Crème brûlée vs Semifreddo al Torroncino (Nougat Semifreddo)

Both desserts start from cream and egg yolks but take them in opposite directions. Crème brûlée infuses the cream with a split vanilla bean, tempers it into yolks whisked with sugar and bakes it gently in a water bath into a silky custard, finished with a torched, crackly caramel top. The semifreddo whips the yolks with hot sugar syrup into an airy base, then folds in vanilla-scented whipped cream and chopped soft nougat before freezing. One contrasts smooth custard with brittle sugar; the other is light, cold and studded with sweet nougat pieces.