What will get nine ladies dancing? I’m sure there are many things but I can only think of one: alcohol. I can sing, I can act… but when it comes to dancing, I do best with alcohol. In fact, I might have been prancing about in my kitchen after the rum from today’s recipe. Which reminds me of a hilarious Holiday Fruitcake Recipe that I wouldn’t advice following. But if you do decide to follow the directions in that recipe, you might want to arm yourselves with some Ukon Power, a Japanese drink that helps prevent hangovers my friend raves about.

Inspired by dancing ladies and alcohol, today’s recipe is a boozy rum and raisin semi-freddo. Unlike ice-cream or gelato which are churned, semi-freddo (Italian for semi-frozen) is still-frozen. That means air must be incorporated into the mixture through folding in whipped cream or meringue before freezing. It also means that you won’t need an ice-cream maker to make this, just a good whisk and a few stainless steel bowls.

Rum & Raisin Semi-freddo

50g raisin
60g rum
4 egg yolks
30g sugar
25g icing sugar

4 egg whites
50g sugar

500ml whipping cream

1. Soak raisins in rum overnight till plump. When ready to start, strain raisins and reserve rum.

2. Whip cream till medium-stiff peaks, then chill in the fridge until needed.

3. In a stainless steel bowl over a simmering pot of water (bain-marie), whisk egg yolks, sugar, icing sugar and rum until thick and pale.

Keep whisking so the egg yolks don’t get so hot they curdle!

4. Transfer sabayon (egg yolk mixture) into the bowl of a mixer and whisk on high for 2-3 min, then on low to cool while preparing meringue.

5. Whisk egg whites while adding sugar a bit at a time, until medium-stiff peaks form.

When the meringue can hold a peak, it’s done.

6. Fold whipped cream into meringue, then fold in egg yolk mixture (sabayon) and raisins.

7. Transfer into a container of choice and level surface with a palette knife. Freeze until firm, at least 4-6 hours.

To serve as slices, use a loaf tin lined with clingwrap

For a dramatic frozen souffle, wrap a collar of acetate or parchment paper around a ramekin, then fill it to the top.

8. Enjoy straight out of the freezer on a hot day!

Sweet, creamy, cold, boozy rum & raisin ice cream that will keep you dancing all night on the ninth day of Xmas!

If you missed out on past recipes in the 12 days of Xmas recipes series…

Eighth Day of Xmas: Pumpkin Panna Cotta
Seventh Day of Xmas: Profiteroles
Sixth Day of Xmas: Pavlova
Fifth Day of Xmas: Cardamom Rings
Fourth Day of Xmas: Cheesy Cauliflower Gratin
Third Day of Xmas: Creamy Chicken Pie
Second Day of Xmas: Turtle Bars
First Day of Xmas: Rustic Pear Galette