Zuppa Inglese
This is a classic Tuscan celebratory dessert. The apricot jam is not common these days, but it is included in Artusi’s recipe and I’ve always liked the contrasting tart flavour it gives and the colour it adds. If you want to make a non-alcoholic version, use simply the sugar syrup without the Alchermes and rum, or you can use coffee instead. If you don’t have a deep glass bowl – at least 10 cm (4 in) deep and 22 cm (8¾ in) in diameter, but you can easily go a bit bigger – you can also use a large rectangular glass dish.
Ingredients 13
Pastry Cream
8 egg yolks
170 g caster sugar (superfine sugar)
80 g cornflour (cornstarch)
1⁄2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
1 l full-cream milk (whole milk), warmed
100 g dark chocolate, finely chopped
To Assemble
2 tbsp sugar
50 ml rum
125 ml Alchermes
400 g savoiardi biscuits
100 g apricot jam
250 ml single cream (pouring cream), whipped, to serve
cocoa powder, bittersweet, to serve, optional
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Method 6
To Make The Pastry Cream
Whisk the and until smooth in a heatproof bowl. Add the , vanilla and then the , a little bit at first, then combining the rest. Place the bowl in a bain-marie (double boiler) over a saucepan of simmering water on a low heat and whisk steadily until thickened, about 12–15 minutes (it will thicken quite suddenly, so pay close attention to the point when you see it begin to change).
Set aside roughly two-thirds of the pastry cream in a shallow bowl to cool it quickly, giving it a stir every now and then so that a skin doesn’t form (if making this well in advance, cover with plastic wrap that touches the top of the pastry cream and store in the fridge). Stir the into the rest of the still-hot pastry cream, mixing until smooth. Set aside to cool.
Prepare A Syrup
Prepare a syrup by dissolving the in 125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) water in a small saucepan and allowing to simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the and and continue simmering for another 5 minutes (if you like it boozy, let the syrup cool before stirring in the alcohol).
To Assemble
Dip the on both sides into the syrup and place them side by side to cover the bottom of a glass serving bowl.
Cover the with a layer , then half of the plain pastry cream. Add another layer of Alchermes-dipped savoiardi, followed by a layer of the chocolate pastry cream, another layer of dipped savoiardi and the rest of the plain pastry cream.
If you have the space, you can add an extra layer of dipped , then cover and chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours (or overnight) before topping with freshly whipped just before serving. Alternatively, leave off the top layer of savoiardi and chill the zuppa inglese as described. Before serving, dust with bittersweet cocoa powder (if using) and serve with the whipped cream on the side.
Emiko Davies' tips
This is often made with sponge cake cut into thin slices and then fingers – savoiardi biscuits are, after all, simply sponge cake made into dry biscuits.
