AdadlaB.73 net.cooks utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ARPAVAX:CAD:teklabs!tekmdp!dadlaB!bill Sun Apr 18 11:49:48 1982 Cassata recipie Here is the recipie for one of my favorite deserts. It is very rich, and takes awhile to make but is worth the effort. {ucbvax or decvax}!teklabs!tekmdp!dadlaB!bill CASSATTA ALLA SICILIANA 1 pound cake [easier to cut when refrigerated first] 1 lb. ricotta cheese 1/4 c. sugar 2 Tbs. heavy cream 3 Tbs. orange liqueur 3 Tbs. chopped orange peel (candied) 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, coursely chopped Cut cake into six or seven layers. Beat cheese with sugar until smooth. Beat in cream and liqueur. Fold in peel and chocolate. Put on top of pound cake, crust down, on cake plate and spread on some filling. Continue building Cassata by alternating layers of cake with filling. Finish with bottom of pound cake, crust up. Frost. Frosting 12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate 1/4 c. espresso 1/2 lb. butter, softened Melt chocolate with espresso in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until all is smooth (or microwave in mixing bowl at MEDIUM for about 50 sec.). Transfer chocolate mix- ture to a mixing bowl (unless microwaved) and beat in butter in chunks until all is smooth. Refrigerate (approx. 1/2 hr) or let set on counter until frosting is spreading consis- tancy. With metal spatula spread frosting on top, sides and ends of Cassata. Decorate top with remaining frosting using pastry tube with fancy tip. [The traditional way to decorate is like a circus wagon with lots of swirls and twists.] Let Cassata ripen in refrigerator at least at day but as long as a week [it gets better with time]. Pound Cake (for 2 9x3in. cakes) 9 large eggs 3 c. sugar [use superfine for best results] peel of 3 lemons, grated 1 lb. plus 2 Tbs. butter, softened 3 3/4 c. cake flour Beat butter until soft and white, almost like heavy whipped cream. (Use high speed on mixer). Beat eggs, sugar and lemon peel until triple in volume. (About 5 min. on high speed of electric mixer). Sift and measure flour. Taking about 15 seconds, fold in flour using low speed on mixer. Fold in butter in same manner (also about 15 sec.). Don't worry if flour and butter are not perfectly incor- porated; it is better to complete folding by hand rather than to risk deflating eggs. Put into two buttered bread pans. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for an hour. Cool 10 to 20 minutes and remove cakes to rack. Cakes freeze perfectly. ----------------------------------------------------------------- gopher://quux.org/ conversion by John Goerzen of http://communication.ucsd.edu/A-News/ This Usenet Oldnews Archive article may be copied and distributed freely, provided: 1. There is no money collected for the text(s) of the articles. 2. The following notice remains appended to each copy: The Usenet Oldnews Archive: Compilation Copyright (C) 1981, 1996 Bruce Jones, Henry Spencer, David Wiseman.