Lucy Corry's Easy Zuccotto
Here's a low-stress, high impact festive pudding you can make in advance with easily sourced ingredients.
Lucy CorryLife Editor
- prepare
- 6 servings
- Easy
Caption:This no-stress interpretation of the Italian dessert Zuccotto can be made with easily sourced ingredients.Photo credit:Lucy Corry
Zuccotto is a Renaissance-era dessert believed to have been invented by an Italian architect in honour of Catherine de' Medici, then queen of France.
This is my homage to it. While it may not warrant UNESCO recognition, it’s easy to make and always a winner.
Here are six tips to ensure success.
- Don't skip lining the bowl or it will be VERY hard to turn out the Zuccotto.
- I use trifle sponge freshly bought from the supermarket (look in the bakery aisle). This recipe uses half a trifle sponge - you can freeze the rest for next time.
- If you don't want to use alcohol, use 1/4 cup of freshly made strong coffee to which you've added a spoonful of sugar.
- If you like it, add a couple of tablespoons of mixed peel or marmalade to the whipped cream mixture.
- For an extra shortcut, use chocolate with nuts in it (like a Hazelnut Slab, for example) instead of chopping up chocolate and nuts separately. Make sure you buy enough to enable the cook to sample some while making the Zuccotto.
- This recipe serves six - if you're feeding more people (or more enthusiastic pudding eaters) - just double all the ingredients and use a 6-8 cup capacity bowl.
Ingredients
- 200-250g sponge cake (from the supermarket bakery aisle)
- 1/4 cup brandy, rum, Kahlua or other liqueur
- 300ml cream
- 2 Tbsp icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 75g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 75g hazelnuts or almonds, toasted and roughly chopped
- 1 tsp cocoa, for serving
Instructions
- Line a 3-4 cup capacity bowl with a slightly damp and very clean white cloth, leaving some overhang (alternatively, line the bowl with plastic wrap).
- Line the bowl with the sponge strips (imagine they are floorboards or tiles; the sponge strips should be snuggled up tightly together, but not overlapping). Brush liberally with the rum or brandy, leaving some sponge strips and rum aside to cover the top.
- Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla to firm peaks. Gently fold in the chocolate and nuts. Scoop this mixture into the sponge-lined bowl and smooth the top.
- Brush the remaining sponge slices with the rum or brandy and place them on top (this will form the base of the dessert when it’s turned out, so pack them in nice and close). Fold over the overhanging cloth or wrap and cover the bowl with a plate. Chill for 12-24 hours before serving.
- When you're ready to serve, remove the bowl from the fridge.Carefully invert it over a serving plate, then lift off the bowl and peel away the cloth or plastic wrap. Dust the top with cocoa and serve. In the unlikely event that there are leftovers, they're great for breakfast the next day with black coffee.
