Tiramisù

20 Saturday Mar 2021

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

Tags

Cucina Veneta, Dolci, Italian culinary history, Italian desserts, Italian food, Pellegrino Artusi, Tiramisu'

Buon Primavera! It is the first day of spring and March 21st is also Giornata Mondiale del Tiramisù-World Tiramisù Day. Tiramisù, made up of espresso dipped Savoiardi layered with a cream of whipped eggs and mascarpone, topped with cocoa-is thought to be a rather ‘modern’ creation. It is widely believed to have been invented in Treviso in the late 1970’s and has been popular worldwide since the 1990’s. The basis of it has actually existed for a long time, and Tiramisù as we know it today is an evolution of traditional local desserts, aphrodisiacs and energy drinks. It has quite a controversial history, with at least 6 restaurants in 2 regions claiming to have invented it. Definitely too many cooks stirring this pot!

In the ‘dolci al cucchiaio’ (puddings/spoon desserts) section of Pellegrino Artusi’s 1861 book ‘La Scienza in Cucina e l’Arte di Mangiar Bene’ recipe #649 Dolce Torino sounds similar to Tiramisù. It is made with savoiardidipped in a spicy liqueur layered with a cream made of eggs, butter, icing sugar, milk, vanilla and chocolate, topped with ground hazelnuts and pistachios.

Zabaione, made of raw egg yolks whipped with sugar with marsala or sometimes espresso, was considered a restorative energy drink for newlyweds, new mothers and the sick. It also often served as a breakfast for children. In Veneto, it was called sbattutino, meaning little beaten one.

In Treviso, they say the madama at a local brothel served a dish inspired by sbattutino, made with eggs, sugar, caffè and savoiardi to patrons and staff to restore their energy. Sounds like an early Viagra? It was called Tireme su, meaning lift me up in dialetto Veneto. While this is likely leggenda metropolitana– an urban legend, I believe there may be some fact to it!

In his 1968 memoir, Giovanni Comisso (1895-1969), a writer from Treviso wrote about his nonna making a dessert called Tirame-sospiro-su in the early 1900’s and how she remembered it from her childhood. (Note-I tried but was not able to locate his memoir).

The claim for inventing Tiramisù as we know it today is made in both Veneto and Friuli by at least 6 restaurants! Owner Alba Campeol and chef Roberto Linguanotto both claim to have invented it around 1969 at the former Ristorante alle Beccherie in Treviso, as well as Carminantonio Iannaccone, a baker who claims he made and delivered the Tiramisú served at the restaurant! Other Treviso restaurants staking a claim wereAl Camin, El Toula and Le Celeste. In Friuli Mario Cosolo at Al Vetturino in Pieris and Norma Pielli at Albergo Roma in Tolmezzo both claim to have invented Tiremesù in the 1950’s. Mannaggia!

Veneto is definitely responsible for popularizing Tiramisù, after the first published recipe appeared in Vin Veneto magazine in 1981. In the US, it became popular after being mentioned by Tom Hanks in the 1993 movie Sleepless in Seattle as being a mysterious dessert that women love.

In 2013, Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano requested it as a special menu item at the International Space Station……dehydrated Tiramisù. Uh…no, grazie!

My Tiramisù recipe is classic and simple. A few notes on the ingredients:

Mascarpone is a product of Lombardia. Often called a cheese, it is actually a cream, like clotted cream. It can not be replaced with whipping cream and definitely not with cream cheese!

Eggs are raw in Tiramisù. If possible, use farm fresh eggs, kept in the fridge until needed. When separating the eggs, crack the whole eggs into a bowl, then scoop the yolks out by hand and put them in another bowl, rather than using the eggshell to separate them. Make sure there is no yolk mixed in with the whites.

Caffè = espresso, preferably made in a stovetop Moka pot. Decaf espresso is fine and will not change the taste. Do not use North American brewed coffee or instant coffee!

Alcohol is optional. Marsala is the most traditional alcohol to use. My family has always treated caffè and Sambuca as a package deal, so this is what I use and I believe it is the yummiest option.

