SEMIFREDDO DI FICHI D'INDIA

This weekend, it is predicted, will bring another "African" heatwave to Sicily, school's still out and ice cream is still being served:  yet the rientro or return from the countryside or sea for most Italians signifies the end of summer and fichi d'India or prickly pears are already in the shops.  

For me they represent the taste of Sicily so this year I decided to honour them in a semifreddo:

I wanted this one to have a biscuity base and a top so I began by crushing six digestive biscuits with a rolling pin.  Then you lightly oil the base and sides of a 2lb loaf tin - use groundnut or sunflower oil -  and sprinkle half the crumbs over.  You won't really get many to adhere to the sides but it doesn't matter.  Now deal with the fruit:  you need to peel and slice 5 prickly pears and the way a Sicilian taught me to do this is to hold the fruit steady on its side with a fork, cut a slit in the skin with a knife and then cut round the fruit.  You have to be careful not to touch the skins with your hands as you can still get a nasty prickle even if you buy the fruit dethorned.  Next crush 6 savoiardi [lady's finger] biscuits and put aside while you whip up 500 ml panna da montare, whipping or double cream to stiff peaks.  Now stir in a little Sicilian prickly pear liqueur [or orange liqueur], 50 gr sugar, the savoiardi crumbs and the sliced fruit.  Mix well with a metal spoon and then spoon it all into the prepared tin.  Level the top with a palette knife and sprinkle the reserved digestive biscuit crumbs over. Wrap the tin all round with clingfilm and then with foil and freeze the semifreddo for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.  It should turn out easily and you can decorate it with more slices of prickly pear.

Enjoy.