(Sara’s) Semifreddo con fragole, cocco e mascarpone

By cprzybyl

Note: Instead of using 1/2 confectioner’s sugar and 1/2 powdered sugar as the recipe calls for, I used powdered sugar and a fair trade cane sugar that I really love the texture of. It’s slightly crunchy but not hard and I could eat it by the spoon! I blended both sugars in the food processor to make it more uniform. This also gave my meringue a darker look but it was absolutely delicious, and it was a bit more chewy, like a macaron. I’d make the meringue part again in an instant.

Ingredients

• 8 egg whites
• 120 g flaked (dry) coconut
• 30 g fresh coconut
• 200 g fair trade cane sugar
• 200 g powdered sugar
• 400 g mascarpone
• 500 g strawberries
• Salt

Preparation

Step 1

1. Whip 6 egg whites with a pinch of salt and a few spoons of the (mixed) sugars. Then add the mixed sugars one spoonful at a time, and continue whipping for 5 minutes, until you obtain a glossy and firm meringue. Fold the dried coconut in carefully.
2. Pour the meringue onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper that is lightly oiled. Cook in the oven at 150C (300F) for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool (don’t eat!!) Depending on the final pan for this, cut two identical shapes to form the top and the bottom of the dessert. I cut two large squares to fit my pan. Crumble the leftovers. Try again not to eat. Really! (Mine is missing a piece for “scientific” tasting reasons)

3. Wash and dry the strawberries, removing the tops. Cut 300g into pieces and mix with the mascarpone, the leftover meringue, and the 2 remaining (whipped) egg whites. Place the bottom piece of meringue in the serving/storage container, then spread a thick layer of the mascarpone mix and top with the top layer of meringue, and freeze for 4 hours.
4. Take the plate from the freezer 1 hour before serving, decorate with fresh-grated coconut and the and remaining strawberries.

Note: If there was one thing I would have done differently, I wouldn’t have frozen this as the recipe said – I would have refrigerated the filing for a few hours and then assembled before serving, to keep the “meringue” part nice and fresh.