Zabaglione con crema e frutti di bosco
Zabaglione with Cream and Mixed Berries
Christmas has come and gone, but the holidays are far from over. And that means you need another one or two desserts. By now lots of us want to keep it on the lighter side, so how about frutti di bosco topped with an orange scented zabaglione? Frutti di bosco – fruits of the forest, or as we say, mixed berries – often raspberries and blackberries – are a wonderful flavor combination, and oh so beautiful to behold. A big glass bowl of mixed berries looks like a collection of jewels to me, and there is no better way to serve them than topped with Zabaglione con crema.
Zabaglione (zabaione, or to the French sabayon) is a luscious blend of egg yolks, sugar and liquor, traditionally Marsala wine. The yolks, sugar and wine are whisked vigorously over a double boiler until thoroughly cooked, and tripled in volume, with no trace of raw egg yolk taste. Once cooked, it can be served as is or combined with whipped cream to make a most ethereal dessert a friend of mine calls “clouds.”
Since blood orange season is upon us I decided to change it up and use blood orange juice and Solerno liqueur in place of the Marsala. Yes, Virginia. Solerno, yet again. This liqueur is a Sicilian orange grove in a bottle, even down to its perfume. And it is something of a chameleon, ever at the ready to blend and enhance other ingredients, playing its part to elevate another culinary creation out of the realm of the ordinary.
You can serve this dessert two ways. The zabaglione can fill the glass and be the main attraction with the fruit as a garnish. That’s how I served it last year. Or the fruit can be the star and the zabaglione a fancy topping. I gave the spotlight to the fruit this time, but you can certainly do what ever pleases you. There is no right or wrong way. I have been known to eat it right from the pan. Oh yes.
You can get as creative as you want with zabaglione, starting with a dead simple formula: 1 tablespoon each of granulated sugar and flavoring (fruit juice or liquor) for 1 large egg yolk. Keep in mind you are cooking egg yolks, and if you expose them to a fierce heat source, they will curdle. 100% guaranteed. To achieve a smooth and stable egg cream the use of a double boiler is paramount, providing as it does, a gentle heat to cook the eggs. By the way, I use the term “stable egg cream” because zabaglione properly prepared will keep for hours. It will neither separate nor deflate. To cool it, use an ice bath – so here we use both extremes of temperature for a dish – hot water to cook, ice water to cool. The whole nine yards. Keep in mind as you prepare the double boiler you need a stainless steel bowl large enough to set over a 4 quart saucepan without falling in and without coming in contact with the simmering water below. Check pan and bowl size before you begin. This from the voice of experience.
Zabaglione con crema e frutti di bosco
serves 4
For the zabaglione:
4 large egg yolks
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons Solerno liqueur
2 tablespoons blood orange juice
For the whipping cream:
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 to 3 cups fresh mixed berries
chocolate shavings for garnish
Carefully rinse berries, and place on towels to dry.
Bring 3 inches of water to a boil in a 4 quart saucepan. Lower the heat to a moderate simmer. Place egg yolks, sugar, blood orange juice and Solerno in stainless steel bowl set over simmering water, checking that simmering water does not come in contact with the bottom of the bowl. Whisk continuously, keeping the egg mass in constant motion, scraping sides of the bowl, 6 to 8 minutes, until mixture lightens and thickens, holding a ribbon. If you are using a candy thermometer, look for a temperature of 160 F.** Quickly remove from heat, scrape contents of bowl into a second clean stainless steel bowl and place over ice bath to cool, whisking occasionally.
While mixture is cooling, whip cream with 1 teaspoon granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract in clean bowl. Gently fold whipped cream into cool zabaglione using a large rubber spatula.
Arrange berries in serving glasses. Pour zabaglione atop berries, garnish with chocolate shavings and serve.
** Update: For years I cooked Zabaglione to a temperature between 145 and 150 degrees F. However, current recommendations are that eggs be cooked to a temperature of 160 degrees F. to guard against Salmonella infection. For my U.S. readers, I recommend the use of Davidson’s Safest Choice pasteurized eggs to remove any possibility of Salmonella infection. If you have previously printed this recipe, please correct or reprint.
Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and to see a slide show!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Monday, December 26th 2011 at 7:58 pm |
Are the egg yolks really cooked. In this day and age I am not sure about eating raw egg. It really looks scrumptious. Thanks.
Monday, December 26th 2011 at 8:29 pm |
Benvenuto LA Foodie,
Those yolks are absolutely cooked, thoroughly and completely. But a tip – I hear you about fear of raw egg yolks. I will not consume them either. When I have a recipe that calls for them, I use Safest Choice Eggs from Davidson’s. Their eggs are pasteurized – heck of a terrific food innovation, I’d say. Now we can all enjoy mousse and so many other recipes that call for raw eggs. Thank you for stopping by my site. Buone feste!
Tuesday, December 27th 2011 at 12:41 am |
Adri — That looks absolutely heavenly!! And the photos are beautiful. I may have to try that one for New Year’s Eve! Wishing you a wonderful 2012!
Trisha
Tuesday, December 27th 2011 at 7:49 am |
Ciao Trisha,
Thank you for the compliment. Actually pretty much everything looks wonderful in Dorothy Thorpe glassware! Her creations were de rigueur for any chic ’50’s American hostess. I still love it, and treasure it. I am pleased to hear the dessert caught your eye. It really is quick to make. In fact, I’d suggest giving it a go – just grab 4 egg yolks, 4 tablespoons each of granulated sugar and oh, say orange juice (or some liquor or wine if it is handy), and work it! You will be amazed at how it comes together. I wish you and yours a wonderful, happy and healthy New Year!
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 at 7:56 am |
I’ve never actually tried to make Zabaglione, but I realise that’s a big mistake. Thanks for the inspiration, Adri, and the best wishes of health, wealth and happiness for the New Year:)
Wednesday, December 28th 2011 at 5:55 pm |
Ciao Mette,
Oh give it a try. It really is well worth knowing how to make. However, don’t be discouraged if it is not perfect the first time. Where I went wrong at first was not overcooking it, but undercooking it. I was a bit timid. But after a few times, I became quite secure with the technique, and you will too. I often wind up eating it warm, never getting to the cooling step, much less folding in the whipped cream! Marsala is the traditional flavoring, but I really like the orange liqueurs – especially Solerno. Gran Marnier is pretty nice, to say the least. Once at a dinner for sixty I was in charge of the Zabaglione. Let me say it was an immense amount of egg yolks, quite a challenge, but it was wonderful. I used champagne and we served it over mixed berries. Give it a try. Happy New Year!
Friday, December 30th 2011 at 2:56 pm |
Adri, this is just so gorgeous. The gold rimmed glass and plate are so elegant, but the curl of the ribbon and the evergreen just sets it off stunningly. I have never seen Solerno liqueur, although Fabrizio says he was familiar with it but hasn’t seen it in years. It sounds like it’s worth looking for. I use to use Gran Marnier a lot, till I got in to using moscato that is so popular here. I am not so fond of marsala in Zabaglione, but I do love it in savory meat dishes. Buon Anno to you and yours and here’s to a brighter 2012!
Friday, December 30th 2011 at 8:30 pm |
Ciao Marla,
Thank you for the kind words. Oh, I do hope you find some Solerno liqueur. I am just crazy about it. It has a fresh, modern taste that I adore. Combined with blood orange juice and Prosecco, it will make a wonderful New Year’s toasting drink. Over the years I have moved away from Marsala in Zabaglione myself, using it most often as a finish for sauteed mushrooms. Now that is indeed a leap from Zabaglione! Do you use Moscato in Zabaglione? I will have to give that a try. I am so pleased you stopped by. I so enjoy your site, and from your photographs it looks as though Bella Baita B&B is situated in one of the most gorgeous spots in the entire world. Your guests have a spectacular visit! Warmest wishes for a terrific New Year!
Saturday, December 14th 2013 at 10:03 am |
Un favoloso dessert Adri, perfetto per le tavolate delle prossime festività! Un bacione
Saturday, December 14th 2013 at 2:54 pm |
Ciao Chiara,
Sono contento che ti piace questo. È uno dei miei preferiti, uno calssico davvero. Il Solerno liquore è perfetto qui – un gusto pulito, rinfrescante e profumato di arance. Buone feste a te amica!