Skip to main content

Zuccotto Alla Ricotta

This Italian sweet uses pan di Spagna as its base. I've wondered if the name really should be pan di Spagna (literally 'Spanish bread') or whether it should actually be pan di spugna ('sponge bread'). Whatever its name, it was delicious. I just made this for a birthday party and there was not a crumb left!

Pan di Spagna
4 eggs, separated
3/4 cup organic sugar
1 t pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1/2 cup white whole wheat flour
1/2 C cornstarch

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together the egg yolks, half the sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until pale yellow and well-aerated, about 2 minutes. In another bowl, whip the egg whites and salt until opaque. Add the remaining sugar in a steady stream and whip until the whites are a firm, dull meringue. Use a rubber spatual to fold the yolks into the whites. Sift the flour and cornstarch over the batter and fold it in. Scrape batter into a buttered pan. Bake for 40 minutes until well-risen and firm to the touch. Immediately run a small knife around the pan to loosen the cake. Unmold the layer onto a rack and cool. Once cool, cut out a disk the size of the top of your bowl. Slice the remaining pieces in half and line a stainless steel bowl with them. Sprinkle the cake with run.

Filling
2 - 15 oz fresh ricotta
2 C powdered sugar
6 T white rum
2 T anise seeds
2 envelope gelatin
chopped bittersweet chocolate
Whip the ricotta and powdered sugar together until smooth. Combine the rum and anise seeds in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the surface. Allow to soak until softened - about 5 minutes - then place over a pan of simmering water, stirring till melted. Whisk the dissolved gelatin into the ricotta mixture. Stir in the chocolate bits. Pour the filling into the prepared mold and close it with the reserved disk of cake. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours. Unmold the cake. Finish the cake with a layer of whipped cream and more bits of chocolate.

A traditional Zuccotto Alla Ricotta has pistachios in the filling and is finished with chopped pistachios on the outside. But I needed a certain look for this cake.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Meyer Lemon Custard-Filled Matcha Turtles #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our  Pinterest board  right here. Links are also updated after each event on the  Bread Bakers home page .  We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love  is hosting and she wrote: "Your bread can be large, as in one big animal, or small - animal-shaped rolls. Use your imagination! Points for flavor and shape!" If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. Here's the animal-shaped bread basket from the #BreadBakers... Beef and Sweet Onion Dim Sum Pandas from Karen's Kitchen Stories Bird Bread Rolls from Ambrosia Easter Bunny Buns from Cook with Renu Ham and Cheese Elephant Rolls from Food Lust People Love Hedgehog Bread from Making Mir

Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé #Winophiles

This month the French Winophiles group is looking at affordable wines from Burgundy.  Host Cindy of Grape Experiences wrote: "Burgundy, or Bourgogne, is known for its wines of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir... as well as Aligote, Gamay, Sauvignon, César, Pinot Beurot, Sacy, Melon in lesser quantities. Many of the well-known wines are quite expensive, but there are plenty of values to be found." Read her invitation here. And there won't be a Twitter chat for this event, so you will have to dive into the articles themselves to read about our pairings and findings. Here's the line-up... Wendy Klik from A Day in the Life on the Farm enjoys Domaine Chevillon Chezeaux Bourgogne Hautes Cotes de Nuits, 2018 Paired with a Maple Pecan Chicken . Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Camilla shares her love of Connecticut Lobster Rolls, Canned Lobster Bisque, and a 2019 Henry Fessy 'Maître Bonhome' Viré-Clessé. Jeff Burrows of FoodWineClick! explains why we should Look t

Quick Pickled Red Onions and Radishes

If you've been reading my blog for even a short amount of time, you probably know how much I love to pickle things. I was just telling a friend you can pickle - with vinegar - or you can ferment - with salt - for similar delicious effect. The latter has digestive benefits and I love to do that, but when I need that pop of sour flavor quickly, I whip up quick pickles that are ready in as little as a day or two. I've Pickled Blueberries , Pickled Asparagus , Pickled Cranberries , Pickled Pumpkin , and even Pickled Chard Stems ! This I did last night for an upcoming recipe challenge that requires I include radishes. Ummmm...of course I'm pickling them! Ingredients  makes 1 quart jar radishes, trimmed and sliced organic red onions, peeled and thinly sliced (I used a mandolin slicer) 3/4 C vinegar (I used white distilled vinegar) 3/4 C water 3 T organic granulated sugar 1 T salt (I used some grey sea salt) 6 to 8 grinds of black pepper Proce