Ingredients

1 cup macadamia nuts, divided

3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 eggs, separated

2/3 cup sugar, divided

8 ounces mascarpone cheese or cream cheese

4 ounces maraschino cherries, drained and cut in half

Chocolate sauce and sweetened whipped cream for garnish (optional)

Frozen Chocolate Custard

Semifreddo Esotico

Serves 4-6

Printable Version

The day before serving, grease a 41/2 x 8-inch loaf pan and line it with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the ends. Grease the inside of the wrap and place half of the nuts at the bottom of the pan.

In a small nonstick saucepan, melt the chocolate and heavy cream together over low heat. Keep warm. In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar until the mixture is thick enough to form long ribbons, about 3 minutes. Add the mascarpone or cream cheese and beat for 3 more minutes. Fold in the chocolate and cream mixture a little bit at a time, whisking well to incorporate, and set aside.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar until they become glossy and start to form stiff peaks, about 3 minutes. Fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture. Add half of the maraschino cherries and the remaining macadamia nuts. Pour the custard mixture into the loaf pan. Cover with the plastic wrap and freeze overnight.

When ready to serve, take the frozen custard out of the plastic wrap and decorate the top with the remaining cherries. Bring to the table and cut into slices to serve.

Garnish with optional chocolate sauce and sweetened whipped cream.