Dolce Delights: Irresistible Italian treats from Bake-Off’s GIUSEPPE DELL’ANNO

TORTA UBRIACA (Drunk chocolate cake) 

Ubriaco means drunk in Italian, and it is an appropriate name for a cake that uses a decent amount of red wine for the batter and coating. Torta ubriaca has an intense, deep flavour; it is the perfect chocolate cake for grown-ups.

The alcohol evaporates entirely while baking, but the cake is left with a complex fragrance that, thanks to the warming spices, is very reminiscent of mulled wine. For extra heat, add a pinch of hot chilli powder, but go carefully, based on the strength of your chillies.

SERVES up to 12

PREP TIME 20 minutes

BAKING TIME 1 hour 16 minutes

For the sponge

vegetable spread, for greasing
200g egg (about 4 medium eggs), at room temperature
230g caster sugar
⅛ tsp salt
200g vegetable oil (preferably corn or sunflower)
180g dry red wine
200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
50g cornflour
50g unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp hot chilli powder (optional)
100g dairy-free dark chocolate chips (50%-55% cocoa solids)

For the glaze

120g icing sugar
20g unsweetened cocoa powder
30g red wine
1 tbsp clear honey

Set the shelf in the lower half of the oven and preheat it to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a 24cm, 2.5-litre bundt tin or a 23cm springform cake tin with vegetable spread and dust it with flour, tapping off the excess.

Put the eggs, sugar and salt in a bowl large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, and whisk at high speed with a handheld electric whisk (or use a stand mixer) until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture is pale and fluffy. It will take 3-4 minutes. With the whisk still going, trickle the oil into the bowl, and whisk for about 1 minute to emulsify it fully. Then trickle in the wine and whisk for a further minute.

Sift the flour, cornflour, cocoa, baking powder, spices and chilli (if using) into the bowl and whisk again at low speed until the batter looks smooth, without any lumps of flour. Add the chocolate chips and fold them in with a spatula. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 1 hour 16 minutes or until a skewer inserted at the deepest part of the cake comes out clean. Leave in the tin to cool for at least 15 minutes.

While the cake cools, put the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and warm over moderate heat until the mixture just starts to simmer.

Turn the cake out of the tin and move it to a serving plate. Pour the glaze, while still hot, on to the cake and let it drip down over the sides. Serve at room temperature. Torta ubriaca keeps for up to 4 days under a cake dome.

TORTA DI DATTERI (Date cake) 

Originally from North Africa, torta di datteri is a flavoursome cake with a substantial bite and a dense yet soft crumb. The recipe does not include any leavening agent, so the egg whites have to be whipped separately and gently folded into the batter to incorporate as much air as possible. The crunch of walnuts and almonds is a good match for the sticky and chewy texture of the dates, and the added nutty flavour is perfectly paired with the citrus undertones.

SERVES up to 12

PREP TIME 35 minutes

BAKING TIME 33-35 minutes

For the sponge

80g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
100g walnut pieces 
100g whole almonds
40g cornflour
250g whole dates
1 tbsp clear honey
zest of 1 unwaxed organic lemon
zest of 1 unwaxed organic orange
40g freshly squeezed orange juice
60g egg yolk and 140g egg white (about 4 medium eggs), at room temperature
80g golden icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
⅛ tsp salt

For the decoration

35g egg white (about 1 medium egg white)
200g icing sugar
2-3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
2-3 dates, pitted and sliced lengthways into slivers

Set the shelf in the lower half of the oven and preheat it to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Grease a 24cm, 2.5-litre bundt tin or a 23cm springform cake tin with butter and dust it with flour, tapping out the excess. Put the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and melt it: 30-40 seconds should be enough. Set aside to cool.

Put the walnuts, almonds and cornflour in the bowl of a food processor and blitz to a coarse texture. Set aside. Stone and chop the dates into pea-sized pieces, then put in a medium bowl with the honey, lemon and orange zest, orange juice and melted butter. Stir well to combine.

