I love my desserts, but before MasterChef I was never big on making them myself. To get baking right, you need to follow the rules, and it’s just not in my personality to stick to a recipe to the letter. I would get very frustrated when I’d follow all the steps, but my cake or pie didn’t turn out how I’d expected. Through MasterChef I learned that baking is like chemistry; you need to understand the process behind every recipe to get it right. I was lucky enough to be given cooking lessons by my MasterChef mentors Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot, and Joe Bastianich, the best in the business, and now I can say that I can bake. That said, in this chapter you will not learn how to make the world’s best apple pie, and you will not surprise your friends with stunning cupcakes either. I’ll leave those to books of the many talented pastry chefs among us. What you will learn here is how to make all of my favorite desserts, simple Italian classics, all easy to make. These desserts mean so much to me: My nonna Anita’s zabaglione, fritters, and apple cake bring back memories of growing up in Italy, as does my nonna Nori’s chocolate salame, and my mother’s tiramisù represents my first steps in the kitchen, from arranging the cookies to licking the bowl at the end. And I’m really excited to teach you how to make the dessert that helped win me the title of MasterChef, my world-famous basil panna cotta!
Zabaglione con Frutti di Bosco
My nonna Anita’s three favorite words to me were, “Are you hungry?” She loved to make me merendas, or afternoon snacks, and I’d dip cookies into her zabaglione (“custard”) as soon as it came out of the bowl. You can make this as simple or fancy as you like, serving it in plain jelly jars or in martini glasses topped with torched brown sugar as a special party dessert. The alcohol can be varied—marsala, Kahlúa, or Baileys are all good choices to change up the flavor. Start your zabaglione when you are ready to serve, and no sooner. It cannot be made in advance!
1 cup (150 g) fresh strawberries, hulled
1 cup (150 g) fresh blackberries
1 cup (150 g) fresh raspberries
1 cup (150 g) fresh blueberries
¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves
FIRST, WE’LL JUICE UP THE BERRIES:
Combine the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries in a large bowl. Stir in the wine, lemon juice, sugar, and mint. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight, stirring occasionally.
Fill a large saucepan with 4 inches (10 cm) of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Place the egg yolks in a heat-proof bowl that will fit into the pan snugly without touching the water (you don’t want the bowl to touch the simmering water at any point) and, using a whisk or handheld electric mixer, whisk in the sugar, then the Grand Marnier. Whisk until well-combined and foamy.
Set the bowl over the simmering water. Start to whisk vigorously by hand or turn the mixer to high speed. You cannot leave the egg yolks alone for even two seconds—you have to keep on whisking and whisking and whisking to incorporate air into your zabaglione. Whisk until the mixture starts to come away from the sides of the bowl, is very thick and frothy, has more or less tripled in volume, and falls into ribbons when dropped from the whisk. The total whisking time will be 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the bowl from the pan and give the zabaglione a few turns of the whisk to thicken it a bit more.
Divide the berries among four to six clear glass dessert bowls or martini glasses, making sure you get a little but not too much of the juice in each glass. Pour the zabaglione on top of the berries. Sprinkle some brown sugar, if using, on top of the zabaglione and burn it with a crème brûlée torch to make a thin crust. Garnish each glass with a mint leaf and serve immediately.
Sponge Cake and Cookie Zabaglione: Cut some sponge cake into cubes and crush a few cookies into large crumbs; layer the cubes and crumbs with the zabaglione in a dessert glass and top with the berries.
LUCA’S TIP: Be sure to make your zabaglione on the thick side, so when you add the berries, their juices they don’t bleed into the custard.
Continuous whisking is the way to perfect zabaglione. If you leave the whisk at any point while you’re cooking your custard, you’ll wind up with scrambled eggs. If you cook your eggs too fast over too-high heat, this can also scramble your eggs. You can take a peek at the water every so often to check that it’s at a simmer rather than boiling. If it’s boiling, reduce the heat and take the bowl away from the water for a few seconds (but keep on whisking while it’s off the heat!), and then set the bowl back on the pan. Just keep whisking, and you will soon have a silky-sweet reward.
When I presented this dessert to the judges at the MasterChef finale, Chef Gordon Ramsay asked if I was going nuts! This is a take on the classic appetizer mozzarella alla caprese that’s made with buffalo mozzarella, fresh tomatoes, and basil. It’s a tribute to classic Italian food, as it features some of the most traditional ingredients and also resembles the colors of the Italian flag.
Yes, I turned an appetizer into a dessert.
I used to follow what every recipe tells you to do, to put in a whole packet of gelatin (which is 2 1/2 teaspoons) to set the panna cotta. I did this in the finale, and the judges told me the flavor was there but that they would have liked to see it a little more jiggly. So much for following recipes without question! Now I make my panna cotta with less gelatin, and when you put it on the plate, it moves like an earthquake!