Savoiardi are usually called Lady Finger Biscuits in English. They are named after the House of Savoia, the ruling family of Italia. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, savoiardi were considered patriotic. Read more in the post Margherita di Savoia. I also like to make Tiramisù with Pavesini. They are smaller, crunchier and much thinner than savoiardi and have a light vanilla taste to them. This results in an elegant looking Tiramisù with multiple thin layers, as in the photo below.

Dish-a dish with straight sides rather than flared works best. I use a 20cm X 30 cm glass baking dish (8 inch X 12 inch) with a plastic lid and it works well for a 2 layer Tiramisú. If you want a 3rd layer, use a smaller dish.

Tiramisù

500g container of Mascarpone

1 400 g package Savoiardi

5 large eggs, separated

60g (¼ cup) sugar plus 10g (2 tsp) sugar

300ml (1½ cups) caffè

Sambuca or preferred alcohol

Cocoa powder or shaved chocolate for topping

Pinch of salt

Make caffè and stir in 10g (2 tsp) sugar while still hot, then add alcohol and let cool.
Mix yolks with sugar in electric mixer until frothy. Add mascarpone and mix.
In a separate bowl, using clean whisk or beaters, whisk egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. Note-If you only have 1 mixer bowl and beater, it may be easier to mix the egg whites first. If any bit of yolk gets into the whites, they will not become fluffy.
Add egg whites to mascarpone mixture, stirring up from the bottom to keep it fluffy. Do not overmix.
Spread a bit of mascarpone cream mixture to the bottom of the dish
Dip savoiardi one by one in caffè/sambuca mixture and arrange on bottom of dish. Cover with half of the remaining cream mixture and repeat.
Top with sifted cocoa powder or shaved chocolate.
Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, then cut and serve. It is best to consume it all by the next day, which is not usually a problem!

Happy World Tiramisù Day/Buon Giornata del Tiramisù! Do any of you readers, especially those from the Veneto- have Tiramisù origin stories? Buon Appetito, Cristina!

To listen to more about Tiramisú, check out Luca’s podcast on Luca’s Italy.

Panforte di Siena

12 Saturday Dec 2020

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Feste, Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 26 Comments

Tags

Cucina Toscana, Dolci, Dolci di Natale, Gastronomic history, Italian Christmas, Natale, Panpepato, Siena, Via Francigena

Panforte is un dolce Natalizie- a seasonal treat from Siena, although it is sold all year round. A chewy, sweet cake, panforte leaves a wonderful aftertaste of candied citrus, almonds and a bold hit of spices.

Panforte dates back to the introduction of exotic spices from the East, via the port of Pisa. The earliest known record is from the year 1205. Documents in the State Archive of Siena state that a bread rich with pepper, spices and honey was paid as a tax to the monastery of Monte Celso on the seventh of February, 1205.

Panforte was originally made with flour, water, honey and spices, mixed with chunks of fresh autumn fruits such as grapes, figs and plums. The water content of the fruit kept the bread moist and after a few days, fermentation gave it an acidy flavour. This is where the name panes fortis, or ‘strong bread’ comes from. It was also known as panpepato because of the abundance of pepper and other spices and the dusting of black pepper on top.

Panpepato/panforte was made by speziali, spice sellers who could be considered medieval pharmacists. It was valued not only as a food but also as a medicinal remedy because of the spices it contained.

Siena was on the Via Francigena, the ancient pilgrimage route running through France to Roma, then to Puglia where the ports of Bari, Brindisi and Otranto were transit points for the Holy Land. This made Panforte known outside of Tuscany. A sweet cake with energy and sustenance, Crusaders carried it on their travels…like medieval energy bars! In 1515, a nun named Suor Berta changed the fruit to canditi-honeyed or candied fruit. The canditi were usually citrus fruits (orange, lemon and cedro/citron) and dark melon or pumpkin.

