• Choose a category
• All
• Classic-Fiction

By Root 732 0

pour rum mixture over them. After 2 minutes, turn cookies over to soak on the other side. Soak 2 to 3 minutes. Place 3 cookies in each of 8 individual dessert glasses and top them with some mascarpone mixture. Spoon raspberry sauce over the mascarpone mixture. Cover sauce with 4 to 5 cookies each and top with another layer of mascarpone mixture. Cover glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or overnight. Before serving, decorate each glass with some fresh berries or chocolate shavings.

FAMILY-STYLE APPLE CAKE

Torta di Mele alla Casalinga

A splendid cake for any occasion, pears can be used instead of apples.

MAKES 8 TO 10 SERVINGS

1 package active dry yeast

⅓ cup warm water (110F, 43C)

3 eggs

½ cup plus 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup butter, at room temperature

2 cups self-rising flour

4 large apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Butter and flour a 10-inch-round cake pan with a removable bottom. Stir yeast into warm water until dissolved.

Beat eggs and ½ cup sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick. Beat in butter, flour and yeast mixture. Add three-quarters of the apples to batter; mix with a spatula.

Pour batter into buttered pan. Arrange remaining apple slices over batter. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar over batter. Bake 35 to 45 minutes or until cake is golden. Cool to room temperature, then remove cake from pan. This cake keeps well in the refrigerator for several days. Return to room temperature before serving.

RICE CAKE

Torta di Riso

Rice cake is a specialty of Bologna, and from Bologna with love, I want to share this cake with you.

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

4½ cups milk

1½ cups sugar

Grated zest of 1 lemon

¾ cup arborio rice, page 5, or other short-grain rice

5 eggs

½ cup blanched almonds, finely chopped

½ cup candied citron, finely chopped

¼ cup plus 2 to 3 tablespoons rum

Whipped cream

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Butter a 10-inch-round cake pan with a removable bottom. Sprinkle pan with fine unflavored bread crumbs and shake off excess crumbs.

Combine milk, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 45 minutes to 1 hour or until all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let cool.

Beat eggs until foamy in a large bowl. Add cooled rice mixture, almonds, candied citron and ¼ cup rum. Mix thoroughly.

Pour rice mixture into buttered pan and level top with a spatula. Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out dry. Pierce holes in top of cake with a fork and sprinkle with 2 to 3 tablespoons rum. Cool to room temperature before removing cake from pan. Decorate with whipped cream.

SWEET SPINACH AND CHEESE CAKE

Erbazzone Dolce all’Emiliana

Omit the sugars and liqueur and you will have a perfect luncheon dish.

MAKES 10 SERVINGS

Sweet Pie Pastry, page 218

1½ (10-ounce) pkgs. frozen spinach

1½ cups blanched almonds

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1 pound ricotta cheese

4 eggs, separated, at room temperature

⅓ cup almond liqueur or other liqueur

Pinch of salt

Powdered sugar

Prepare Sweet Pie Pastry. Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Butter a 10-inch-round cake pan with a removable bottom.

Cook spinach according to package instructions. Squeeze spinach to remove as much moisture as possible. Finely chop spinach with a knife or in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; do not puree.

Finely chop almonds. In a large bowl, combine almonds, spinach, 1 cup granulated sugar, ricotta cheese, egg yolks and liqueur; mix well. Beat egg whites, salt and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar in a medium bowl until stiff. Fold beaten whites into spinach mixture.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to a 13-inch circle. Place dough carefully in buttered cake pan. Pour spinach mixture into pastry shell and level the filling with a spatula. Bake 1 hour or until top of cake is golden. Cool cake in pan. Place cool cake on a platter. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar. Serve at room