer’s instructions. Once churned scoop the ice cream into a 16cm wide pudding basin lined with clingfilm. Spread the ice cream into a flat layer and cover with clingfilm. Freeze for at least 4 hours, and up to a week, before using. 

Preheat the oven to 180C (160C Fan). Lightly grease an 8 inch round cake tin and line the base with parchment. 

For the cake place the Doves Farm Plain Flour into a large bowl with the spices, bicarbonate of soda and salt and whisk together to combine. Place the butter, brown sugar, golden syrup and marmalade into a saucepan and cook over a medium heat until melted and smooth. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before whisking in the egg and milk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry goods and whisk briefly until the mixture is smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared tin, the batter is very liquid so there is no need to level out. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the cake springs back to a light touch and is just starting to come away from the sides of the tin. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake will, kept wrapped in clingfilm, keep for a few days so another great prepare ahead element. 

When you are ready to serve it’s time to make the meringue. Place the egg whites, sugar and salt into a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water. Stir the mixture gently, just to keep the eggs from overheating, and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch (you know its ready when you dip your fingers into the mixture and when you rub them together you can no longer feel any grains of sugar). Remove the bowl from the heat and using an electric mixer, whisk on high speed until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Add in the amaretto and whisk briefly to combine. 

To assemble the dessert carefully unfold the ice cream from the pudding basin and remove the clingfilm. Place the ice cream onto the cake and cut around the edge of the ice cream so the cake sits flush. Place the dessert on a serving plate and spread over the meringue making sure all of the cake and ice cream is fully covered. Use a blow torch to burnish the meringue and serve!

This post is sponsored by Doves Farm Flour

What makes a good mince pie? The two elements are just pastry and mincemeat and with both you have lots of directions you could go in and lots of styles you could try. My favourite mince pie s uses pastry which is incredibly flaky and full of flavour. To take that idea I have made a pastry with Doves Farm Organic White Spelt Flour (you could also happily use the wholemeal version). For me, white spelt flour is great when you want something that doesn’t stray too far from the classic flavour, but you just want a touch more depth and a little nuttiness. Spelt is also one of the easiest flours to use if your wanting to try different grains but are concerned about how the flour will work in your recipes, spelt is often a 1:1 swap for traditional plain flour. 

For the filling I have stuck to shop bought mincemeat. This might be seen heretical to some, but you know what? It’s a busy season and I’ll happily take a short cut here and there, don’t come for me or I will tell you how I also use shop bought puff pastry. If you’re better than me and want to make your own mincemeat then I would choose a untraditional style and make something that is a little closer to a Eccles cake filling, less syrupy than traditional mincemeat, it would great in this style pastry. Since I am being a little lazy with the mincemeat I am adding a second filling, a custard with a touch of booze, because boozy custard is the appropriate filling as far as I am concerned when it comes to Christmas. 

The key to this flaky pastry is keeping the pieces of butter large, when the pastry is formed these chunks of pastry become thin shards that appear throughout the pastry meaning that when the pastry hits the hot oven the water in the butter evaporates and creates lots of flaky layers. Making this pastry with Doves Farm White Organic Spelt is the same process as with plain flour, so there is no need to stress about making these. The recipe is simple and more than achievable. 

Doves Farm Organic White Spelt Flour is available from Ocado, Tesco, Sainsburys and dovesfarm.co.uk 

Mincepie and Custard Hand Pies
Makes 8

Spelt Flaky Pastry 
300g Doves Farm Organic White Spelt Flour
2 tbsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
250g unsalted butter, diced and chilled 
125ml ice cold water

Custard
150ml whole milk
15g cornflour
50g caster sugar
1 large egg
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 tbsp rum, brandy or amaretto

Filling
350g mincemeat

To make the pie dough place the flour into a large bowl and mix together with the salt and sugar. The sugar is optional but it helps promote browning in the dough and helps it have flavour of its own so I tend to use it regardless of whether I am making a sweet or savoury pie, simply reducing the sugar a little if making a savoury pie. 

Add the butter and press the pieces into flat pieces, rubbing into the flour just a little but keeping the butter in nice big flat flakes. Make a well in the middle of flour mixture and pour in the water. Toss the flour mixture and water together and then use your hands to briefly bring the dough together. Don’t take too long on this action as you don’t want to warm the butter, it needs to stay as cold as possible. 

At this stage if the butter is still feeling firm we carry on with the next step otherwise wrap in clingfilm and refrigerate for 15 minutes. On a lightly floured work surface roll out the pastry into a long rectangle about 3-4mm thick (the exact dimensions of the rectangle don’t matter we just want to roll out the pastry and flatten out those pieces of butter). Roll up the rectangle into a big sausage, press flat and then cut into two pieces, wrapping each in clingfilm and refrigerating for at least an hour before using, but preferably overnight. 

For the custard place the milk and half of the sugar into small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile whisk together the cornstarch and remaining sugar. Add the egg and salt and whisk together until smooth and slightly lightened. Pour over the simmering milk, whisking as you pour to prevent curdling. Pour this custard back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the custard has thickened. Scrape the custard into a small bowl and stir in the butter and rum until smooth and combined. Press a sheet of clingfilm onto the surface of the custard and refrigerate until needed. 

Preheat the oven to 200C (180C Fan)

To assemble roll out one of the pieces of dough into a rectangle that is a little larger than 25cm x 30cm and cut out 8 rectangles 7.5 x 12.5 cm, placing the pieces of pastry onto a parchment lined baking tray. Place a couple teaspoons of mincemeat and the same of custard onto each rectangle. Roll out the second piece of pastry as before cutting into the same sized rectangles. Brush the border of each assembled hand pie with a little beaten egg and seal with a second rectangle of pastry, using a sharp knife to cut a couple of vent holes. Brush the hand pies with beaten egg and sprinkle with demerara or granulated sugar. Chill the assembled hand pies for 30 minutes. 

Bake the hand pies in the preheated oven for about 20 or until the pastry is golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. These are best either served at room temperature or served still warm.

Kept in sealed container these will keep happily for 2-3 days but of course will be best on the day they are baked. You can serve these as is or if you want a little extra decoration you can make a simple icing sugar glaze with milk and a little vanilla and pipe or drizzle it over the cooled pastries