Canditi, nuts and especially spices were costosissimi-making Panforte an extremely expensive item. Only the wealthy could afford the extravagance. It was also given to the clergy as a gift on special occasions such as Christmas or local feast days. Panforte confezionato

The recipe remained the same for centuries, almonds, flour, honey, canditi and spices, dusted with black pepper and held together at the bottom with foglie di ostie-a sheet of unconsecrated communion host! That was until 1879, when Regina Margherita di Savoia– of pizza Margherita fame-visited Siena. In her honour, a local speziero made a more delicate ‘white’ version of panforte, without the black candied melon and covered with a dusting of vanilla icing sugar instead of black pepper. It was called Panforte Margherita and is the version most often sold today. In 2014, Panforte di Siena received the PGI (Protected Geographical Indication) European Union designation of quality label. Panforte di Siena with holly and greenery

In Siena it is thought that Panforte should contain 17 different ingredients. This is because 17 is the number of Contrade or districts in Siena. Representatives from the Contrade take part in the Palio di Siena horserace every July 2 and August 16.

A thin wedge of panforte makes a delicious treat with caffè or liqueur after a meal. Panforte makes a beautiful edible gift-but only for very special people! I made mine small, wrapped them in parchment paper then in Florentine paper and sealed the bottom with a large gold sticker. Homemade panforte di Siena

I used white pepper, as the flavour is more delicate, while still providing heat. It is hard to find good canditi, so I made my own with organic orange and lemon peels using Domenica’s recipe. canditi

My homemade canditi ran out after 2 batches, then I substituted chopped dried Kalamata and Mission figs and sour cherries. The zest of an orange added a bit of citrus flavour. For the ostie, I used something called ‘edible wafer paper’ made with potato starch. Edible rice paper is also available at specialty food stores.

Panforte di Siena

Ingredients:

125g (1 cup) hazelnuts

200g (1½ cups) blanched almonds

175g (1½ cups) icing sugar, sifted

200g (⅔ cup) good quality honey

30ml (2 tbsp) water

300g candied fruit peel (orange, lemon, citron) or dried fruit

Grated orange or lemon zest

5g (1 tsp) ground cinnamon

2g (¼ tsp) ground ginger

2g (¼ tsp) ground cloves

2g (¼ tsp) ground star anise

3g (½ tsp) ground coriander

2g (¼ tsp) ground nutmeg

2g (¼ tsp) ground white pepper

175g (1½ cup) flour, sifted

Ostie-unconsecrated communion wafer /wafer paper/rice paper

Icing sugar to coat

Instructions:

Using a heavy saucepan and a low flame, set the sugar, honey and water to boil. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon, being careful to keep the syrup from sticking. This will take a while, so in the meantime, do steps 2 and 3.
Use pan(s) with removable bottoms. Line with the ostie/wafer paper. If needed, grease and dust the sides with cocoa powder.
Toast the nuts lightly for 6-10 min in a 200°C (400ºF) oven.
Coarsely chop with a knife, or leave whole. Dice the candied fruit. Dice the candied fruit and mix with the spices and nuts, then add in the sifted flour.
When the syrup in step 1 reaches at least 100°C (200°F ), remove pot from heat and stir into the fruit and nut mixture. If you do not have a candy thermometer, use a toothpick to pick up a bit of syrup and pass it under cold water. If it becomes solid, it is ready.
Working quickly, using wet hands and 2 tablespoons, divide the batter into the pan(s), smoothing the top with damp fingers or the back of a wet spoon. It can also be pressed down with the bottom of a glass.
Bake in a 150° C (300°F) oven for 35-40 minutes. Do not let the panforte brown, or it will be too hard.
Remove the panforte from the pans and let cool completely on a rack. Dust with icing sugar on all sides. and serve cut into thin wedges.
Panforte keeps well for a month if wrapped in parchment paper or in an airtight container and stored in a cool, dark place. Do not store in the fridge.
This recipe makes one 22cm (9½ inch) panforte in a springform pan or six 10cm (4 inch) panforte in tart pans. A 25cm (10 inch) round of parchment paper and fancy paper wraps the 10cm size.

