Chef John's Strawberry Semifreddo

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh strawberries
• 0.5 cups white sugar
• 0.75 cups full-fat Greek yogurt
• lemon , zested
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 0.13 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar , Optional
• 1 pinch salt
• 1.75 cups cold heavy cream

Instructions

1. 1

   Line 10 ramekins with plastic wrap and place them onto a baking sheet.

2. 2

   Hull strawberries with the tip of a knife. Place strawberries in a food processor. Add sugar, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle in a tiny pinch of salt. Pulse on and off to combine; finish pureeing on high until smooth.

3. 3

   Whisk heavy cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Add the strawberry puree. Stir and fold with a spatula until most of the major streaks disappear. Fill ramekins 1/4 to 1/8 inch from the top with the strawberry mixture. Tap baking sheet against the counter to settle the tops. Cover ramekins in plastic wrap and freeze until mostly firm, about 1 1/2 hours.

4. 4

   Meanwhile, place cookies in a resealable plastic bag. Seal; crush cookies through with a rolling pin to get 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. Place crumbs into a bowl; add butter and mix well.

5. 5

   Divide the cookie crumb mixture among the ramekins and smooth out with the back of a spoon. Cover again and freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.

6. 6

   Toss diced strawberries with sugar in a bowl. Let rest at room temperature until a syrup forms below the strawberries, about 1 hour.

7. 7

   Warm up each ramekin in your hands to help unmold the semifreddo; invert onto a plate. Top with the strawberries in syrup. Thaw for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.