I'm always on the hunt for a specific type of recipe to add to my culinary repertoire. They're almost mythical, they're so rare- those recipes that are both exceptionally delicious and a snap to make. Recipes that you can bring out on any occasion and reliably expect oohs and aahs (and requests that you make it again and again). When I find one, I tend to hoard it for my very own, but this one is just too good to keep under wraps. Prepare yourselves for epic deliciousness, friends.

Pistachio Semifreddo with Dark Chocolate Sauce

Adapted from Gourmet, January 2007

Ingredients

For semifreddo:

1 1/2 cups shelled salted pistachios (6 1/2 ounces)
1 cup sugar
6 large egg whites
2 cups chilled heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

For chocolate sauce:

about 1/2 cup good dark chocolate, chopped
about 1 Tbsp salted butter

Special Equipment

10" springform pan, lined with waxed paper (any 2 quart high-sided pan will do, but I like the springform for ease of serving)

Directions

For semifreddo:

Pulse 1 cup pistachios with 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in a food processor until very finely ground. Empty this mixture into a bowl and add remaining 1/2 cup pistachios to the food processor, pulsing until just coarsely ground. Reserve coarsely ground nuts for serving later.

Beat egg whites* in a bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until they just hold soft peaks. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, then increase speed to high and beat until meringue just holds stiff, glossy peaks.

Beat cream with almond extract in a wide bowl with mixer at high speed until it just holds soft peaks.

Fold meringue into cream gently but thoroughly, then fold in finely ground nut and sugar mixture in same manner. Spoon the cream/meringue mixture into the springform pan and freeze, covered, until firm enough to slice, at least 4 hours (you can make this a day ahead and freeze if overnight. See? Easy.). Let the semifreddo soften slightly before serving.

*Please keep in mind that the egg whites in this dish are not cooked. If you have concerns about the safety of raw egg whites, you can try using pasteurized eggs in the recipe, or adapt the recipe to use a swiss meringue, in which the sugar and eggs are combined together and heated before beating (make sure to let the meringue cool before incorporating with the rest of the ingredients). The semifreddo may be slightly denser when using this method.

For chocolate sauce:

Once you are ready to serve, and after you have pulled the semifreddo from the freezer to let it soften, melt the chopped chocolate with butter in a small saucepan over low heat and stir until the butter is incorporated. Let cool for a few minutes.

To serve:

Slice the semifreddo into wedges and top with drizzled chocolate sauce and the roughly chopped nuts. The chocolate sauce will harden pleasantly (like Magic Shell! But fancy), and, with the nuts, provides the perfect textural contrast to the fluffy semifreddo. Enjoy!

One of the best parts of our monthly CBL meetings is sharing a meal together. It's a great way to connect before we get into the nitty gritty of the meeting. Each member takes turns cooking for the group, which can be quite the endeavor when satisfying 7+ foodies and being mindful of each member's dietary restrictions. For our second annual retreat, I was part of the food crew and had to find a dessert for the whole group. This is the recipe I spied in Bon Appetit (my food mag bible), it is PERFECT for satisfying gluten free and gluten loving appetites alike. Plus, it can easily be adjusted for our dairy-free friends.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

For Cake

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1” pieces, plus more, room temperature, for pan - for dairy free option replace with equal amount of coconut oil
¾ cup plus 1 Tbsp. sugar, divided, plus more for pan
10 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (61%–72% cacao), coarsely chopped
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 large eggs
2 tablespoon natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon kosher salt

For Topping *

1 cup chilled heavy cream
½ cup mascarpone
3 tablespoon powdered sugar
* for dairy-free option, simply top with coconut milk ice cream

Special Equipment:

A 9”-diameter springform pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly butter (or coconut oil) your springform pan and dust with sugar, tapping out any excess.
Combine chocolate, oil, and ½ cup butter in a large glass bowl. Create a double boiler by setting glass bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stirring often, until everything is almost 100% melted. Remove bowl from saucepan and continue to stir until fully melted.
Separate 4 eggs, keep whites and yolks in separate bowls. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, ¼ cup sugar, and remaining 2 eggs to bowl with yolks and whisk until mixture is smooth. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into chocolate mixture, blending completely.
Using a standing mixer (or hand mixer) on high speed, beat egg whites until frothy. With mixer running, slowly pour in ½ cup sugar; beat until firm peaks form.
Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture in 2 additions, folding just until incorporated between additions (This part is a bit nerve racking because you don't want to lose all that lovely volume you've created. Just be really gently and don't over mix). Scrape into prepared pan; sprinkle with 1 tsp remaining sugar and 1/2 tsp of good sea salt (or try lavender fleur de sel).
Bake until top is starting to crack and cake is pulling away from edge of pan, 35-45 minutes. Pull from oven and let cake cool completely in pan (it will crack and collapse a bit, that is exactly what it's supposed to do).
DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover in pan and store at room temperature.
To make topping: Using a standing mixer or hand mixer, beat cream, mascarpone, and powdered sugar in a medium bowl until soft peaks form.
Remove sides of springform pan from cake. Mound topping mixture in center of cake.

Recommendations!

Add about 1-2 tbsp of bourbon to the whipped cream/mascarpone topping (you could do vanilla instead of the bourbon – 1/2 tsp).
Add 1/2 tsp of cardamom to recipe (I love ALL things cardamom – hello Grapefruit Cardamom Lotion)
Any other variation ideas out there? What is your go-to dessert dinner part/big group dessert?