The warming properties of whisky add so much to this dish. When cooked, it loses none of its lovely mellowness; the malty overtones are still present. Your guest will be loved this Malt Whisky Semi-Fredo.

Serves 6 people

Ingredients

•    5 cups cream
•    2 cups sugar
•    12 egg yolks
•    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•    1 cup roughly chopped, toasted pistachios
•    2 tbsp malt whisky
•    4 shots of espresso
•    1 tbsp muscavado syrup
•    ½ cup of dates

Method:

1.    In a large bowl whisk the cream into medium peaks.
2.    Add 1 cup of the sugar to the cream and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Turn the cream out into a large bowl.
3.    Whisk the egg yolks and the remaining 1 cup sugar. Whisk until the yolks are pale yellow and tripled in volume.
4.    Add the yolks to the whipped cream. Add the vanilla extract and begin to fold the yolks into the cream. Add the pistachio and whisky and turn the mixture out into a glass serving dish. Freeze overnight.
5.    For the date and espresso syrup. Place the espresso and muscovado sugar in a saucepan and heat.
Add the chopped dates and reduce liquid till it is syrupy in texture.

To serve:

Cut the semifredo into desired size pieces. Place individual pieces in a serving bowl and top with berries  and chocolate sauce. Garnish with powdered sugar and a sprig of mint.

Tips/Pointers

Be sure to serve this dish as soon as you slice it, as it tends to melt quickly. Always use a knife dipped in  hot water so it slices through easily without crushing the desert.

Recipe from Safari Cuisine, a book by Andres Bifani