Cynar Recipe

Make Cynar syrup

Combine the granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from heat and let cool 2 minutes, then stir in the 0.75 cups Cynar until fully incorporated. Set aside to cool to room temperature (about 15 minutes).

Warm dairy

In a separate saucepan, combine the heavy cream and whole milk. Warm over low-medium heat until it is steaming and small bubbles form around the edges but not boiling (about 4–6 minutes). Remove from heat.

Temper egg yolks

Whisk the 3 egg yolks with the vanilla extract and fine sea salt in a medium bowl until smooth and slightly thickened. Slowly ladle about 1/4 cup of the warm dairy into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them.

Cook custard

Return the tempered yolk mixture to the saucepan with the remaining warm cream and milk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of the spoon (170–175°F / 77–80°C, about 4–6 minutes). Do not boil.

Combine with Cynar syrup

Remove the custard from heat and slowly whisk in the cooled Cynar syrup until evenly combined. Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Chill

Transfer the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a skin and chill in the refrigerator until completely cold, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Freeze (for ice cream) or set (for semifreddo)

Option A — Ice cream: Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer instructions until it reaches soft-serve consistency (about 20–30 minutes). Transfer to a container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm up before serving. Option B — Semifreddo: Whip an additional 1/2 cup heavy cream to soft peaks and fold gently into the chilled custard. Pour into a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap, smooth the top, cover and freeze at least 4–6 hours until sliceable.

Serve

Scoop or slice the Cynar dessert into 4 portions. Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of dark chocolate shavings and a piece of candied orange peel if desired. Let stand 3–5 minutes at room temperature before eating for best texture.