Biba's Northern Italian Cooking - Biba Caggiano [76]
Chop almonds into very small pieces. In a large bowl or food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine eggs, butter, lemon zest, granulated sugar, flour, yeast mixture and almonds. Mix thoroughly.
Pour batter into buttered pan. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until cake is golden. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Place cake on a platter and dust with powdered sugar. Serve at room temperature.
STRAWBERRY MOUSSE
Spuma di Fragole
Cool and pretty, this is a perfect dessert for a summer dinner party.
MAKES 10 SERVINGS
8 cups strawberries (about 4 baskets)
¾ cup sugar
½ cup Marsala wine or ⅓ cup liqueur
Juice of 1 lemon
3 envelopes unflavored gelatin
½ cup hot water
1½ cups whipping cream
Additional strawberries
Whipped cream
Wash and hull strawberries. In a blender or food processor fitted with a metal blade, puree strawberries and sugar. Place strawberry mixture in a large bowl and stir in Marsala or liquor and lemon juice.
Stir gelatin into hot water until dissolved. Stir into strawberry mixture. Whip cream to medium thickness; fold into strawberry mixture.
Pour mousse into a large glass bowl or spoon into individual glasses. Refrigerate overnight. Before serving, decorate with additional strawberries and whipped cream. Serve chilled.
CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Spuma di Cioccolata
For an excitingly different taste, add three or four tablespoons of orange-flavored liqueur or rum.
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3 eggs, preferably pasteurized (see Note, page 204)
1 cup whipping cream
Whipped cream
Grated chocolate
Preheat oven to 200F (95C). Put chocolate pieces into a small ovenproof bowl and place in oven until chocolate has melted, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chocolate from oven and set aside to cool slightly.
Beat eggs until foamy in a medium bowl. Beat 1 cup cream until stiff in a large bowl. Add eggs, a little at a time to cooled chocolate, beating at low speed. Do not overbeat. Fold chocolate mixture thoroughly into whipped cream.
Spoon mousse into a large glass bowl or into individual glasses. Decorate with additional whipped cream and grated chocolate. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled.
ZABAGLIONE-MASCARPONE RASPBERRY TRIFLE
Zuppa di Zabaglione e Mascarpone
This mouthwatering, luscious dessert is simple to prepare. Do not attempt to make it without mascarpone and imported Amaretti di Saronno cookies.
MAKES 8 SERVINGS
8 eggs, separated
1⅓ cups sugar
½ cup sweet Marsala wine or sherry
1¼ pounds mascarpone cheese
⅓ cup water
Pinch of cream of tartar
2 cups fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
Juice of 1 lemon
½ cup dark rum
1½ cups water
32 pairs Italian Amaretti di Saronno cookies
Fresh berries or chocolate shavings
In a large bowl or top part of a double boiler, beat egg yolks and ¼ cup of the sugar until pale yellow. Set over simmering water. Add Marsala or sherry, beating well after each addition. Cook and beat until thickened and hot to the touch.Transfer to a bowl and cool.
Place mascarpone into a medium bowl and fold in cooled zabaglione, a bit at a time, until everything is well blended.
In a small skillet combine ½ cup of the sugar and the ⅓ cup water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir once or twice. Cook until the syrup thickens and turns lightly golden and is at the soft ball stage, about 2 minutes.
While the syrup is cooking, put the egg whites, ¼ cup of the sugar and the cream of tartar in bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Reduce speed to medium and pour syrup slowly into egg whites. (Do not pour it directly over the beater.) Fold beaten egg whites into zabaglione-mascarpone mixture and set aside.
Drain frozen raspberries, if using. In a blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine raspberries, remaining ⅓ cup sugar and the lemon juice and process into a thick sauce. Press sauce through a sieve into a bowl to remove seeds.
In a medium bowl combine rum and water. Place cookies in a large, shallow baking pan and