Zuccotto
2 teaspoons coffee dissolved in 100ml boiling water, cooled
50ml Amaretto
175g sponge fingers
250g ricotta
150g mascarpone
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50g icing sugar, sifted (2 tablespoons)
75g dark chocolate, melted (2 tablespoons) or 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Cocoa powder to decorate
Line a 2 pint pudding basin with cling film, overlapping the edges generously
Method
Mix the amaretto into the cooled coffee in a shallow dish
Briefly dip the biscuits one by one into the coffee mixture and use to line the base and sides of the pudding bowl. Press the biscuits close together, making sure all of the surface is covered and that the biscuits aren’t too soggy. Don’t worry if they stick up over the bowl. Make sure that you have several biscuits left at the end.
Mix the ricotta, mascarpone, vanilla and icing sugar together in a large bowl until smooth. Use half of this mixture to fill the centre of the bowl, leaving a hollow in the centre. Stir the melted chocolate into the remaining cream mixture and use to fill the central hollow in the bowl.
Dip the remaining biscuits in the coffee mixture and cover the top of the bowl, folding over the tops of any biscuits. Fold the cling film over and press down. Cover with lid. Leave in the fridge for at least 12 hours if not 24. When ready to serve remove the cling film, turn out onto a plate and dust with cocoa powder to decorate.
Cut with a sharp knife into slices to serve
Variations
Add 50g chopped almonds into cream mixture
Add 50g chopped chocolate into cream or chocolate mixture
Try Cointreau instead of amaretto and stir the zest of an orange into the cream mixture instead of the vanilla paste.