Buon appetito e Buone Feste, Cristina

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

19 Tuesday Mar 2019

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Feste, Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 15 Comments

Tags

Dolci, Festa di San Giuseppe, La festa del Papa, Zeppole di San Giuseppe

Zeppole di San Giuseppe are a traditional pastry served in southern and central Italy on March 19th for la festa di San Giuseppe. In Italia, March 19th is also La Festa del Papà -Father’s Day. In North America, Father’s Day is the 3rd Sunday in June, but in Italia it is always on March 19th because San Giuseppe (St Joseph) was, of course, the papà of Jesus! He is also the patron saint of carpenters, the family, orphans and the homeless. March 19th is also a few days away from spring and the start of the agricultural year, in the fields and vineyards.

Zeppole di San Giuseppe are made with the same choux pastry as bignè di San Giuseppe, but the dough is piped out into ‘nests’ rather than spooned onto the baking sheet. They can be baked or fried. The hole in the center of the zeppola is filled with crema pasticcera, a creamy custard. Finally, the signature detail of zeppole di San Giuseppe….they are topped with un amarena in sciroppo. Amarene are dark, wild sour cherries and they are preserved in syrup. Amarene in sciroppo are likely available at your local Italian market. Note-the word zeppole, singular zeppola, is used in some regions, including Calabria, for a type of doughnut or fried dough.

Zeppole di San Giuseppe are not the easiest thing to make, especially if you are not a baker or used to a piping bag. My first ones did not look beautiful, but they still tasted great. If you need a visual tutorial, there are quite a few good videos online, especially from Benedetta, and Zia Franca.

Zeppole di San Giuseppe

150g (175ml, ¾ cup) water
125g (½ cup) butter
pinch of salt
150g (285 ml, 1 cup + 2 tablespoons) 00 flour
4 medium eggs

Heat the water on low heat and add butter and sugar. Stir until melted and bring to a boil. Add the flour ALL AT ONCE and stir quickly until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, then add the eggs, 1 at a time. A mixer at low speed can be used for this part, but I just used my wooden spoon-less stuff to wash!

Put the dough in a pastry bag with a very large stella, star tip. The tip needs to be at least 1 cm, preferably larger, or the zeppole will come out too small. I was not able to find a bigger tip, so mine were actually zeppoline! Pipe out circular nests with 2 rows of pastry onto carta forno –parchment paper. Bake at 200ºC (400ºF) for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature to 180ºC (350ºF) for 10 minutes. Turn off oven and leave the door partially open to let them cool.

Baked zeppole have a delicate taste. Frying gives them a more robust taste. To fry them, cut the parchement paper into squares. Drop the whole square upside down into hot oil. Remove the paper and turn them. Enrica from Chiarapassion says her Mamma’s secret is to bake them, then fries them so they do not absorb as much oil! Sounds like twice as much work to me though.

Dust with icing sugar, top with crema pasticcera and amarena with syrup. I served mine with my homemade liquore di foglie di amarena.

Crema Pasticcera

2 whole eggs + 2 yolks
80g (6 tbsp, 1/3 cup +1 tbsp) sugar
70g (165 ml, ½ cup) flour
½ L (500 ml, 2 cups) whole milk
lemon peel
vanilla bean(optional)

Heat the milk in a pot with the lemon peel. I use the entire peel. Start at the top and cut it like a corkscrew so you end up with one long peel. In a bowl, beat eggs and yolks, add sugar and whisk. When milk is hot, remove lemon peel and add vanilla bean, if desired. Add other ingredients, whisk and heat until thick. When cool, refrigerate with plastic wrap touching the crema. When ready to use, fill a pasty bag and pipe onto zeppole with a large star tip.

Auguri a tutti i Papà del mondo e Buon Onomastico a tutti i Giuseppe, Giuseppina, Giuseppa, Peppe, Joe, Pina, Josie e Giusy! Ciao, Cristina

PS In my post La Festa del Papà, you can see my absolutely favourite photo of me and papà. Have a look. Cute-issimo, no?

