Ciao amici! Hello my friends!
I hope you had a good week and are ready for a new and exciting one ahead.
Spring is in the air and my beautiful flowers are in bloom. It gives me joy to look outside and see all the pretty colors and the "rebirth" of nature that comes with Spring.
I remember this time of year fondly when I was growing up in Italy. My region was warmer than CT, more like the weather in the Carolinas. I would hear the birds chirping and just be fascinated with the swallows and their bold white chests. I also remember smelling the sweet scent of flowers and admiring all the fruit trees that were in bloom, making my town look like a picture perfect postcard.
In Italy, I lived in a larger home that held four generations! A great-grandmother, my paternal grandparents, my parents, my older brother and I made seven people. Being the youngest, I would love to spend time with my great grandma, Rose. In the Spring, I would help her outside and take her for little walks. She would tell me stories of her childhood, teach me remedies of old traditions (like malocchio) and a novena she would recite daily because she believed it would keep harm away.
I'm not superstitious but it must have worked for her because she lived to 97!
Great Grandma Rose and me
All this reflection and the excitement of better weather around the corner, puts me in the mood to cook and bake! Of course, if you know me, you know it doesn't take much to put me in the mood for cooking. LOL!
Are you enjoying my website, recipes and newsletter? I sincerely hope so. Please feel free to ask and/or comment. I'm here to listen and to please you. :)
If you have visited my website recently, you know there is a section for my "Shop". I have been waiting patiently for my Cottage Food License and Certification. I am happy to inform you that I have been approved and will soon begin offering some of my goodies.
I will have assorted Italian cookies, including the delectable pignoli cookies, my famous focaccia, sweet and savory biscuits, and much more so stay tuned.
This week's recipe is a dessert. I chose to share my Italian Trifle because it makes a great presentation without a lot of effort (if you use my shortcuts/tips).
This recipe is an adaptation of Zuppa Inglese, which is a traditional Italian dessert made with layers of Pan di Spagna (sponge cake), cordial liquor (or sugar water for a non-alcoholic version) and crema pasticcera (Italian pastry cream).
As always, thank you for joining me in my kitchen and much love from me to you!
Until next week,
Bacioni (Big Kisses)!
Nonna Antoinette
ITALIAN TRIFLE
Ingredients:
1 store bought pound cake, cubed into 1” pieces
Italian custard cream, vanilla and chocolate
Whipped cream, 10 oz
Assorted fresh berries, washed and completely dried
Triple sec or milk for drizzling
For the cream:
1 quart half and half (whole milk can be substituted)
4 eggs
¾ c sugar
1 ¼ c flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz mini dark chocolate chips
Directions:
Pour the half and half into a small pan and place on low heat until warm.
Meanwhile, place the eggs sugar and vanilla in a separate pan. Wisk until well blended. Add sifted flour and continue to whisk until creamy and smooth.
Add 1/3 of the warm milk to the egg mixture while stirring constantly until fully mixed. Repeat this step 2 more times so that all the milk is incorporated.
Place pan back on burner on low heat, stirring the entire time to avoid sticking and formation of lumps.
Bring to a gentle boil (about 5-7 minutes) and cook two more minutes, until the cream thickens to a pudding consistency.
Remove pan from stove and pour half of the cream into a glass bowl. Immediately cover with plastic wrap (sticking to the top of the cream) to avoid the formation of a “dry skin”.
Pour the other half of the cream in a second bowl. Add the chocolate chips while still hot and whisk until melted and absorbed. If you like your chocolate cream darker, you may add a few more chips.
Cover with film as described for vanilla cream and refrigerate both until needed.
To Assemble:
Whip cream.
Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the vanilla cream and mix until smooth and fluffy.
Repeat above step with chocolate cream.
In the bottom of a trifle bowl, layer one half of the cubed pound cake.
If this dessert is for adults only, you may drizzle a small amount of Triple Sec over the cake. Milk can be replaced for non-alcoholic version.
Add the vanilla cream and spread evenly over pound cake.
Layer the rest of the pound cake over the vanilla cream.
Add the chocolate cream and spread evenly.
Use the remaining whipped cream to cover the chocolate cream.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
Before serving, decorate top with fresh berries of your choice.
TIPS
You may use any cake you prefer for this recipe, including leftover Panettone, Pandoro or Colomba.
My amazing granddaughter, Lexi, makes hers with Velvet Cake for a more colorful presentation.
If you don’t have time to make the Italian pastry cream, you may substitute it with instant pudding (French Vanilla and Chocolate flavors), making sure to use ¼ less milk than box directions. This is to prevent that the pudding is too liquid once you add the whipped cream.
You can use Cool Whip for the whipped cream.
You can add chocolate shavings over the top with the berries if you wish.
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