EdHart.meIf you’re ever in the neighborhood of Commander’s Palace in the Garden District, you can almost follow your nose to the front door by the aroma of bread pudding which wafts across the neighborhood. I always picture a looney tunes character, closing their eyes, nose to the air, flapping their hands and floating along the scent trail to the source. I always think of that when I make this recipe and my kitchen smells of cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla.
Baklava is one of the great desserts of the Eastern Mediterranean: dozens of delicate layers of buttery phyllo pastry wrapped around spiced nuts and soaked in a fragrant honey syrup. The magic of good baklava lies in contrast: crisp pastry, tender nut filling, and sweet aromatic syrup that soaks in without making the layers soggy.
So what’s a “semifreddo” anyway? It actually means “half-cold” and it’s basically a frozen mousse that originated in Italy. And it’s amazingly delicious, especially on a hot summer Alabama day. This recipe comes from the February 2023 issue of Food & Wine magazine.
