Do you know the Certosino?…A traditional Emilian cake to bring to the table at Christmas.
Following the Christmas preparations, I have friends waiting for the baking of various traditional cakes; every year a small thought for each of them.
I prepare Certosino every year, this version is white, or rather without cocoa, which colors the cake, the chocolate is present inside in flakes.
It’s a cake that cannot be missing from the Christmas table, but there are so many, so I prepare them a month in advance, because they are typical sweets of my family, and I can’t easily find them on the market…So I spend days making them, some invention always appears, I end up baking cakes every day. Luckily my oven is well-calibrated and I can use three shelves, so as not to burden the electricity bill too much.
So when I dedicate myself to the preparation and baking of my cakes, I can make a single batch and have three different recipes, of course I have to choose them with similar baking times, otherwise I couldn’t.
They are traditional, rustic cakes passed down over time.
This recipe I keep because I inherited it from my mother-in-law, a great cook who loved to cook traditional recipes; how many secrets she passed on to me, how to roll the egg pastry, how to make Zuppa Inglese, tortellini, tagliatelle, various sauces…I carry them with me with the memory of her willingness to share her knowledge.
But back to the Certosino…A cake rich in flavor and aroma, a dough with softness and crunchiness inside.
Can be eaten accompanied by a good dry white wine.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 10 of 3 inches in diameter
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall, Winter, and Spring
Ingredients
In Certosino, scents and flavors…Flour, candied fruit, almonds, and lots of aromatic powder…
- 300 g flour
- 200 honey (I prefer it mixed between chestnut and orange)
- 100 g almonds (With skin)
- 70 dark chocolate (Chopped into flakes)
- 70 candied fruit (Orange and citron)
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 pinches ground cinnamon
- 2 ground anise
- 10 g baking soda
- to taste red wine (If needed)
Tools
Very few tools, a bowl for mixing, one for warming the honey, and small pans for baking, or one large one.
Steps
I have the habit of preparing all the ingredients beforehand, so as not to interrupt the work later. Unfortunately, I dirty a few more bowls, but being able to mix without interruptions is definitely better. It happened that I forgot…And when using hands, finding them all sticky with dough…Ugh!
Mix all the ingredients, except the honey, in a large bowl. Using a larger bowl allows for better mixing of the ingredients without fear of the dough spilling over the edges.
Heat the honey in the microwave or in a saucepan, as you prefer, and add it to the rest; mix well
If you notice the dough is too dry, add a little wine. The final consistency should be firm but workable
Then let it rest for about two hours, covering with plastic wrap
Give it another mix and transfer into molds, I prefer small molds, to make little gifts for friends.
Once finished, bake at 356°F for about twenty minutes. Remove from molds and let cool. If you like, before placing in the molds, line them with wafer paper.
All ready! After baking, you can brush with additional honey, cover with dark chocolate as in the photo, or sprinkle with powdered sugar
Decorated and ready to consume or gift. The decoration is made with powdered sugar, mixed with water and lemon. (50 grams of sugar, a few teaspoons of warm water, and a drop of lemon, after obtaining a fluid but not too runny consistency, decorate your Certosini as you like with a piping bag
The Certosino keeps well out of the fridge, at least for a week, in a dry place. Actually, it’s so delicious, it never lasts a week. You can also make a large Certosino to slice. Or in a rectangular shape. I prefer to make this version, as I prepare several to gift to friends.
