Strawberry Cheesecake Semifreddo

• Prepare a loaf pan by lining it with either parchment paper or plastic wrap. Make sure to leave enough overhang to cover the pan, about 3 to 4 inches on each side. 
• Puree strawberries in a blender or food processor. Set aside.  
• Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the texture is akin to wet sand. Set aside.  
• Whisk the heavy cream until medium peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.  

Double-Boiler and Tempering 

• Next, assemble a double boiler. You will need a saucepan and a medium-sized heat-proof mixing bowl. This process will temper the egg yolks, allowing them to cook without curdling. I recommend using an electric mixer as it's less labor-intensive. 
• Fill the saucepan with about an inch of water and bring to a simmer. Then add the egg yolks, ½ cup of sugar, vanilla, and salt to the mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients to combine them before placing the bowl on top of the saucepan. Be sure the mixing bowl does not touch the simmering water. Continue to whisk the mixture over the heat until it is glossy, becomes pale, and doubles in size; about 5 minutes. Remove the yolk mixture from heat and continue to whisk until the mixture cools to room temperature; it may take 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside the yolk mixture and clean your whisk or mixer attachments. 
• In a different heat-proof mixing bowl, combine the four egg whites and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Again, place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk over the heat until the mixture is fluffy. Then remove from the heat and continue to whisk until the whites hold stiff peaks. 

Combining Ingredients 

• Now you are ready to combine the ingredients. You may opt to use a stand mixer at this time. Combine the yolk mixture with the cream cheese until they are smooth, about 3-4 minutes. Next, gently fold in the egg whites. Do not over-mix. Leaving a few streaks is better than having a completely homogeneous mixture. Once you have folded in the egg whites, it is time to fold in the whipped cream. Again, do so gently. Finally, fold in the pureed strawberries. 

Pouring and Setting the Semifreddo 

• Semifreddo can be sliced, scooped, or sandwiched. So, your graham cracker crumb placement may depend on how you plan to serve your Strawberry Cheesecake Semifreddo. 
• Option 1: Pat the graham cracker crumbs along the bottom of the pan. Pour your semifreddo mixture on top.  
• Option 2: Pour a third of the mixture into the loaf pan, level it, and sprinkle half the graham cracker crumbs on top. Do this one more time. Then pour the remaining third of the mixture.  
• Option 3: Through caution to the wind. Pour some mixture into the loaf pan, sprinkle some graham cracker crumbs. Repeat until both the Strawberry Cheesecake Semifreddo mixture and the graham cracker crumbs are in the loaf pan. Then swirl the mixture with either a skewer or butter knife. 
• Once the semifreddo is in the loaf pan, fold the overhanging parchment or plastic wrap onto the top. The semifreddo needs to set in the freezer for about 8-10 hours (or overnight).  

Serving the Semifreddo 

• To Serve Slices:  

  Lift out of loaf pan by pulling up on the parchment/plastic wrap. You may need to help it along by running warm water (very briefly) along the bottom of the loaf pan. Place on a cutting board or platter. Run a serrated knife under warm water. Slice the semifreddo into 1-inch-thick pieces.  
• To Serve Ice Cream Sandwiches:  

  Lift out of loaf pan by pulling up on the parchment/plastic wrap. You may need to help it along by running warm water (very briefly) along the bottom of the loaf pan. Place on a cutting board or platter. Take a standard-sized gram cracker and halve it into two squares. Run a serrated knife under warm water and cut slices to the size of these squares. Place between the two graham cracker pieces and enjoy. 
• To Serve Scoops:  

  For this option, there is no need to remove the semifreddo from the loaf pan. Scoop out the semifreddo and enjoy.