Peanut Butter, Chocolate, Caramel and Nut Semifreddo.
This sophisticated semifreddo combines a smooth and velvety peanut butter frozen cream with caramel, milk chocolate and a generous layer of toasted nuts.
The result is a luxurious frozen dessert with the creamy texture of semifreddo and contrasting layers of crunchy peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts. The base contains no biscuits or pastry; instead, the nuts are bound together with chocolate and hazelnut praline to create a rich, crunchy layer.
Ingredients
For the Peanut Butter Semifreddo
- 300 g creamy peanut butter
- 250 g sweetened condensed milk
- 500 g whipping cream, at least 35% fat
- 100 g mascarpone
- 60 g icing sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 g fine salt
For the Crunchy Nut Layer
- 120 g roasted peanuts
- 140 g roasted walnuts
- 70 g roasted hazelnuts
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 70 g hazelnut praline
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 25 g puffed rice
- 20 g honey
- 1 pinch of salt
For the Peanut Butter Caramel
- 100 g dulce de leche or thick caramel
- 30 g peanut butter
- 1 pinch of fleur de sel
For the Chocolate Coating
- 250 g milk chocolate
- 100 g heavy cream
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 40 g glucose syrup or mild honey
For the Crunchy Topping
- 80 g puffed rice
- 80 g roasted peanuts
- 50 g walnuts
- 50 g hazelnuts
- 100 g milk chocolate
- 25 g hazelnut praline
- 15 g honey
- 1 pinch of salt
Method
1. Prepare the Nut Crunch Layer
If the nuts are not already roasted, lightly toast the peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts. Allow them to cool completely.
Roughly chop the walnuts and hazelnuts. The peanuts can be left whole or halved. Do not finely grind the nuts, as they should remain clearly visible when the semifreddo is sliced.
Melt the milk chocolate with the butter.
Add the hazelnut praline, honey and a pinch of salt. Stir until smooth.
Add the peanuts, walnuts, hazelnuts and puffed rice. Mix gently until the ingredients are lightly coated with the chocolate mixture.
The mixture should remain chunky and full of visible nuts rather than becoming a paste.
Spread it evenly into the bottom of the mould, forming a layer approximately 8–10 mm thick.
Press gently to compact the mixture without crushing the nuts.
Freeze for 20–30 minutes.
2. Prepare the Peanut Butter Caramel
Mix the dulce de leche with the peanut butter and fleur de sel until completely smooth.
Spread a thin layer over the chilled nut crunch.
Return the mould to the freezer while preparing the semifreddo.
3. Prepare the Peanut Butter Semifreddo
Place the peanut butter and mascarpone in a bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
Add the condensed milk, icing sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until completely incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream until firm but still creamy.
Fold approximately one third of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture to lighten it.
Gently fold in the remaining whipped cream, taking care not to lose too much of the incorporated air.
The finished mixture should be smooth, creamy and light.
4. Assemble the Semifreddo
Remove the mould from the freezer.
Pour the semifreddo mixture over the caramel layer.
Smooth the surface carefully with a palette knife.
Cover the mould and freeze for at least 8 hours. For the best structure, leave it in the freezer overnight.
5. Prepare the Chocolate Coating
Heat the cream until hot but do not bring it to a boil.
Pour it over the milk chocolate and allow it to stand for approximately one minute.
Stir until completely smooth and glossy.
Add the butter and glucose syrup or honey and emulsify until homogeneous.
Allow the coating to cool to approximately 30–32°C before using.
6. Prepare the Crunchy Topping
Melt the milk chocolate.
Add the hazelnut praline and honey.
Fold in the puffed rice, peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts.
Add a small pinch of salt and mix gently.
Place small portions of the mixture onto parchment paper and allow the chocolate to set.
Once firm, break the mixture into irregular pieces.
7. Finish the Semifreddo
Remove the semifreddo from the mould while completely frozen.
Place it on a wire rack.
Pour the chocolate coating over the surface, allowing a small amount to run naturally down the sides.
Before the coating sets completely, arrange the crunchy nut pieces over the top.
Finish with a few whole peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts for a generous, artisanal appearance.
A small amount of fleur de sel can be added as a final touch.
8. Serving
Keep the semifreddo frozen until ready to serve.
Remove it from the freezer approximately 10–15 minutes before slicing.
The exact resting time will depend on the room temperature and the size of the dessert.
The semifreddo should remain thoroughly chilled while becoming soft enough to slice easily, with a smooth and velvety interior similar to premium ice cream.
Final Structure
When sliced, the dessert should reveal clearly defined layers:
Chocolate coating
Crunchy puffed rice, peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts
Creamy peanut butter semifreddo
Thin layer of peanut butter caramel
Generous layer of chocolate-bound peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts
The absence of biscuits allows the nuts to become the main feature of the lower layer. Peanuts, walnuts and hazelnuts provide different shapes, sizes and textures, while the chocolate and praline bind them together.
The finished dessert combines the intense flavour of peanut butter with milk chocolate, caramel, toasted nuts and a subtle salty finish.
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