Category: Desserts

Mascarpone Cream – How to Make Panettone Divine

Growing up in the province of Milan, the presence of various panettoni in the house was reliably the earliest indicator that the Christmas season had returned. My father would receive a couple of panettoni as a gift from his workplace, my mother would bring one or two home she received from some the people she visited as a nurse, and my grandmas would always give us some of the ones they received since they couldn’t eat them all. Occasionally, right before Christmas, my family would also order an artisan-made panettone from their favorite local pastry shop.
Given the abundance of the seasonal sweet-bread, my family consumed panettone straight out of the box as dessert, afternoon snack, and even as breakfast. But after Sundays meals, and for sure on Christmas day, we used to serve panettone accompanied with something that made it even better: mascarpone cream and a glass of spumante!

What follows is the recipe that my grandmother passed down to my mother, who then passed it down to me. It’s quite simple to make, but it involves a certain amount of hand whisking. This preparation is what my family also uses to make tiramisù.

Mascarpone Cream

Yield: 10 servings

Total Time: 20 minutes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

2 tablespoons per serving

Mascarpone Cream

Ingredients

  • 500 g fresh mascarpone
  • 5 of the freshest eggs
  • 5 tablespoons of sugar
  • 2 tablespoons of rum

Preparation

  1. Take the eggs and the mascarpone out of the fridge an hour ahead of time so that they reach room temperature.
  2. Soften the mascarpone by stirring it energetically for one minute in a bowl.
  3. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar until the mixture becomes smooth and lighter in color.
  4. Stir in a tablespoon of mascarpone into the egg mix. Continue stirring until no lumps are left, and the cream begins to thicken.
  5. One tablespoon at a time, incorporate the rest of the mascarpone.
  6. Beat the egg whites until very firm, then gradually incorporate 2/3 of them into the cream (discard the rest), mixing gently from the bottom up in a circular motion.
  7. Slowly stir in the rum, mixing until fully absorbed.
  8. Just before serving the panettone, ladle a generous tablespoon of mascarpone cream over each slice and enjoy!
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2016/12/mascarpone-cream.html

Tiramisu, the Uplifting Dessert

Tiramisu (or Tiramisù, as written in Italian) is arguably the world’s most popular Italian dessert after gelato. Featured by many Italian restaurants in North America, Tiramisu is for the Italians more of a homemade party cake and an unpretentious dessert found in pizzerie and trattorie.

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Even though Tiramisu is a modern creation and many claim its paternity, its origins are actually unknown. The consensus is that Tiramisu as we know it became popular in the 1980s, possibly as a variation of the British trifle in which ladyfingers (called ‘savoiardi’ in Italy) and a cream of mascarpone are used instead of sponge cake and custard. Part of the dessert’s success may be due to its odd name. Although it’s the subject of another debate, most concur that it originated in the literal meaning of the Italian words ‘tirami su’: “pull me up” or “pick me up,” possibly referred to the “uplifting” or even “aphrodisiac” effects of coffee and chocolate.

As described in the recipe below, Tiramisu is commonly flavored with rum (or brandy), coffee and cocoa powder. However, around Italy, there are also versions with very different flavors (e.g. amaretto and peaches, or limoncello and strawberries).

All versions of Tiramisu are centered around a mascarpone filling which traditionally contains raw eggs (as in the recipe below). There are also egg-less versions in which the mascarpone is blended with whipping cream and sugar, resulting in a richer, but also heavier dessert. North American versions often contain more sugar than their Italian counterparts.

Like trifle, Tiramisu needs to rest in the fridge for several hours to set and develop flavor. It is common to prepare it the day before and let it rest in the fridge overnight.

Tiramisu, the Uplifting Dessert

Yield: 8-10 portions

Total Time: 45 minutes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Tiramisu, the Uplifting Dessert

Ingredients

  • 400 g savoiardi

 For the cream

  • 500 g mascarpone cheese (choose a good quality brand - good mascarpone tastes creamy, not cheesy)
  • 5 eggs (at room temperature)
  • 5 Tbsp sugar
  • 2 Tbsp rum (or brandy)

 For the coffee dip

  • 6 shots espresso (or an equivalent amount of strong coffee)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 Tbsp rum

 For the finish

  • ½ Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • Some shaved dark chocolate (optional)

