Zuppa Inglese: Sandro Fioriti's V..

Cooking Instructions

1. Choose a deep dish or a bowl from which you will be serving the zuppa. Smear the bottom of the dish with 4 to 5 tablespoons of hot custard cream.

2. Line the bottom of the dish with a layer of lb cake slices set edge to edge. Dip a pastry brush into the liqueur mixture and saturate the cake with it. Top with one-third the remaining custard cream. Cover with another layer of sliced cake, and brush it with half the remaining liqueur mixture.

3. Bring water to a simmer in the lower part of a double boiler. In the top of the double boiler put the 2 oz of chopped chocolate. When the chocolate has melted, divide the remaining custard cream into two parts, mix the melted chocolate with one part, and spread it over the layer of lb cake in the dish.

4. Add another layer of cake slices to the zuppa, soak it with the remaining liqueurs, and cover with the last of the custard cream. Top with the optional toasted almonds.

5. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 to 3 hours, and up to a day in advance. Serve chilled.

Wine Pairing(s)

Delaforce Vintage Porto

Quinta Das Heredias 10-Yr Tawny Port

Niepoort Vintage Port

Penfolds 'Grandfather' Tawny Port

Sandeman Ruby Porto

Croft Quinta da Roeda Vintage Porto

Fonseca Vintage Port

Taylor Tawny Port

Osborne 'Special Reserve' Porto

Graham's 'Six Grapes' Reserve Port