Your Favourite Recipe

09 Sunday Sep 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Cannolo Award, Capri, Dolcevitabloggers, Dolci, Gluten-free baking, Gluten-free chocolate cake, Southern Italy, Torta Caprese, Traditional recipes

For the second time in 3 months, I wrote about the wrong topic for the monthly #dolcevitabloggers linkup! I was frantically trying to finish a detailed review of my favourite book, only to find that other posts were on the topic of ‘favourite Italian recipe’. Mannaggia! I had taken a screenshot of the list of topics, but a few of them were switched.

So…. my favourite recipe? Hmmm. That is almost like asking a mamma which one is her favourite child! I love food and have too many faves to pick just one. I think it is better if I write about your favourite recipe! I had a look through the recipe category of my blog. There are 14 recipe posts-half are desserts. My favourite ingredients seem to be ricotta, limoncello, orange and olive oil! The most popular recipe post, by a massively huge margin, is Torta Caprese all’Arancia. I posted this recipe in honour of my 2015 Cannolo Award.

Caprese (cah•PREH•seh) means ‘from Capri’ (CAP•ree) the beautiful island off the coast of Napoli. I suppose caprese could also mean ‘goatlike’ since capra is goat? We’ll stick with ‘from Capri’.

There are a few different stories about how Torta Caprese came to be. The most likely is that it was invented by mistake in the 1920’s by a kitchen worker at an Austrian owned pensione on Capri. He added mandorle tritate –ground almonds, instead of flour while trying to make something similar to an Austrian Sachertorte. It was a big hit, and went on to be served at all of the hotels and tea rooms on Capri.

The basic recipe involves mixing melted butter and chocolate in a ‘bagno-maria’ with sugar and egg yolks, then adding whipped egg whites and ground almonds. Liqueur, usually Strega, is added. The cake has a hard thin shell and moist interior and the center tends to sink in a bit from the sides.

I recently tasted a yummy orange Torta Caprese, so I decided to try my own version. After a bit of experimentation, and substituting Gran Marnier for Strega, I ended up with a very nice Torta Caprese all’ Arancia. It is a 3 bowl recipe, so be prepared to wash them!

Read the rest of the original post Torta Caprese all’ Arancia to find the step-by-step recipe and find out what the Cannolo Award is all about.

This post is written as part of the monthly #dolcevitabloggers linkup, hosted by Jasmine of Questa Dolce Vita, Kelly of Italian at Heart and Kristie of Mamma Prada, the 7th -14th of every month. Hopefully next time I will prepare the correct topic! You will have to wait until November to read about my favourite Italian book!

Here is me posing on my first visit to Capri when I was 16. Unfortunately I didn’t know about Torta Caprese at the time.

Ciao, Cristina

Olive Oil Limoncello Cake

25 Thursday Jan 2018

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Casa Berti, Catalyst Art Retreat, Cucina Italiana, Dolci, Gugliano, Italian food, Limoncello, Lucca, Olive oil harvest, Olive oil limoncello cake

In November I attended an art retreat, surrounded by 900 olive trees! It was at Casa Berti near Gugliano, about 40 minutes outside of Lucca. There were also lemon trees in giant terra cotta pots on the terrace, not yet ready to be moved into the limonaia for the winter. Many of the lemons become limoncello. I was so inspired and distracted by the olive trees that I took several breaks from art making to pick olives. I could not help it-they were calling to me! Every day or two, when there were enough picked, they would be taken to the frantoio or olive press and then return to Casa Berti as lush, fragrant oil. Green gold as a friend calls it. The Casa Berti cucina had a stainless steel bidone full of new oil with a little spout for pouring.

Being surrounded by olives, freshly pressed oil, fresh lemons and limoncello, I had the urge to make an olive oil limoncello cake. I have been making this cake for years, but I did not have the recipe with me. I also left my art making to bake just when Ben, the owner of Casa Berti, had gone on another run to the frantoio with olives. I searched the kitchen but could not find any measuring utensils or a scale, so the measurements were all a big guess. ??? Luckily I knew where the limoncello was!

