Semifreddo with Blackberry Preserves, Goat Cheese, and Pistachio Crumble

In a medium heavy-bottomed pot, toss the blackberries, honey, and sugar together. Let sit for 15 minutes to help dissolve the sugar and draw out the juices from the berries.

Bring the sugared fruit to a strong simmer over medium-high heat, just until the juices start to boil, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Reduce to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat and continue to cook. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, stir occasionally, then more frequently as it thickens and the bubbles from the juices become larger and slower moving. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated and the berries start to break down, approximately 30 minutes. The mixture should be a bit thinner than jam, making it easier to incorporate into the semifreddo.

Add the lemon juice, continuing to cook, stirring constantly until the preserves have thickened again, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour the preserves into a heatproof glass container. Let cool on the counter before refrigerating.

Preheat the oven to 325°. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a high-speed blender or food processor, pulse the roasted

pistachios for a few seconds until you get a fine-coarse meal, resembling something like sand. Add the flour, sugar, and salt, pulse a few more times to combine everything. Add in the cold butter and pulse until you get a crumbled mixture. It should clump together when you press it in your hand. Evenly distribute the crumble onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until golden. Let cool completely on the sheet. At this stage the crumble may resemble one large cookie that spread too much.

With your hands, break the crumble up, getting some larger and some smaller pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Line an 8- by 4- by 3-inch loaf pan with 2 layers of parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on all sides. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or using a hand mixer, whisk the cream, goat cheese, and vanilla to soft peaks. Pour into a separate bowl and keep cold in the refrigerator.

Put the eggs and sugar into the clean bowl of a stand mixer, or a separate bowl if you do not have a stand mixer, and whisk gently to combine. Set the bowl over a saucepan filled with a few inches of barely simmering water. Heat slowly, stirring often, until it reaches 170° or until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is hot to the touch. Remove the bowl. Set it on the stand mixer with the whisk attachment (again, you can use a hand mixer here) and whisk on high speed until pale, thick, and doubled in volume, 6 to 8 minutes. It should leave a trail that flows onto itself when the whisk is lifted and the bowl is no longer hot.

Fold half of the cream mixture into the egg mixture until almost combined, then fold in the remaining half. It is fine for some streaks to remain, better in fact, as you don’t want to lose too much aeration.

Add in roughly ½ cup of the blackberry preserves, more or less depending on your preference, and fold until rippled. The less you fold, the more distinct it will be, so do it as little as possible. Scrape half into the prepared pan, then evenly sprinkle a generous layer of pistachio crumble. Scrape the rest of the semifreddo on top, and repeat another layer of crumble to finish.

Fold the hanging edges of parchment wrap over the top to completely cover and freeze until firm, 8 to 12 hours, before unmolding, slicing, and serving.