This dessert was born some time ago for a cooking class where I had to think about a gluten-free version of the cassata Siciliana (without sponge cake or - in the easiest version - lady's fingers).
Cassata is originally an Easter cake made with ricotta, sponge cake (in Italian called pan di Spagna), candied citrus zests and delicious chocolate chips.
In the fridge of my cooking school I had just two cups of ricotta - not enough for the number of people who participated in the workshop - plus two cups of mascarpone, so I decided to have my "pupils" use a mixture of these two, what later appeared to be a very good decision. The dessert became creamier and... sexier because of that.
The slivered almonds I had chosen for this gluten-free dessert resulted in an exciting layer underneath the creamy mixture, like a very pleasant surprise after the first bite of soft, lushious cream.
Now I make it more often with lady's fingers dipped in liqueur as "base" and yet the gluten-free version is still the most exciting one. Try them both, I'd say.
Today's Italian music of choice is a wonderful classic from the Sixties, Nico Fidenco with "Legata a un granello di sabbia". Nice and old fashioned!
Cassamisù
Serves 4-6
3 egg whites
60 gr. sugar
250 gr. ricotta
250 gr. mascarpone
1 sachet of vanilla sugar
40 gr. dark chocolate, coarsely chopped
40 gr. candied orange peel, diced
3 tablespoons apricot jam
3 tablespoons liqueur (rum, maraschino or similar)
3-4 lady's fingers p.p.
additional liquor
unsweetened cocoa powder
Beat the egg whites with 60 gr. sugar until stiff. Use preferably an electric whisk.
Mix ricotta and mascarpone with the vanilla sugar.
Add the coarsely chopped chocolate and candied orange peel to the ricotta - mascarpone mixture.
Mix 3 tablespoons of apricot jam with 3 tablespoons of liqueur and brush 4-6 one-person bowls with this mixture using a kitchen brush.
Dip the lady's fingers in a mix of 50 % liquor and 50% cold water. They have to be soft and yet not mushy.
Put 3-4 lady fingers in each bowl.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the mascarpone / ricotta mixture and mix gently.
Fill each bowl with the mixture and leave the cassamisù to set in the fridge for a few hours.
Serve chilled, dusted with cocoa powder.
GLUTEN-FREE VERSION: use a thin layer of coarsely chopped blanched almonds instead of lady's fingers (no need to soak them in liqueur, of course).
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