Cassata Zuccotto, a delicious, easy, quick, and no-bake dessert. A shell of ladyfingers embraces a luscious cream of ricotta and cream, enriched with chocolate chips and candied fruit. It takes very little to make this dessert, which can also be presented for important festivities, such as Christmas, New Year’s Eve, or Easter. For the filling cream, I used sheep’s ricotta, which I find tastier, although it’s a bit fatty. However, you can also use cow’s ricotta, which is lighter. The important thing, in both cases, is that the cheese is well-drained of its whey and firm. Did your mouth water looking at this sweet zuccotto with ladyfingers? Follow me into the kitchen and I’ll show you how easy it is to make.
You can also read:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 5 Hours
- Preparation time: 40 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: No cooking
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
- Energy 347.93 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 47.05 (g) of which sugars 38.56 (g)
- Proteins 7.23 (g)
- Fat 12.33 (g) of which saturated 4.78 (g)of which unsaturated 2.98 (g)
- Fibers 0.81 (g)
- Sodium 83.37 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 145 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 for Cassata Zuccotto
- 20 ladyfingers
- 17.6 oz sheep ricotta
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1.76 oz chocolate chips
- 3.53 oz candied fruit
- 0.42 cup sweetened whipping cream
- 0.42 cup alchermes
- 0.42 cup water
- 1 tsp pistachio crumbs
Tools Needed for Cassata Zuccotto
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Deep Plate
- 1 Fork
- Plastic Wrap
- Piping Bag
- 1 Star Tip
Cassata Zuccotto Procedure
As mentioned above, the ricotta for the filling must be firm. When purchasing, place the ricotta in a strainer and leave it in the fridge to drain overnight.
The next day, put the ricotta in a bowl and add the powdered sugar. Mix well so that the two ingredients are well combined. Whip the cold cream until stiff peaks form and add it as well, continuing to mix.
Add to the cream the dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate pieces and the candied fruit cut into small pieces. Fold these into the ricotta as well.
In a deep plate, pour the alchermes liqueur and dilute it with the same amount of water. Mix well.
Line a bowl with plastic wrap. My container measured 6.3 inches in diameter and 3.15 inches deep.
Dip the ladyfingers in the soak and arrange them in a radial pattern inside the bowl. Fill the empty spaces with other cut ladyfingers.
Set aside a couple of tablespoons of filling for the final decoration, while the remainder goes inside the bowl, leveling it well and taking care not to leave empty spaces.
Cover the surface with more ladyfingers dipped in the soak and seal with plastic wrap.
Place the dessert in the fridge for at least 4-5 hours. After the time has passed, take out the zuccotto and turn it upside down on a serving plate.
Put the cream set aside into a pastry bag with a star tip and create dollops around the top part of the dessert.
Finish the cassata zuccotto with a sprinkle of pistachio crumbs. Store the dessert in the fridge until ready to serve.
I hope you liked this idea and I wish you a pleasant tasting.
FAQ
If there are leftovers, how should I store them?
You can store it for a couple of days in an airtight container.