Put the egg yolks, half the icing sugar and the vanilla in another bowl, large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, and whisk at high speed with a handheld electric whisk (or use a stand mixer) until the mixture is pale and fluffy. It will take 3-4 minutes. Add the date mixture and the ground nuts to the bowl and fold in. Set aside.

Thoroughly wash and dry the whisk. Put the egg whites and salt in a clean bowl, preferably metal, ceramic or glass, and whisk at medium speed for about a minute or until the whisk leaves visible marks on the egg-white surface. Continue whisking and gradually add the remaining icing sugar to form a stiff but supple meringue; it will take about 2 minutes.

Spoon the meringue into the nut and date mixture in three goes, folding it in gently after each addition until no more white streaks are visible. Spoon or pour the batter into the greased tin. Bake for 33-35 minutes, until well browned and springy. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn it out on a wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled, whisk the egg white, icing sugar and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is fluffy but still supple. Gradually stir in by hand 1-2 tablespoons of the remaining lemon juice until the icing is of a thick dropping consistency. Spoon or pour it sparingly over the top of the cake, allowing some to drip down the sides. You may not need all of the icing. Decorate the top with thin slivers of date. Torta di datteri keeps for up to 4 days under a cake dome.

PIZZICOTTI AL MANDARINO (Clementine and almond cookies)

Pizzicotti means ‘little pinches’ and refers to the three-scallop shape made when forming the biscuits.

Like many almond-based recipes, these are from southern Italy, but given their white coating they are popular everywhere over Christmas. The dough can be prepared up to a couple of days in advance and stored in the fridge wrapped in clingfilm, ready to be shaped and baked.

MAKES 28

PREP TIME 20 minutes, plus resting time

BAKING TIME 24-28 minutes

peel of 1 unwaxed organic clementine, washed and dried
250g ground almonds
200g caster sugar
⅛ tsp salt
60g egg white (about 2 medium egg whites)
1 tsp natural almond extract
2 tsp clear honey
about 40g icing sugar, for coating, plus extra for dusting

Chop the peel very finely and put it in the bowl of a food processor with the ground almonds, sugar and salt. Blitz for a few seconds to combine. Add the egg white, almond extract and honey and blitz again until the mixture forms a stiff paste. Turn out on to a clean dry worktop, pat down with the palm of your hand then, using a straight-edge scraper, lift one side and fold it over. Repeat the patting and folding a few times until the mixture looks smooth. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill it in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Set the shelf in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Line two baking sheets with baking paper or silicone mats.

Dust the worktop generously with icing sugar and have more ready on a plate for later. Roll the dough over the sugared worktop to shape it into a large sausage about 3cm thick. Chop this into 28 small equal-sized lumps to guarantee an even bake.

Roll each lump of dough between the palms of your hands to form a ball, then drop it into the icing sugar on the plate. Roll each ball of dough several times in the icing sugar until it is fully coated and looks stark white.

Divide the pizzicotti between the baking sheets and, when placing them, gently pinch each ball using your thumb, index and middle fingers to give a scalloped shape.

Bake one tray at a time, for 12-14 minutes, until a few golden cracks appear on the surface of the cookies. Cool completely before taking them off the baking paper. Serve at room temperature. They keep for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

CHEESECAKE CAFFE E AMARETTI (Amaretti and coffee cheesecake)

Although cheesecakes do not belong to the classic Italian baking register, they are so popular that they have found their way into pretty much every family recipe book. An ideal cake for beginners, this recipe requires no baking and combines two of my favourite flavours; coffee liqueur and amaretti are both pleasantly bitter, so the overall result is not overly sweet. For a nonalcoholic version, you can swap the Kahlúa for strong coffee.

SERVES up to 12

PREP TIME 25 minutes, plus 5 hours setting

For the base

90g unsalted butter
200g amaretti biscuits
⅛ tsp salt

For the cream

4 platinum-grade gelatine sheets (about 8g) or 16g standard powdered gelatine
4 tsp instant coffee granules
100g hot water
250g mascarpone, at room temperature
120g ricotta, drained and at room temperature
100g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
40g (about 3 tbsp) Kahlúa coffee liqueur
200g whipping cream, cold
12 amaretti, to decorate

Line the base of a 23cm springform cake tin with baking paper. Put the gelatine sheets in a small bowl and cover them with cold water; leave to soak for about 10 minutes.