The cake came out better than usual, probably due to the quality and freshness of the ingredients. I usually just dust it simply with zucchero in polvere-icing sugar. For a fancier look, make a limoncello glaze with icing sugar and limoncello. The cake is also nice with fresh fruit, especially raspberries or blueberries. It goes equally well with a cup of espresso or a glass of limoncello and is also very easy to make-you don’t even need a mixer-just a wooden spoon and a whisk. I adjusted some of the amounts to the recipe based on the Casa Berti cake, but if your measurements are not exact, non ti preoccupare, it will probably still taste good!

Casa Berti

Casa Berti Olive Oil Limoncello Cake

400g (~3 cups) flour

200g (almost 1 cup) sugar

4 medium sized eggs or 3 large eggs

160ml (~ ¾ cup) extra virgin olive oil

130 ml (~½ cup) milk

60 ml (¼ cup, 4 tablespoons) limoncello

Grated zest/peel of 2 organic lemons

16g packet Pane degli Angeli (or 15 ml/1 tablespoon baking powder)

Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F)
Butter and flour a 23 cm (9 inch) pan
In a small bowl, add the lemon peel to the sugar and mix with fingers or the back of a spoon until they are well mixed and the sugar looks damp
Whisk the eggs and add the sugar/peel mixture
Add the olive oil, milk and limoncello
Add flour a bit at a time and stir with a wooden spoon just until the flour is mixed in. Do not over mix
Add Pane degli Angeli
Spoon into the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. Be careful not to overbake or it may come out dry
Cool and dust with icing sugar
For a fancier topping, make a limoncello glaze with 1 cup icing sugar and 30 ml (2 tablespoons) limoncello. If it is too dry, add another 15 ml (1 tablespoon) limoncello or milk. Mix together and drizzle onto cake.

For a post on how to make your own limoncello, click Limoncello. Buon appetito, Cristina

Limoncello Cheesecake

16 Monday May 2016

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 28 Comments

Tags

Baking, Dolci, Gluten-free baking, Limoncello, Limoncello cheesecake

Limoncello tastes like summer in a glass. What could be even more refreshing than a nice cold glass of Limoncello? Limoncello Cheesecake of course! I’ve been making it for years and every time I am asked for the recipe, so I thought I would simplify things and share it here on my blog. The coconut crust makes it taste even more summery! I like to add a small amount of lime juice too, but you could just add more Limoncello. This cheesecake tastes better if made a day ahead of time so it spends more time in the fridge. If you are looking for cream cheese in Italia, it’s known as ‘Philadelphia’, pronounced Fee•la•del•FEE•ah. Buon Appetito!

Cristina’s Limoncello Cheesecake

Crust:

150 g (2 cups) unsweetened coconut
30 ml (2 tbsp) sugar
30 ml (2 tbsp) melted butter
5 ml (1 tsp) grated lemon rind

Filling:

750g (3 x 250g packages) cream cheese
210 g (1 cup) sugar
4 eggs at room temperature
1 tsp grated lemon rind
15 ml (1 tbsp) lemon juice
15 ml (1 tbsp) lime juice
15 ml (1 tbsp) Limoncello (or reduce the juices to add more Limoncello)
Pinch of salt

Topping:

2 eggs @ room temp
160 g (¾ cup) sugar
10 ml (2 tsp) coarsely grated lemon and lime rinds
30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice
30 ml (2 tbsp) lime juice
30 ml (2 tbsp) butter
30 ml (2 tbsp) Limoncello
Shredded coconut and citrus rinds for garnish

Crust-Preheat oven to 180° C (350 ° F). Combine ingredients and press onto bottom of 22-25 cm (9-10 inch) springform pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly toasted. Be careful not to burn the coconut.

