The actual origins of this very popular dessert are debated throughout Italy, because a number of regions claim to have invented it. One thing is for sure: the name translates to “pick me up,” and this recipe will do just that.
Ingredients
- 4 Egg Yolks
- 2 oz Fine Sugar (Caster or Baker’s)
- 1 oz Marsala
- 75 lb Mascarpone Cheese
- 1 oz Rum
- 75 cup Heavy Cream
- ½ tsp Vanilla
- 1 tbsp Confectioner’s Sugar
- Egg Whites
- Pinch Cream of Tartar
- 1 Tbsp Fine Sugar
- 1.5 cups Espresso
- 1 oz Brandy
- 8 dozen Lady Fingers
- 3 oz Chocolate, grated
How to Make It
- Prepare a double boiler.
- Place the egg yolks, fine sugar, and Marsala into a stainless steel bowl, and whisk while heating over double boiler until mixture thickens and increases in volume (this mixture is called zabaglione). Once thickened, remove from heat and allow it to cool before proceeding.
- Add the mascarpone and rum to the cooled zabaglione, and whisk to combine well.
- In a stainless steel bowl, combine the heavy cream, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla; whisk mixture to form stiff peaks.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks are formed. Then add fine sugar to make a stiff meringue.
- Fold in the whipped cream and egg white mixture to the mascarpone/zabaglione mixture.
- To assemble, the mixture is alternately piped between layers of the ladyfinger cookies, which are quickly rolled through the espresso and brandy mixture in a half hotel pan.
- Once all of the ladyfingers have been used to make the layers, an additional layer of the mascarpone/zabaglione mixture is placed on top, and the whole dish is topped with grated chocolate.