Chocolate semifreddo with raspberries and honeycomb

Recipes from Better Homes and Gardens & New Idea

Ingredients

Cooking oil spray, to grease

400g dark chocolate, finely chopped

¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted

600ml thickened cream

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

¾ cup caster sugar

¼ cup water

2 cups roughly chopped honeycomb

2 cups frozen raspberries

8 plain chocolate biscuits, finely chopped

Extra 150ml whipped cream

Fresh raspberries, to decorate

Extra honeycomb broken into shards, to decorate

Dark chocolate curls, to decorate

Chocolate ganache sauce

120g dark chocolate, chopped

300ml thickened cream

1 Tbsp water

Note: Allow 45 minutes chilling overnight chilling

Cook's tip: It’s fine to use store-bought honeycomb for this recipe, but you could also make your own following this easy recipe: Put 1 cup of caster sugar, ½ cup honey and 20g butter in a large saucepan over a high heat, stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved. Cook for 6 minutes, or until sugar turns dark amber. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda. Mixture will darken, expand and foam. Immediately pour onto a baking paper-lined oven tray. Set aside at room temperature to cool for 1 hour or until hard. Break into small pieces to stack on your semifreddo masterpiece.

Method

Grease a 22cm round springform tin with cooking oil. Line base and side with baking paper.
Put chocolate, cocoa and ½ of the thickened cream in a large heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until smooth. Put remaining cream in a large bowl and whisk until soft peaks form.
Put eggs, yolks and vanilla bean paste in the large bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high for 3 minutes or until thick and pale.
Put sugar and water in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally until sugar dissolves. Cook, without stirring, for a further 3 minutes or until mixture reaches 117°C on a sugar thermometer or is syrupy but not coloured.
Carefully pour hot sugar mixture into egg mixture in a slow steady stream until well incorporated. Beat for a further 8 minutes or until mixture is thick and glossy and cooled to room temperature. Using a whisk, gently stir in cooled chocolate mixture and whipped cream until well combined. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until thickened slightly.
Fold honeycomb and raspberries through chilled mixture. Spoon into prepared tin and smooth down surface. Freeze overnight.
To make chocolate ganache, put chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat until simmering. Pour cream over chocolate, stirring until smooth, then stir in water. Refrigerate mixture for 15 minutes or until cooled.
Remove cake from tin. Press crushed biscuits onto sides to coat completely, then arrange on a cake stand or serving plate. Top with extra cream and drizzle over ganache. Serve decorated with raspberries, honeycomb and choc curls.