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This is the archived version of the Milk Street website and is no longer up to date.

Please visit 177milkstreet.com to see the current website with all of the latest recipes!

Cherry and Chocolate Crumble Semifreddo

8 Servings

20 minutes plus freezing

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This frozen dessert is impressive not only in how quickly and easily it comes together but also in how elegant the speckled, mosaic-like slices look when plated. The semifreddo is rich yet light in flavor, with both creaminess and crunch, and it can be made well in advance. Fresh or frozen (thawed) pitted sweet cherries work equally well. We roughly chop the cherries, then briefly steep them in amaretto or kirsch (balsamic vinegar is excellent, too), plus almond or vanilla extract. Thin, snappy-crisp chocolate cookies are the type to use here. We especially liked Tate’s Bake Shop double chocolate chip cookies. If you like, serve the slices with chocolate sauce. To make it easy to get the semifreddo out of the pan, we line it with plastic wrap. Sprinkling the pan with water keeps the plastic in place.

8

Servings

20 minutes

plus freezing

Ingredients

  • 2

    cups pitted fresh or thawed frozen sweet cherries, roughly chopped

  • 2

    tablespoons amaretto OR kirsch OR balsamic vinegar

Reviews
NICOLE K.
July 18, 2026
Winner!
This recipe is delicious. All my kids and their friends loved it. It's simple to make and just has a few ingredients and looks pretty. Definitely a make again!
Karen M.
July 4, 2024
This recipe is cherry!
This semifreddo is delicious and bursting with cherry flavor. The only crispy chocolate cookie I could find was chocolate gram crackers and I wasn't super happy with their flavor. In the future, I will make it without the chocolate crumble, unless I can find better cookies. I was happy that I could make this in the morning, put it into the freezer, and have it ready for dinner the same day.
Katherine S.
May 2, 2024
Quick, easy and delicious
Used Oreo thins. Put together in minutes and it was a hit at my dinner party. Will make again for sure.
Mary W.
November 10, 2023
How much of the cookie crumbs?
I made this dessert today - and it is delicious. However, I was unsure about the cookie crumbs. I wish I had weighed the cookies first - sigh. I whizzed about half a 9 ounce package in the FP and it did not look like a sufficient amount, so I whizzed the rest of the package. When constructing the layers, I used 2/3 cup of crumbs per layer which equaled the 2 cups called for. Yes, I have leftover crumbs. My husband and I decided that next time the top and bottom layers should have very little, maybe a thin layer but the middle should have much more. This way, the crumbs won't fall off the top or bottom but the middle will have a noticeable amount. It's always fun to play with recipes!
Maxine C.
July 5, 2026
Not impressed - will not make again
Made this yesterday (07/04/2026), will not make again. The cookie coating dominates the whole semifreddo. Cherry semifreddo is ok.

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