Food Feature: 3 typical Italian Desserts by Carole Poirot

3 Italian Desserts

Amaretto Panna Cotta with grilled Nectarines

Serves: 4

Times: Cook: 10 minutes, Chill: 5 hours

Prep: 10 minutes, Grill: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 250ml double (heavy) cream
• 250ml full-fat milk
• 4 gelatine leaves
• 30g caster sugar
• 50ml Amaretto
• 3-4 nectarines
• 1tbsp caster sugar

How it’s done:

Step 1 Put the gelatine leaves into cold water for 5 minutes or until soft.

Step 2 Pour the cream, milk and amaretto into a saucepan and add the sugar.

Step 3 Warm the mix up over a medium heat until it simmers. Remove the mix from the heat.

Step 4 Take the gelatine leaves out of the water and squeeze any excess water out.

Step 5 Add the leaves to the warm mix and stir in until completely dissolved.

Step 6 Pour the mix into four panna cotta moulds (dariole moulds) and leave to cool before putting them into the fridge.

Step 7 Refrigerate for 5 hours or until completely set.

Step 8 To unmould the panna cottas dip the mould into hot water for 3 seconds, then turn out onto the plates.

Step 9 To grill the nectarines cut them into halves and remove the stone.

Step 10 Place them cut side up onto a baking sheet and sprinkle with the sugar.

Step 11 Put the nectarines under a medium to high heat grill and grill for around 5 minutes until soft and the sugar has caramelised. Add the caramelised nectarines to the plates and serve.

Rose & Pistachio Semifreddo

Serves: 6-8

Time: Prep: 15 minutes, Freeze: over night

Ingredients:

• 350ml double (heavy) cream
• 2 tsp rose water
• 3 eggs, separated
• 5g edible rose petals, plus more for decorating
• 100g pistachios
• 70g caster sugar

How it’s done:

Step 1 Make sure the tin (loaf tin) is cold by freezing it whilst preparing the recipe.

Step 2 Put the pistachios into a plastic bag or a tea towel and bash them with a rolling pin until you have rough pieces.

Step 3 Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.

Step 4 Whisk the double (heavy) cream with the rose water until you have soft peaks.

Step 5 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks.

Step 6 Now fold the cream into the egg yolks .

Step 7 Add half of the egg whites and gently fold in.

Step 8 Add the second half of the egg whites and gently fold in.

Step 9 Now add the pistachios and rose petals and carefully mix in.

Step 10 Transfer the mix to the cold tin.

Step 11 Freeze over night.

Step 12 To serve remove the whole semifreddo loaf from the tin and cut into slices.

Raspberry Jelly with Marsala Zabaglione Mousse

Serves: 4-6

Time:

For the Jelly: Cook: 30 minutes, Chill: over night

For the Mousse: Cook: 15 minutes, Finish: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 700g raspberries, plus more for decorating
• 60g caster sugar
• 5 gelatine leaves
• 4 eggs
• 50g caster sugar
• 50ml marsala wine

How it’s done:

Step 1 Put the raspberries into a large saucepan with 200ml of water and the sugar.

Step 2 Bring the raspberries to a simmer and then cook on a low to medium heat for around 8 minutes until soft.

Step 3 Give the raspberries a good stir to break them up. Put the gelatine leaves into cold water and leave to soften.

Step 4 Now pour the raspberries through a fine sieve into a measuring jug.

Step 5 You should have about 600ml of liquid, but if not, top it up with a little water.

Step 6 Put the fluid back into the saucepan to heat it back up to just about simmering.

Step 7 Take the saucepan off the heat. – Take the gelatine out of the water and squeeze any excess water out.

Step 8 Add the gelatine to the raspberry liquid and stir in until completely dissolved.

Step 9 Pour the liquid into a pudding mould and leave to cool. Once cooled, put the mould into the fridge to set over night.

Step 10 To unmould, dip the mould into hot water for 4-5 seconds, then turn out onto a serving plate.

Step 11 Make the zabaglione mousse just before serving.

Step 12 Separate the eggs. Put the egg yolks and the sugar into a heatproof bowl and place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. – Make sure the bowl DOES NOT touch the water.

Step 13 Whisk the yolks and sugar with an electric whisk until the mix is pale, fluffy and around 3 times the original size.

Step 14 Slowly pour in the marsala whilst continuing to whisk until the mix is thickened. Set the mix aside.

Step 15 In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.

Step 16  Now gently fold half of the egg whites into the yolk mix until combined.

Step 17 Add the second half of the egg whites and fold in.

Step 18 Serve straight away with the raspberry jelly.