The HOLIDAY CASSATA is a no-bake dessert, easy to make and very indulgent, created to recycle Christmas Panettone or the Easter Colomba, which, as you know, often remain. For this reason I decided to make a fresh dessert that can be eaten even outside the traditional holiday season. And since the Sicilian cassata is one of my favorite desserts, here is my reinterpretation.
Of course, to appreciate it you don’t have to be a cassata purist, but you should love tradition and innovation together: this dessert is, in fact, similar to the Sicilian sweet, but with some variations and much simpler. The essence, however, doesn’t change, since the creamy ricotta heart is exalted in this recipe as well and everyone celebrates this hybrid cassata just like the original.
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- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 14 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8 servings
- Cooking methods: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 413.81 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 61.43 (g) of which sugars 38.14 (g)
- Proteins 9.74 (g)
- Fat 13.74 (g) of which saturated 7.69 (g)of which unsaturated 2.07 (g)
- Fibers 0.87 (g)
- Sodium 102.12 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 125 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- Half panettone (or colomba)
- 2 cups sheep's ricotta
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1.8 oz dark chocolate chips
- 7 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tbsp rum (or amaretto)
- 10 candied cherries
- as needed powdered sugar
WHAT YOU’LL NEED FOR THE HOLIDAY CASSATA
- 1 Springform pan 7 in
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Plastic wrap
HOLIDAY CASSATA PREPARATION
First of all, let the fresh sheep’s ricotta drain its whey by keeping it in the fridge for at least overnight before working it. If it is very dry you can let it rest for just 1 hour.
Add the sugar to the fresh, drained ricotta and mix everything together, then let it rest for about an hour. Sift the mixture until you obtain a soft, smooth cream, add the chocolate chips and fold them in.
Prepare the soaking syrup by boiling the water with the sugar in a small saucepan until it dissolves. After it comes to a boil, cook for 1 more minute. Let it cool completely and only then add the rum or amaretto.
Cut the Panettone or Colomba into slices about 1/4 inch thick, removing all crusts.Line a 7-inch springform pan with plastic wrap. Then line it with the Panettone slices starting from the sides and only lastly cover the base. Press well with your fingers so that the slices adhere to each other. Then brush them generously with the soaking syrup.
Once the shell is formed, fill it with the ricotta cream, compacting it with a spoon.
Cover the surface with more Panettone slices. Cover the cassata with plastic wrap and transfer it to the fridge to set for at least 6 hours.Unmold the holiday cassata, place it on a serving plate and decorate it with powdered sugar and candied cherries.
