3 Popular Italian Desserts Every Expat Should Try
Ah! You're finally moving to Italy. You know about the amazing Italian cuisine, but you're interested to find out more about some of Italy's popular desserts.
There are many Italian desserts worth mentioning, but today we feature three of them and give you the recipes.
While Tiramisu is one of the most popular Italian dessert, we did not include it simply because everyone knows what it is.
Cassata Siciliana, Panna Cotta and Tartufo di Pizzo Calabro are the three featured desserts.
ITALIAN CASSATA SICILIANA
Known as a Sicilian dish, Cassata is made of Italian ricotta cheese, sponge cake, candied peel and filling of chocolate.
Our featured Cassata recipe is from Alitalia and is described as a traditional Cassata recipe.
Cassata ingredients you will need
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) sheep ricotta
- Sponge cake
- Marzipan
- Candied fruit to taste
- 200 g (7.05 oz) of chocolate chips
- 500 g (17.64 oz) sugar
- 350 g (12.35 oz) powdered sugar
- Lemon juice to taste
- Apricot jelly to taste
How to make Cassata Siciliana
- Start with the ricotta: Sift the ricotta cheese and whisk with the sugar to obtain a soft, smooth and frothy cream. Add the diced candied fruit and chocolate chips.
- Use sponge cake and marzipan: Cut the sponge cake into thin slices. Roll out the marzipan with a rolling pin to a thickness of around 0.2 inches.
- Assemble the cake: Line a fluted cake tin with parchment paper and cover the bottom with slices of sponge cake (don’t leave any empty spaces!). For the sides, use small rectangles of sponge cake and marzipan. It’s best if they are of the same size and alternating colors.
- Fill the cake: Sprinkle the sponge cake with the sugar syrup and pour in the ricotta cream. After leveling it, cover the whole surface with slices of sponge cake, then with a disc of parchment paper and finally with a cardboard one.
- Put it in the fridge: Press lightly with your free hand to let the cream settle and put the cassata in the fridge. It must firm for a few hours.
For the full preparation method and instructions and much more recipes visit Alitalia.
ITALIAN PANNA COTTA
There are many different versions of food and desserts. Panna Cotta is no different. Today we feature a version from Greatitalianchefs.
Panna Cotta ingredients you will need
A dessert from the Piedmont region of Italy, Panna Cotta is a popular Italian dessert made with cream and gelatin and usually served with fruit, caramel or chocolate sauce.
- 300ml of cream
- 200ml of milk
- 60g of sugar
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 gelatine leaves, softened in cold water
How to make Italian Panna Cotta
the ricotta cheese and whisk with the sugar to obtain a soft, smooth and frothy cream. Add the diced candied fruit and chocolate chips.
1. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla pod and add both to a saucepan with the milk, cream and sugar.
2. Warm gently over a low heat, being careful not to let the milk boil.
3. Remove from the heat and stir through the gelatine leaves until dissolved.
4. Pass through a fine sieve into a jug and leave to cool to room temperature, stirring every few minutes.
5. Once cool, stir one last time to evenly distribute the vanilla then divide between 4 moulds. Transfer to the fridge to set for at least 3 hours.
6. To serve, run the moulds under warm water for a few seconds before carefully turning out the panna cottas onto a plate.
For the full preparation method, variations, instructions and much more recipes visit Greatitalianchefs.com
ITALIAN TARTUFO DI PIZZO CALABRO
This Italian ice cream dessert is typical from Pizzo, in the Calabria region. Today our featured Tartufo di Pizzo Calabro recipe is from Yescalabria.
Panna Cotta ingredients you will need
Tartufo di Pizzo Calabro is usually made with two or more flavors of ice cream; often hazelnut and chocolate.
- 175 g of water
- 65 g of fresh cream
- 200 g of sugar
- 65 g of cocoa powder
- 25 g of corn syrup/glucose
In a saucepan bring to a boil the water, corn syrup/glucose and sugar. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Finally add the sifted cocoa, stirring with a whisk. Cook over medium heat until the sauce will acquire a creamy consistency. Filter while still hot.
- 50 g of roasted hazelnuts
- 25 g of water
- 25 g of sugar
In a saucepan mix the water with the sugar; and make up to 115 ° C. Add the toasted hazelnuts, remove from heat and stir until it will be completely mixed.
- 50 g of cocoa powder
- 600 g of fresh milk
- 400 g of fresh cream
- 250 g of dark chocolate 70%
- 100 g of egg yolks
- 150 g of sugar
In a bowl put sugar and egg yolks and incorporate well. Place the cream, milk and cocoa in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. Pour the hot mixture over chopped chocolate and then yolks and sugar, mix well and put the mixture on the stove, cook up to 84 ° C. Allow to cool and pour into the ice cream tray.
- 600 g of fresh milk
- 100 g of fresh cream
- 150g sugar
- 140 g of egg yolk
- 200 g of hazelnut paste
In a bowl, incorporate the sugar to the egg yolks. Separately, pour the cream, milk and hazelnut paste in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring. Remove from the heat and pour over the egg yolks and sugar. Put the mixture on the stove and cook up to 84 ° C. Allow to cool and pour into the ice cream tray.
How to make Italian Panna Cotta
Create with chocolate ice cream half eight spheres, then, with a spoon remove the middle and add the hazelnut ice cream; in the center with a spoon remove the middle and pour the chocolate sauce and hazelnut crumbs.
Break down and combine the half-spheres creating an irregular sphere. Place the truffle in the center of the dish and pour the cocoa powder, complete with the crumble, a few drops of chocolate sauce and chocolate decorations.
For the full preparation method, instructions and more about Calabria visit Yescalabria.
Have you ever eaten any of these Italian treats? We would love to hear from you about your experience. Do you have other versions of this recipe?
You may also be interested in:
Panamanian cuisine - Arroz con Pollo
Sauerbraten - German Pot Roast
Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice
The best food and wine pairing tips
Want To Try Indian food? Why Not Start Healthy?
SHARE IF YOU LIKE🔻