Preparation

  1. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar (fig. 1) until the mixture becomes lighter in color.
  2. One tablespoon at a time, incorporate the mascarpone (fig. 2). This operation is considered difficult because mascarpone and egg create an emulsion that can suddenly separate. To help prevent this, use egg yolks at room temperature* and begin by incorporating a "starter mix" made by combining a tablespoon of mascarpone and some beaten egg yolk. If the mascarpone is soft, another great option is to stir the beaten egg yolks into the mascarpone, instead of the other way around.
  3. Add the rum (fig. 3), stir slowly until absorbed.
  4. Add the beaten egg white, mixing gently from the bottom upwards in order to incorporate air (fig. 4). The egg whites will work as a stabilizer and help the mascarpone remain emulsified*.
  5. Set the cream aside (fig. 5).
  6. Prepare the coffee dip by mixing espresso and sugar, then adding milk and rum. Let it completely cool off. Dip each ladyfinger in it for a couple of seconds (fig. 6).
  7. Lay each ladyfinger in the baking pan forming a first layer of cookies (fig. 7).
  8. Add a layer of mascarpone cream, then add one more layer of cookies (fig. 8).
  9. Continue alternating the two ingredients, finishing with a layer of mascarpone (fig. 9).
  10. Using a sifter, generously cover the top with unsweetened cocoa powder (fig. 10).
  11. Then, optionally, add the shaved dark chocolate (fig. 11).
  12. Chill the finished Tiramisu (fig. 12) in the fridge for at least 8 hours, covered with tinfoil.

Notes

*Harold McGee. On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. 2nd edition (2004).

https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2012/03/tiramisu-uplifting-dessert.html

 

Caldarroste (Roasted Chestnuts)

Nicknamed ‘caldarroste’ in Italian, roasted chestnuts are a great segue in the series of seasonal classics. Traditionally, caldarroste are fire-roasted in a holed pan, but they can also be made at home – in the oven or, as described in this recipe, on the stove.

Cooked chestnuts have a unique mealy texture thanks to their high content of starch and low content of oil, compared to other seeds, and are considered a true delicacy. In late fall, chestnut-gathering is a common leisure activity in the vast spontaneous chestnuts groves (‘castagneti’) that can be found all throughout Italy. During their season, cultivated chestnuts can also be found at greengrocer’s shops. In big cities, roasted chestnuts are commonly sold by street vendors, especially around the holidays.

Before roasting, chestnuts need to be prepared with an incision on the skin (as shown in the picture). As the chestnut cooks, the cut will allow the vapor to escape and the skin to open up as it shrinks – when the chestnut will be fully cooked, the skin will come off easily.

Chestnuts can be roasted on the gas burner in a holed aluminum pan used directly on the flame. On the electric burner, good results can be obtained by using a large stainless steel pot, at a high temperature. As the skin starts to burn, keep tossing the chestnuts around for 15-20 minutes, depending on the size. Two or three times during the cooking time, toss a tablespoon of water into the pot and place a lid on it for a couple of minutes to steam the chestnuts and help them cook more uniformly. Chestnuts can also be boiled in water for 30-40 minutes, in which case no incision is needed.

Pomegranate with Grappa

If you’ve only tasted grappa a few times and you found it a bit too dry, you will enjoy this spectacular after-dinner treat of pomegranate seeds soaked in pure grappa.

The sweetness and the tartness of the pomegranate perfectly balance the harshness of the grappa, which becomes sweeter and more palatable. In return, the grappa lends some of its alcohol to the seeds, giving them a pleasant “kick”.

Also known as ‘acquavite’ (“grapevine-water”), grappa was born as an unpretentious liqueur made from the byproduct of winemaking (grape skins, seeds, and stems). By the means of distillation and controlled aging, grappa became a more refined product (pun intended!), at par with other fine spirits. Grappa is popular in all northern Italy, and especially in the northeast, where the city of Bassano del Grappa (60 km from Venice) is home to the prestigious brand Nardini.

Straight grappa is traditionally used as a digestive, although its pronounced dryness makes it an acquired taste for most people. More widely appreciated is the use of grappa as a coffee add-in, called ‘correzione’ (“correction”) by the Italians. A caffe corretto (“corrected coffee”) is a traditional twist to the espresso ritual, an after-dinner favorite as it combines coffee and digestive. Aromatized grappa also targets larger audiences, especially in its fruit-infused varieties, such as blueberry (‘mirtillo’), pear (‘pera’), and pomegranate (‘melograno’).

Pomegranate with Grappa

Yield: 4 shots

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Pomegranate with Grappa

Ingredients

  • 1 pomegranate
  • 2 shots of unflavored grappa

Preparation

  1. Extract the seeds out of the pomegranate, place them in the shot glasses.
  2. Fully cover them with grappa, let them rest for 15 minutes.
  3. Serve in shot glasses, along with coffee spoons.
https://www.disgracesonthemenu.com/2011/11/pomegranate-with-grappa.html