Filling–Blend cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar, then eggs, one at a time. Add juices, rinds, salt and Limoncello. Make sure there are no lumps and pour over toasted crust, smoothing the top. Bake at 180° C (350° F) for 45 minutes or until set. Turn off the oven and leave cheesecake in for another 10 minutes. Open the door and let cheesecake cool in the oven for another 10-15 minutes. This will prevent the cheesecake from ‘falling’ or cracking all over the surface. Run a knife around the rim of the pan and continue to cool at room temperature, then chill in refrigerator.

Topping-Whisk eggs until foamy. Combine with sugar, juices, rinds and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth and thick. Remove from heat and add Limoncello. Let cool and then spread over cheesecake while the springform pan is still attached. Garnish top with coconut and coarsely grated lemon and lime zest. Return to refrigerator for at least a few hours. Serves 12-16 people.

Buon Appetito!

Torta Caprese all’ Arancia

25 Saturday Jul 2015

Posted by Un po' di pepe in Mangiamo!, Recipes

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Cannolo Award, Capri, Dolci, Gluten-free chocolate cake, Italian food, Southern Italy, Torta Caprese, Traditional recipes

In honour of my recent Cannolo Award, I thought this post should be food related. What is a Cannolo Award? Read about it here. Although I love them, I will not be writing about cannoli, but rather about Torta Caprese.

The super cute-issimo cannolo logo

Caprese (cah•PREH•seh) means ‘from Capri’ (CAP•ree) the beautiful island off the coast of Napoli. I suppose caprese could also mean ‘goatlike’ since capra is goat? We’ll stick with ‘from Capri’.

There are a few different stories about how Torta Caprese came to be. The most likely is that it was invented by mistake in the 1920’s or 30’s by a kitchen worker who added ground almonds (mandorle tritate) instead of flour while trying to make something similar to an Austrian Sachertorte for visitors at an Austrian owned pensione on Capri. It was a big hit, and went on to be served at all of the hotels and tea rooms on the island.

The basic recipe involves mixing melted butter and chocolate in a ‘bagno-maria’ with sugar and egg yolks, then adding whipped egg whites and ground almonds. Liqueur, usually Strega, is added. The cake has a hard thin shell and moist interior and the center tends to sink in a bit from the sides.

I recently tasted a yummy orange Torta Caprese, so I decided to try my own version. After a bit of experimentation, and substituting Gran Marnier for Strega, I ended up with a very nice Torta Caprese all’ Arancia. It is a 3 bowl recipe, so be prepared to wash lots of dishes!

Torta Caprese all’ Arancia

Ingredients:

250g dark chocolate 70%
175g (¾ cup) butter at room temperature
110g (½ cup) sugar
110g (½ cup) brown or golden sugar
grated peel of a large orange
3 tablespoons Gran Marnier, Mandarino, or other orange liqueur
6 eggs, separated
150g (1½ cups) ground blanched almonds (also called almond flour or almond meal)
½ a bustina (packet) Lievito Bertolini or Pane degli Angeli (substitute 2½ teaspoons baking powder if you can’t find these)
pinch of salt
Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 180° C (350° F).

2. Butter the sides of a round springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

3. Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or ‘bagno-maria’ (a stainless steel bowl in a pan of hot water) and let cool. This can also be done with a glass bowl in the microwave but be careful-only heat in 30 second intervals and stir well.

4. In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks and brown sugar, then add to the chocolate. Stir in alcohol and grated orange peel.

5. Whip egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Add the white sugar.

6. In another bowl, mix almond flour, lievito or baking powder and salt together with a fork. Fold the chocolate mixture in with a rubber spatula, then fold in egg whites.

7. Pour batter into pan and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour, until center is firm. The center sink in a bit. Remove the sides of the pan and slide the cake onto a platter.

8. Dust with icing sugar and serve with orange slices and whipped cream or gelato. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days…if it lasts that long!

Buon Appetito! Mille grazie to my amiche Anna and Shannon who were very motivated to help me photograph the finished cake. I wouldn’t let them cut it and have a piece until the photos were done!