Valentine’s Day is practically here. So it is only right that I talk about my crush. Actually, it may be beyond crush at this point. Let’s call it love with a capital L.
Meyer Lemons are bright and fun and make my mouth water and give me butterflies in the stomach when they are in season. They would probably not even hesitate to join me for a drink or take a long walk on the beach. And I love them.
I know. I’ve talked about food crushes before. Persimmons. Rhubarb. Mussels. Hatch Chiles. But Meyer Lemons have a permanent place in my fridge for as long as they are in season. They are magically floral with a sweet and sassy rind and juice that isn’t mouth puckeringly tart. Beyond crush. Love.
I like using them to make a Meyer Lemon Curd (you can find instructions on how to make a citrus curd HERE). But taking it one step further and adding that lemon curd to an Italian semifreddo? Bliss.
Semifreddo literally means semi-frozen. It is a dessert that comes together quickly with minimal fuss and involves a lot of whipping cream. Then, as the name implies it is frozen – but only part way and served still soft. I added some fresh thyme and thyme simple syrup along with the Meyer lemon curd to the semifreddo – because I love thyme and the woodsy herb balances out the sweet.
Enjoy! Lydia, lover not a fighter
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Fresh Thyme
- 1.5 cups Water
- 1 cup Sugar
- 1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/3 cup Thyme Simple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp Fresh Thyme Leaves
- 1/2 cup Meyer Lemon Curd (or regular lemon curd)
- Optional: Candied Meyer Lemon Slices
Method
- Add several sprigs of thyme & 1.5 cups of water to a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil, turn down the heat and allow to simmer on low for 5 minutes.
- Add 1 cup of sugar to the pot, stir and turn the heat back up to high. Allow the thyme/sugar/water mixture to come to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat.
- Allow the thyme to infuse the simple syrup by allowing it to sit for 10 minutes. Strain out the thyme and any loose leaves. Allow to come to room temperature.
- You won't use the entire batch of simple syrup for this recipe - so feel free to use it in a cocktail or even in your coffee or tea. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Put a glass bowl into your freezer for 30 minutes to chill. This will help the cream whip much faster. (I put the bowl in the freezer right when I started to make the Thyme Simple Syrup)
- Add the heavy whipping cream along with the simple syrup to the bowl. Beat with a hand mixer until the cream sets up and stiff peaks form.
- Add the thyme leaves and lemon curd and gently fold in until well mixed.
- Optional: Decorate the bottom of a loaf pan with slices of candied lemon - this will eventually be the top of your semifreddo.
- Pour the whipped cream mixture into the loaf pan, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for about 3-4 hours - long enough for the semifreddo to set up and start to freeze, but not long enough for a hard freeze.
- To remove from the pan, immerse the base of the pan only in hot water for 10 seconds, then turn upside down over a plate and give it a little shake. Serve in slices with fresh berries, a little lemon zest or a dollop of lemon curd.
This post is a part of The Vintage Mixer‘s Eat Seasonal series. So many reasons to focus on eating quality in-season produce… to save money, to get the freshest produce, for sustainability but most of all everything just tastes better!
Check out these great posts with great recipes for seasonal eating! Enjoy!
Beet Buckwheat Pancakes by Simple Bites
Citrus and Yogurt Fruit Pizza with Granola Crust by Completely Delicious
Spicy Cashew Spring Greens Soup by Letty’s Kitchen
Cauliflower Chickpea and Crispy Kale Tacos with Orange Tahini Sauce by Vintage Mixer
Lemon Poppy Seed Meringue Cookies by Project Domestication
Meyer Lemon & Thyme Semifreddo by Suitcase Foodist
Paleo Lemon Poppy Seed Bread by Joy Food Sunshine
Broccoli Cheese and Potato Soup by Foodie Crush
Tilapia with Tangerine Salsa by Healthy Seasonal Recipes
Orange and Arugula Smoothie Bowl by Floating Kitchen
Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Kale Salad with Orange and Avocado by Mountain Mama Cooks
Beet and Apple Salad with Citrus Honey Yogurt by Flavor the Moments
Meyer Lemon and Honey Lassi by Kitchen Confidante
Roasted Veggie Buddha Bowls with Pesto by She Likes Food
Coconut Quinoa Bowls with Roasted Broccoli and Tahini Sauce by Cafe Johnsonia
Cilantro-Lime Chicken Soup by Food for My Family
And now I have a crush on this semifreddo! Love it and love meyer lemons as well.
I really am moving towards Meyer Lemon obsession. Thanks so much for chiming in Katie!
Love desserts like this that don’t need an ice cream maker! And I’m a huge can of meyers too!
Same Becky! I just don’t have the space in my tiny galley kitchen for much else besides a hand mixer. So this is one of my ways of compensating
I love the fresh flavors of lemons and thyme! Sounds amazing!
Thank you….
It is one of those combinations that is just sooooo classic!
I so look forward to Meyer lemons every single year. They are one of my favs too! I wish their season was longer. I still have never made a semifreddo. Think I need to change that ASAP!
The beauty of semifreddo Liz is that it is totally simple and yet everyone walks away impressed. Thanks for reading!
I love meyer lemons, and this semifreddo looks beyond amazing! I’ve never made one before and have got to try it!
Marcie – a semifreddo is basically the easiest of all the deserts. It saves me on a regular basis.
Wow! this looks heavenly. I always did have a weakness for semifreddo. Love the thyme syrup idea!
I tried the thyme syrup in a cocktail the other night. Just heavenly.
So, I’ve never actually had a meyer lemon before, but I really need to find some! I love regular lemons so I know I would really love the flavor of meyer lemons. This semifreddo sounds awesome!
Meyer lemons are seriously a dream to work with. Always use the zest if you can – it is heaven.
I feel like you’ve been reading my mind – I was dreaming up a Meyer lemon semifreddo the other day, and gosh, you’ve made a beautiful one. I feel like it’s just made for me!
I love mind-reading food blogger kismet Liren! Gladly dishing you up some virtually.