Easter egg for grown-ups!
Apr 7, 2009 1:35:15 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Apr 7, 2009 1:35:15 GMT
This is my very own recipe -- something good that came out of near disaster. Feel free to substitute where you wish, since I was using what was available to me.
SICILIAN CASSATA TRIFLE
One large fresh pound cake
760 grams (1 quart) cottage cheese or ricotta
1/2 to 1 scant cup sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons rompope*, rum, or whatever is on hand
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (if using chips, chop them)
6 ounces dried mango slices, soaked in boiling water, then drained & chopped finely
Peel from 1 lemon or lime, boiled in sugar water until soft & not bitter, then minced
2 tablespoons toasted pecans, minced
Frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, in small pieces
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/2 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
Method
Set the cake aside for the moment.
Blenderize next five ingredients (cheese, sugar, cream, rum, extract) together, and taste in order to adjust flavor to your liking. The mixture should have the consistency of thick mushroom soup. Stir in the chocolate bits, the mango, the lemon peel & the pecans, then put mixture in refrigerator while you prepare the cake.
Slice cake into 1/4 inch slices. It’s handiest to slice the whole cake at one time, on a large cutting board, in order to be able to cut & select the slices needed for lining the mold.
Line a plain, or not very ornate mold with two layers of heavy plastic. Butter top layer. Cover bottom & sides of mold with slices of cake, making sure to leave no spaces. Cover generously with the filling mixture. Cover that filling with another layer of cake, then add the rest of the filling. Completely cover the filling with a layer of cake, making sure that the last layer fits neatly into the sides. Pat the whole mass down with your hand. If there are any dramatic leaks, cover them with bits of cake.
Butter the bottom of a pie pan, set it on top of the cake, weight it slightly, and chill for 3 hours.
Frosting: Melt chocolate with coffee in small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until completely melted. Remove from heat and beat in chilled butter, one piece at a time. Continue beating until smooth. Chill until thickened to frosting consistency.
Now, cover cake with an appropriately sized plate, & gently upend it. Carefully peel off the plastic, checking that bits of cake do not come away with it.
Spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cassata, swirling decoratively. Cover loosely and allow to ripen in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.
Serves: 10 to 12 generously
I made this cake for Easter. After frosting the cake, I piped on more frosting, making loops on top & U shapes on the sides. Into the loops and U shapes, I put green-tinted coconut, & topped that "grass" with some darling little speckled white candy eggs. The green & white against the very dark chocolate looks fantastic, & was sophisticated enough for the adults to whom it was served.
The frosting recipe is from Time-Life's "The Cooking of Italy", & is criminally good.
*rompope is a liqueur sort of like eggnog.
SICILIAN CASSATA TRIFLE
One large fresh pound cake
760 grams (1 quart) cottage cheese or ricotta
1/2 to 1 scant cup sugar
2 - 3 tablespoons heavy cream
4 tablespoons rompope*, rum, or whatever is on hand
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (if using chips, chop them)
6 ounces dried mango slices, soaked in boiling water, then drained & chopped finely
Peel from 1 lemon or lime, boiled in sugar water until soft & not bitter, then minced
2 tablespoons toasted pecans, minced
Frosting:
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, in small pieces
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/2 pound unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces and chilled
Method
Set the cake aside for the moment.
Blenderize next five ingredients (cheese, sugar, cream, rum, extract) together, and taste in order to adjust flavor to your liking. The mixture should have the consistency of thick mushroom soup. Stir in the chocolate bits, the mango, the lemon peel & the pecans, then put mixture in refrigerator while you prepare the cake.
Slice cake into 1/4 inch slices. It’s handiest to slice the whole cake at one time, on a large cutting board, in order to be able to cut & select the slices needed for lining the mold.
Line a plain, or not very ornate mold with two layers of heavy plastic. Butter top layer. Cover bottom & sides of mold with slices of cake, making sure to leave no spaces. Cover generously with the filling mixture. Cover that filling with another layer of cake, then add the rest of the filling. Completely cover the filling with a layer of cake, making sure that the last layer fits neatly into the sides. Pat the whole mass down with your hand. If there are any dramatic leaks, cover them with bits of cake.
Butter the bottom of a pie pan, set it on top of the cake, weight it slightly, and chill for 3 hours.
Frosting: Melt chocolate with coffee in small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until completely melted. Remove from heat and beat in chilled butter, one piece at a time. Continue beating until smooth. Chill until thickened to frosting consistency.
Now, cover cake with an appropriately sized plate, & gently upend it. Carefully peel off the plastic, checking that bits of cake do not come away with it.
Spread frosting evenly over top and sides of cassata, swirling decoratively. Cover loosely and allow to ripen in refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.
Serves: 10 to 12 generously
I made this cake for Easter. After frosting the cake, I piped on more frosting, making loops on top & U shapes on the sides. Into the loops and U shapes, I put green-tinted coconut, & topped that "grass" with some darling little speckled white candy eggs. The green & white against the very dark chocolate looks fantastic, & was sophisticated enough for the adults to whom it was served.
The frosting recipe is from Time-Life's "The Cooking of Italy", & is criminally good.
*rompope is a liqueur sort of like eggnog.
