Zuccotto with sponge cake and Tenuta San Micheluzzo extra virgin olive oil ice cream and wild berries
Today we present a recipe for a classic dessert suitable for the summer period and which does not require any cooking: Zuccotto. It was born in Florence, where it is highly appreciated, but widespread and appreciated throughout the world. Today's recipe is a revisitation of this spoon dessert using extra virgin olive oil from Tenuta San Micheluzzo.
The classic recipe involves the use of dome-shaped sponge cake with a liqueur dip and the heart filled with ricotta, chocolate chips, orange peel and crumbled toasted cocoa beans. Some variations replace the sponge cake with Savoiardi or Pavesini, others recycle panettone, colombe or pandoro and the filling with various creams and ice cream.
Today we return a bit to the classic, but with a variation: we flavor the sponge cake with EVO oil flavored with strawberry syrup and an ice cream filling, always with olive oil and we cover everything with fresh whipped cream and berries.
The zuccotto, as we have seen, was born in Florence in the 16th century thanks to the acumen of Bernardo Buontalenti, a very important artist of the time and the name derives from the "zuccotto" of the cardinals which has exactly the same shape. The inspiration came to Buontalenti while also looking at the dome of the Cathedral of Florence and having been commissioned by the Grand Duke Francesco I to prepare a banquet for the guests, he invented this dessert. He flavored the sponge cake with an alchermes syrup and the cream filling was preserved with ice inside, becoming creamier, thus giving life to the semifreddo, which is still very popular today.
The zuccotto that we present to you is prepared with ice cream and does not need cooking. Ice cream, in itself, is a very nutritious food, especially when it is prepared with fresh milk and cream and also has a beneficial effect on our mood, developing the production of serotonin, known as the good mood hormone, thus mitigating the effects of daily stress.
Traditionally ice cream was consumed in the summer or mainly in the hot seasons, but consumption is now widespread in all seasons and also in regions with colder temperatures due to its nutritional characteristics. The flavors are now the most disparate, there are more than 600 of them and alongside the classic ones we also find savory flavors such as mortadella, courgette flowers or pizza flavours. The art of Italian ice cream making is the best known and most celebrated in the world and the invention of new flavors is the order of the day. In fact, today we will talk about a high quality extra virgin olive oil ice cream. We know that extra virgin olive oil is a component of our diet that cannot be missing. The "Mediterranean Diet" recognized worldwide as an "Intangible Heritage of Humanity" is the healthiest and allows us to better safeguard our health and extra virgin olive oil is the main protagonist due to its highly beneficial organoleptic characteristics and the versatility of use, both raw and cooked and even frying, because its physical peculiarities allow it to be used even at higher temperatures thanks to its high "smoke point". Its composition, equipped with large quantities of antioxidant molecules, such as phytosterols and tocopherols, has highly healthy effects on our body, helping to prevent cardiovascular diseases which are, in statistical terms, the most widespread and pernicious for human beings. Furthermore, its undisputed flavor and lightness contribute to making our dishes truly tasty.
The choice of oil, however, is not a simple evaluation and for this recipe we oriented ourselves towards the Extra Virgin Oil of Tenuta San Micheluzzo, a small family-run company, the Spera & M.R family, which in Caltanissetta in Sicily has been able to create this EVO oil by mixing several cultivars such as the Nocellara del Belice, the Tonda Iblea, the Moresca and the Biancolilla, following the experience of an ancient and wise disciplinary, producing a light EVO oil, but with an important taste. The specification requires that the olives be harvested at the beginning of the ripening of the drupes and brought to milling within 12/24 hours, guaranteeing freshness and preserving all the organoleptic characteristics of the oil. The result is an extra virgin oil with very low acidity, balanced in its bitter and spicy notes and its delicacy makes it preferable for seasoning fish, even raw, and for feeding children.
Now let's get to our recipe
Zuccotto with sponge cake and Tenuta San Micheluzzo extra virgin olive oil ice cream and wild berries:
Ingredients for the sponge cake:
4 eggs
100 grams of granulated sugar
50 grams of 00 white flour
60 ml of Tenuta San Micheluzzo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
a pinch of salt
1 sachet of vanillin
Ingredients for oil ice cream without ice cream maker:
1 liter of whipping cream
4 eggs
250 grams of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon wildflower honey
200 ml Tenuta San Micheluzzo Extra Virgin Olive Oil
200 grams of mixed berries
Ingredients for the syrup:
200 grams of fresh strawberries
50 ml of water
60 grams of granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
For decoration:
berries
mint leaves
sparklers
whipped Cream
Preparation
Let's start by preparing the ice cream. We separate the yolks from the whites and whip the latter until stiff. We put the egg yolks in the planetary mixer with the sugar and the spoonful of honey, working them for a long time until we obtain a creamy mass. At this point, we gradually incorporate the Tenuta San Micheluzzo Extra Virgin Olive Oil, on sale on OlioEvo.eu.
Add the cream previously whipped until stiff and the egg whites, also whipped, incorporating them delicately so as not to dismantle the mixture. We divide the ice cream cream into two containers and add the chopped or blended berries to one, then place the two trays in the freezer for at least 6 hours.
To prepare the syrup, put the water and granulated sugar in a saucepan and bring to the heat. When the sugar has completely dissolved, add the strawberries cut into pieces, previously washed and dabbed with a sheet of kitchen paper, and the lemon juice.
Bring everything to the boil and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat, let it cool and then blend the mixture with an immersion blender. Keep the syrup aside until ready to use.
To prepare the sponge cake, start by whipping the 4 eggs at room temperature in the planetary mixer. We gradually add the 100 grams of granulated sugar and the vanillin sachet, continuing to work the mixture until it obtains a swollen, frothy and straw-yellow consistency.
We then add the oil (60 ml) and, with a spatula, incorporate the 50 grams of sifted white flour and a pinch of salt, being careful not to dismantle the mixture. Pour the mixture into a square pan lined with baking paper and bake at 180°C for 10-15 minutes.
Once cold, cut the sponge cake into slices and soak them in the previously prepared syrup, then place them in a domed bowl lined with baking paper.
Pour a little oil ice cream on the bottom of the bowl, then place some strips of sponge cake soaked in syrup and fill again with oil ice cream and berries. We continue to alternate strips of sponge cake and ice cream until the bowl is filled, covering the surface with other slices of sponge cake. We close with transparent film and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 hours before serving.
Decorate as desired with red fruits, tufts of cream and sprinkles.
Our Zuccotto with sponge cake and extra virgin olive oil ice cream from Tenuta San Micheluzzo on sale on OlioEvo.eu and Berries is ready to be served.
