Zabaglione with Raspberries
Photo: c. foodblogchef 2020
Zabaglione is a traditional Italian dessert often served with fruit or Amaretto cookies. If you’re French or a Francophile, it’s called Sabayon. It’s basically a light, foamy custard flavored with wine or liqueur. Using a double boiler, or a makeshift double boiler consisting of a stainless steel bowl over a similar diameter pot of boiling water makes the process almost foolproof. If you want a nice light elegant dessert to finish your dinner, try this easy, sumptuous, foamy custard-sauce over your favorite fruit. Explore and you will be rewarded!
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
3 large egg yolks at room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons Moscato d'Asti wine
1 tablespoon Triple Sec
Preparation:
Mix the sugar and egg yolks in a 2-quart rounded bottom pot, or stainless steel bowl, holding the edge with a potholder; add the wine and/or liqueur.
Beat ingredients with a hand mixer at high speed until foamy. Alternatively, you can use a whisk and whisk the ingredients briskly until foamy. (The electric beater is easier!)
Place over a boiling pot of water over medium heat and continue beating or whisking. Don’t let the hot water touch the bowl with the ingredients. You want the heat from the steam to provide a nice even heat. The mixture will thicken and increase greatly (about double) in volume. When mixture feels just warm, remove the pot from the heat.
Continue beating, periodically placing the pot back over the heat and quickly removing the pot again once the mixture is warm. Once you have a nice runny, thick, frothy sauce you’ve got it. Do not overheat it or you will curdle the eggs.
Practice makes perfect. When ready, the zabaglione will be thick, foamy, and slightly warm (not hot) to the touch. Let it cool a little before spooning over your fruit. It will keep overnight in a covered bowl. Bring to room temperature before using, or warm over boiling water as above whisking constantly until just warm.
Serve with a garnish of shaved dark chocolate, Amaretto or hazelnut cookies, and/or fresh fruit (like peaches, mango, or your choice of berries). Try substituting your favorite liqueur or dry Marsala wine for the Moscato d’Asti wine to match the fruit, cake, or cookies you are serving with the Zabaglione.