Italian · Authentic-ish Italian
Semifreddo al Caffe
113 kcal a serving, against 268 for the traditional version. That is 155 kcal off, or 58%, with 5.9g of protein. Serves 8. 30 minutes, plus 8 hours freezing.
What the traditional version is
Egg yolks whisked with caster sugar until pale, then mixed with strong espresso. A massive quantity of double cream is whipped to soft peaks, folded gently into the coffee mixture, poured into a loaf tin and frozen until solid.
What changed, and what each change costs
400g of double cream down to 100g, padded out with 300g of fat-free Greek yoghurt
Double cream is entirely fat. Yoghurt brings the bulk and a massive hit of protein for a fraction of the cost to your waistline. It keeps the dairy profile intact while slashing the calories.
What it costs you. Yoghurt freezes differently to cream. It forms ice crystals faster. You lose a bit of the velvety texture that pure fat gives you, and you get a slight tang that wasn't there before. The small amount of cream kept in the recipe stops it turning into a solid block of ice.
100g of egg yolk out, 120g of egg white in
Yolks bring richness and fat. Whites bring volume and structure without the heavy baggage. Whipping the whites gives the semifreddo the air it needs to stay light when frozen.
What it costs you. The traditional dessert has a custard-like depth. You lose that completely. This is much closer to a frozen marshmallow in structure.
120g of sugar down to 80g
You don't need things to be intensely sweet if they are heavily flavoured with coffee. The espresso should be the undisputed star of the show.
What it costs you. Sugar lowers the freezing point of liquids. Less sugar means a firmer freeze. You'll need to take this out of the freezer a good 20 minutes before you want to slice it, or you won't get a knife through it.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 268 | 113 |
| Protein | 3.4g | 5.9g |
| Fat | 21.4g | 4.8g |
| Saturated fat | 12.7g | 3g |
| Carbohydrate | 16.9g | 12.2g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.3g | 5.3g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Italian prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
The classic recipe is a masterpiece of Italian cooking, but I rarely want to eat it after a massive plate of pasta. This version changes the whole dynamic of the dessert. You end up with a frozen coffee cloud. The version that's a rich custard is still out there and still better. You lose the velvet texture of pure cream, but you gain a refreshing, sharp finish that actually clears the palate and leaves you feeling human.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Italian, along with 59 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.