Put the butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and melt it in the microwave: 30-40 seconds should be enough. Set aside to cool.

Put the amaretti and salt in the bowl of a food processor and blitz until they resemble sand. Transfer to a medium bowl and add the melted butter. Mix to moisten the crushed amaretti fully, then tip the mixture into the lined tin. Press it down firmly using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a cup. Put in the fridge to set.

Dissolve the coffee in the hot water, drain the soaked gelatine and dissolve the sheets in the hot coffee by whisking energetically for a few seconds. Set aside to cool.

Put the mascarpone, ricotta, sugar and vanilla in a bowl large enough to accommodate all the ingredients, then whisk by hand or with a handheld electric whisk until smooth and homogeneous. Add the cooled coffee mixture and the coffee liqueur and whisk again until well combined.

Put the whipping cream in another bowl and whisk until it forms soft peaks. Do not overbeat or it will curdle: stop as soon as the surface changes from shiny to dull. Use a silicone spatula to gently fold the cream into the mascarpone-coffee mixture in three batches.

Pour or spoon the mixture over the biscuit base, level it off with the back of a spoon or, better, with a small offset spatula, then chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours or overnight.

When ready to serve, loosen the sides of the cheesecake with a small knife, remove the ring of the tin and transfer the cake to a serving plate. Decorate the top with amaretti. Cheesecake caffè e amaretti keeps for up to 3 days in the fridge.

SALAME DI CIOCCOLATO (Chocolate salami)  

An Italian staple of the 1970s, the salame di cioccolato remains a popular treat. The basic recipe uses Rich Tea biscuits, but it works very well with digestives or, if you like, ginger nuts. Like real salami, it gets better with time, so prepare it one or two days in advance to savour it at its best. For an alcohol-free version, replace the liqueur with freshly squeezed orange juice.

MAKES up to 12 slices

PREP TIME 20 minutes, plus cooling time and setting overnight

60g egg (about 1 large egg)
40g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
⅛ tsp salt
90g dark chocolate chips, or bar broken into small pieces (70%-75% cocoa solids)
60g milk chocolate chips, or bar broken into small pieces (30%-35% cocoa solids)
30g unsalted butter
30g Strega liqueur or dark rum
60g Rich Tea biscuits or other light, crisp sweet variety
30g unsalted pistachios
30g toasted chopped hazelnuts
about 50g icing sugar, for dusting

Put the egg, sugar, vanilla and salt in a small bowl then beat lightly with a fork or whisk to combine. Set aside.

Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl (preferably metal) large enough to hold all the ingredients. Place the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, ensuring that the water does not reach the bottom of the bowl. Stir with a silicone spatula until the chocolate has melted and incorporated the butter. Lower the heat to the minimum and pour the egg mixture into the melted chocolate. Stir continuously over a minimum heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the liqueur. Line the surface of the mixture with clingfilm and chill in the fridge for about 1 hour, or until it has thickened up enough to be shaped.

Meanwhile, break the biscuits into 2cm chunks. Lay a large (about 40cm) sheet of baking paper on the worktop.

Take the chocolate mixture out of the fridge, add the biscuits, pistachios and hazelnuts and stir gently until well combined. Turn out the mixture on to the baking paper and roll the sheet over the mixture to shape it into a large sausage about 5cm thick and 25cm long, then secure it by twisting the ends of the paper.

Chill in the fridge for at least 5 hours, ideally overnight. When ready to serve, unwrap the salami and keep it on its baking paper. Dust it generously with icing sugar, roll it on to the baking paper and spread the sugar on it with your hands until thoroughly coated. Serve chilled, sliced on a chopping board. Salame di cioccolato keeps for up to a week in the fridge and can be frozen for up to a month.

Now BUY THE BOOK: Giuseppe’s Easy Bakes by Giuseppe Dell’Anno, with photographs by Matt Russell, is published by Quadrille, £24.

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Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk

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