Cassatine with Almond Paste
The Cassatine are another by-product of the Virgin’s breasts pastries: they are miniature Cassate Siciliane and…. with the help of a fertile fantasy they resemble a women breast: and in fact, they are topped with a cherry to resemble a woman’s nipple. The Cassatine baked in pastry shops are made with a round piece of sponge cake, stuffed with ricotta cream and surrounded by green almond paste (pasta reale), coated with lemon icing and each garnished with a candied citron and cherry. Because to shape the Cassatine are needed special molds, Once you have all the ingredients ready, it should be easy to make the Cassatine.
- Yield6 Cassatine
- Sicilian DessertsCassatine with Almond Paste
Ingredients
- 6 slices of sponge 4”X 4”, ½ inch thick (prepare the pan di Spagna recipe).
- 1/2 portion of ricotta cream recipe
- 2 ½ oz. Marzipan (almond paste) tinted green
- 2 tablespoon of powdered sugar (for glace and dusting)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Few slices of candied citron
- 2 candied or maraschino cherries for garnish
Equipment needed:
- 2 Round molds 1¼ inch high and 4 inches wide, narrowing to the bottom to 3 ½ inches.
- If you don’t have the molds, use tart tins or molds cut out from plastic glasses or containers.
Instructions
THE MARZIPAN
Dust working counter with powdered sugar, rollout the marzipan and mix in a few drops of water some green food coloring and blend into the marzipan a little at a time, until it is a homogeneous pale green color. Wrap it in plastic film and storage in the refrigerator; do it a day ahead.
THE RICOTTA CREAM AND SPONGE
Prepare the 1/2 portion of ricotta cream recipe ahead of time.
Prepare the sponge cake recipe (pan di Spagna) .
THE CASSATINE
Prepare the molds by lining it with a film of plastic wrap, extending it a few inches over the side. Lay down the sponge in the cutting board and with a sharp, serrated knife cut into one inch wide slices. Dust working counter with powdered sugar, rollout the marzipan ¼ inch thick and cut into strips to cover the sides of the molds.
Cover bottom with sliced sponge and spoon into each mold 1 tablespoon of ricotta cream. Add any additional cream; however leave enough room to finish with a layer of sponge.
Store overnight in the refrigerator to allow the ricotta cream and the pan di spagna to join together their taste and for the Cassatine to get firm.
THE LEMON GLAZE
Place 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar in a small bowl, mix in a few drops of lemon juice, whisk and add juice until flowing and smooth.
TO FINISH
Place a small dish or a cardboard on top of each mold and turn the cassatine upside down, carefully removing the mold and the plastic wrap. Spread on each cassatina a thin layer of glace and with the help of a spatula cover the top completely. Garnish with a red candied cherry and candied citron.