3 Easiest Recipes of the Choicest Italian desserts You Have to try

The most famous dessert in Italy is perhaps its sublime gelato, which simply has no compare and is hard to replicate at home. There are also a large number of cakes, puddings, and pies present in the sunny country that are easy to prepare, no matter whichever part of the world you might be from. From the many Italian desserts, we picked Torta Caprese, which is similar to the pound cake in technique but uses chocolate and almonds, and two puddings which are also easy to make. 

1. Torta Caprese

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 125 gm blanched almonds (or almond meal)
• 125 gm Cadbury Bournville 70% Dark Chocolate 
• 125 gm + 15 gm unsalted butter, chopped
• 125 gm sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature, separated
• Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grease an 8-inch round cake tin or springform pan and line it with parchment paper.
2. Grind the blanched almonds in a mixer grinder until they have a fine, sandy texture. Set aside.
3. Break the chocolate into small pieces and place them in a heatproof bowl. Set this bowl over a pot of simmering water, without the bottom touching the water.
4. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from heat and add butter, stirring until incorporated. Add the sugar and ground almonds next, stirring until well combined. Let the mixture cool down slightly, then add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites using an electric mixer, beating until soft peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter, taking care not to overmix. 
6. Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin, smoothing the top with a spatula.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, until the top appears dry and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, but not wet batter.
8. Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the tin. Once cooled, carefully remove the cake from the tin and transfer it to a serving plate.
9. Just before serving, dust the top generously with powdered sugar, and serve with a dollop of lightly whipped cream.

2. Panna Cotta

(Serves 6)

Ingredients

• 350 ml milk
• 3 tsp powdered gelatin
• 65 gm sugar
• 360 gm heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Instructions

1. Lightly grease 6 ramekins with melted butter and set aside, make sure not to use excess. 
2. Take a saucepan pour milk, sprinkle the powdered gelatin over it, and set aside for 10 minutes to bloom.
3. Put the pan on low heat and dissolve the gelatin, whisking vigorously. Don’t let it bubble or boil, if steam appears, remove it from heat and repeat. 
4. Once the gelatin is all dissolved, stir in the sugar and continue warming until it dissolves, taking care not to let it boil.
5. Add the cream, vanilla extract, and salt, mix, and remove the saucepan from the heat.
6. Pour this liquid between the prepared ramekins and keep it in the refrigerator to chill for 3-4 hours. Serve directly in the ramekins.
7. To unmold, fill a large bowl with warm water and dip the ramekins to immerse their bottom and sides for a few seconds. Wipe with a towel then, run a thin knife carefully around the sides of each ramekin and invert onto serving plates. 

3. Butterscotch Budino

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 100 gm packed dark brown sugar
• 60 ml water
• ½ tsp salt
• 355 ml heavy whipping cream
• 180 ml whole milk
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 30 gm unsalted butter
• 15 ml dark rum
• Optional serving: Caramel sauce, whipped cream

Instructions

1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine the dark brown sugar, water, and salt. Cook for 10 minutes, for the sugar to caramelize and turn amber and almost smoky. Be careful not to burn it.
2. Pour cream and milk into the caramel, standing back to avoid any splatter. The mixture may seize up initially, but continue whisking it until it’s smooth.
3. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
4. Take a big bowl, and whisk the egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch until smooth. To temper the eggs, slowly pour about 240 ml of the hot caramel into the egg bowl, whisking continuously to prevent the eggs from cooking.
5. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, whisking constantly.
6. Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Keep whisking as the custard thickens.
7. Remove from heat and immediately add the butter and dark rum, stirring until incorporated.
8. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any lumps. Then divide the custard evenly among four ramekins or serving dishes.
9. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap touches the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.
10. Refrigerate the budinos for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight for the best results.
11. Before serving, you can pour a thin layer of caramel sauce, and top with whipped cream over each budino.