Latte cotto from Romagna. Also from Bologna, a similar version is found in Tuscany, while in Piedmont the milk is not slowly reduced over the heat.
It’s one of my sweet comforts, simple and good.
Cow’s milk is used; goat’s milk does not give the right consistency, and sheep’s milk has flavor notes that don’t suit this delicate dessert. It’s one of my dreams to raise a dairy cow again, not only for milk and fresh cheese production; in truth I can’t even consume it freely. But the very act, the lifestyle, is what I love.
Fortunately my children raise animals and I live on the hills of the Langhe, so animals and nature are certainly not lacking.
Back to our latte cotto from Romagna; among the sweets I used to eat when visiting my mother-in-law, latte cotto was one of my favorites, along with the ring cake or the trifle.
You must concentrate the milk by reducing the quantity by about 50%; meanwhile beat the eggs and the sugar…
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For other sweet specialties, take a look at the recipes that follow.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 1 Hour
- Cooking time: 2 Hours
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Bain-marie, Stove, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Latte cotto from Romagna…Ingredients
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 9 egg yolks
- 1 lemon zest (left in strips)
- as needed caramel
Useful tools for latte cotto from Romagna
A small saucepan for the milk, a bowl to mix the eggs, a mold and a tray for the bain-marie. The tools I use can be found in my buying tips
- Molds
- Ramekins
And now step-by-step procedure to make latte cotto
Pour the milk into a small saucepan and add the sugar and the lemon zest. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer slowly until the volume is reduced by about half.
Meanwhile prepare the caramel and pour it into the mold. If you keep the mold in a bain-marie in hot water you avoid the caramel setting too quickly. Beat the yolks lightly without whisking them to incorporate too much air and
combine with the cooled milk to avoid cooking the yolks. Mix well, remove the lemon strips and strain. Pour the mixture into the caramel-lined mold and bake in a bain-marie for about 90 minutes at 356°F.
As soon as it is cool transfer to a serving plate. Soft and delicate.
A few extra tips
In my recipe I didn’t write to add half a teaspoon of instant coffee powder — it gives aroma and contrast to the flavor. In the ingredients you can also find the caramel sauce recipe so you can always have it ready. Very convenient to use in many preparations and it keeps well. Store latte cotto in the refrigerator. It’s even better the next day.
