Zuccotto evokes family parties, dinners with friends, the inevitable dessert that ended every Italian meal during the roaring '80s. It could be found almost everywhere and appeared in the fridge windows of every pastry shop in the city and town. A dome of sponge cake, filled with cream ice cream, cream, chocolate chips, candied fruit and liqueur, still a timeless classic of Italian pastry making today. Zuccotto brings to mind family gatherings, dinners with friends, and the inevitable dessert that concluded every Italian meal during the 1980s. It was widely available and could be seen in the display cases of every pastry shop in cities and towns. This dessert consists of a dome of sponge cake filled with cream, ice cream, chocolate chips, candied fruit, and liqueur. It remains a timeless classic of Italian pastry making to this day.
Zuccotto is a semi-freddo dessert with a peculiar hemispherical shape, which some say resembles a skullcap or skull-shaped headdress worn by prelates in the past. It is believed that zuccotto originated around 1500 and is associated with the Florentine noblewoman and queen of France, Caterina de' Medici. The architect and artist Bernardo Buontalenti, known for the Gelateria Buontalenti in Florence, created a dessert called "Caterina's Helmet" to honor her.
The zuccotto was initially made using a helmet as a mold, which explains its typical shape. Originally, the zuccotto consisted of sponge cake lining the mold, filled with ricotta cream instead of ice cream. Over time, the recipe evolved, and different variations emerged. Some versions use mascarpone or custard instead of ricotta, and some incorporate layers of ice cream or sorbet for a more refreshing twist. Different fillings can be used, allowing for endless creative interpretations of this classic dessert.
We are sharing here a recipe for the Zuccotto Fiorentino from the Travel Website Dolcevia.
Ingredients:
1 250-300 g sponge cake slices or lady fingers; 320 g ricotta; 250 ml fresh cream; 50 g confectioners' sugar; 10 g cocoa powder; 50 g chocolate chips or candied fruit; 70 ml red alchermes liqueur, maraschino or another sweet liqueur; 30 ml water; round baking pan or a deep pudding dish
Preparation:
The simplest way to make zuccotto is by buying sponge cake and cutting it into thin slices each of about two thirds of an inch. Or instead using broad lady fingers or SavoiardiPreparation from Sardinia called Pistoccus. Line the dish with a layer of plastic cling film and place the cake slices in the dish next to each other taking care not to overlap. In a small bowl, mix the liqueur with water and brush the cake with the liquid. In a large bowl, whisk together the ricotta cheese with the powdered sugar. Beat the cream until light and add it to the ricotta mixture, gently fold the two mixtures together. Now take 1/3 of the mixture, transfer it to a second bowl and add the sifted cocoa to it and mix into a creamy batter. In the bowl with 2/3 of the ricotta, add the chocolate chips or candied fruit. Pour the dark mixture into the mold and smooth it out using a spatula. Pour the light mixture on top and again smooth it with the spatula. Cover with a few more slices of cake and press lightly. Cover with plastic cling film and refrigerate for at least three hours. Serve by turning the whole thing over and onto a plate and sprinkle with cocoa powder.
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