Pecan Pie Semifreddo - crust

Method

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Combine all of your ingredients; you want it to have the consistency of wet sand. Press into the bottom of your pan.
• I like to use a tart pan for this. It looks very elegant, and quite pie-like, but using a spring form pan, loaf pan, whatever you choose works just as well!
• Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, you will be able to smell the toasting crust.
• Remove and allow to cool completely before putting your semifreddo in.
• Begin by whipping your heavy cream in your mixer, or by hand, until medium-stiff peaks form. You will know when this has occurred when you lift the whisk and your whipped cream has a slight curl to the end of it.
• Reserve your whipped cream in another bowl in the refrigerator.
• Combine the sugar, eggs and egg yolks in your mixing bowl.
• Place on top of a small saucepot that has been filled with about an inch of water, making sure that it is not directly touching your bowl.
• Turn the burner on low and, with a whisk, constantly whip your egg sugar mixture until the sugar has dissolved-this should be around 120 F.
• Once you have reached this stage, turn off your burner and put the bowl on your mixer with the whisk attachment.
• Whip on medium-high until your eggs have turned a pale yellow and have formed ribbons.
• To do the "ribbon test": when you believe that your eggs have been whipped long enough, stop the mixer and dip the whisk attachment into the batter, go back and forth, making a line with the eggs. If they hold for 3-5 seconds without sinking back into your mixture, then you are good to go!
• Now, take the whipped cream from the beginning and fold into your whipped eggs.
• How to fold in the cream? First, put a small bit of the whipped cream in to temper, mixing quickly with your spatula, next put into about 1/2 of your remaining cream. As a chef of mine used to say, "12:00, 6:00, give it a quarter turn," meaning simply that start with your spatula at 12:00 on your bowl, drag down to 6:00, and give the bowl a quarter turn. Do this until all of the cream is mixed in and is homogenous.
• Transfer on top of your crust that has been baked and cooler.
• Now, you may either put this in the freezer as is to freeze, or, if you want to add a little extra sweetness, mix in some caramel or dulce de leche. I like to swirl in lots of dulce de leche so that I find yummy pockets in each bite!
• Once frozen, remove from your pan, slice and serve.