1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Leaves from 2 to 3 bunches fresh basil
3 large plum tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1 cup (200 g) sugar, plus more if needed
½ cup (115 g) imported Italian mascarpone cheese (such as Galbani or Polenghi), at room temperature
Basil sugar (optional; see this page)
Small edible flowers, such as violets, radish blossoms, or blue borage (optional)
FIRST, WE’LL GET THE PANNA COTTA GOING:
Lightly oil four 6-ounce (180-ml) ramekins or small bowls. Another option—my favorite—is to use martini glasses; do not oil.
Pour 2 tablespoons of water into a small bowl. Dust the gelatin lightly on top of the water and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
Meanwhile, in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla, and leaves from 1 bunch of the basil. Set over medium-high heat and bring just to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Turn off the heat and transfer the cream mixture to a blender. Run it for 30 seconds, then add the second batch of basil leaves and run the machine to break them down, about 15 seconds. (The uncooked basil leaves keep the color a nice bright green.) Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth back into the original pan, set it over medium-high heat, and return to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the softened gelatin, and stir or whisk for about 30 seconds, until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
Pour the mixture into the prepared serving containers and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate the cooled panna cotta until set, about 3 hours; then, if you’re not serving right away, press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of each panna cotta and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
Place the tomatoes in a saucepan and place over high heat. Add the sugar and stir constantly until it is absorbed and there is no liquid remaining in the pan, 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure to keep on stirring; if the tomatoes burn just a little, they will become bitter. Add the vinegar and stir until it is absorbed. Taste; if it’s too acidic, add some more sugar. You are looking for a sweet jam; the vinegar is added just to balance the flavors. Remove from the heat and cool.
In a medium bowl, very gently mix the mascarpone with the honey until the honey is incorporated. Cover and refrigerate.
Run a thin knife around the inside of each container to unmold the panna cotta. Invert them onto individual dessert plates. If you’re using martini glasses, serve them straight from the glasses as-is. Top each serving with a dollop of the tomato jam and a few dots of the mascarpone cream (you can put the cream in a squeeze bottle and squeeze it out for restaurant-style presentation, if you like), and sprinkle with some basil sugar, if using, getting as creative as you like with your decorations. If you want to get super-fancy, finish the plate with some edible flowers.
Vanilla Panna Cotta: Use the seeds from 1 vanilla bean instead of the basil, and bring the mixture to a boil before adding the gelatin.
Berry Compote Option: Instead of making the tomato jam, combine ½ cup (75 g) fresh blueberries with 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan and cook for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add ¼ cup (50 g) sugar and cook for 5 minutes more. Pour into a medium bowl, add ½ cup (75 g) blackberries and ½ cup (75 g) raspberries, and stir in 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves. Let cool completely and serve with your basil panna cotta instead of the tomato jam.
On the MasterChef finale, I topped my caprese panna cotta with basil sugar for that extra-special finish. If you decide to make it for your panna cotta, it will put it over the top!
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh basil
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a food processor, process the basil leaves until the pieces are as small as you can get them (the basil will turn dark; that’s OK). Transfer the basil to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With the machine running, gradually add the sugar until it is incorporated. The wet basil will attach to the sugar, changing its color. You may need more sugar; it’s ready when it feels almost dry to the touch, as if it’s just granulated sugar exposed to a little moisture (though not wet).
Lay the basil sugar on the prepared baking sheet and cover it with another sheet of parchment to keep flies away. Set aside to air dry for a couple of hours, then transfer to a jar with a lid. Refrigerate until ready to use. It will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days; freeze any that you don’t think you’ll be using in that time. One fun way of using leftover basil sugar is to torch it onto the top of a vanilla crème brûlée.
LUCA’S TIPS: Panna cotta means “cooked cream,” and it’s little more than that, but it can be so much more when you do it right. After you’ve made it once, you’ll see how you can flavor it in so many ways, and the best part about it is that it takes less than ten minutes to set up.
To get a nice color into your basil panna cotta, keep adding fresh basil while blending until it’s a beautiful bright green.
When you’re making the mascarpone cream, think of mascarpone as a beautiful flower: It is very sensitive and needs to be treated right. If you don’t mix it with the honey very gently, it will break. I like to take the mascarpone out of the fridge ahead of time so it is easy to mix the honey into it. And please favor imported Italian brands—I recommend Galbani or Polenghi.
You’ll have some tomato jam left over: Try spreading some onto bread and top with a fried egg for an egg and tomato jam sandwich.
I know, there are hundreds of cookbooks out there with tiramisù recipes. But this is my mother’s recipe, and it means a lot to me! The first memories of being in the kitchen with my mom were of making tiramisù, and if I eat a bowlful with my eyes closed, I can dream that I am a kid again. I used to help Mom dip the cookies in the coffee and layer them in the casserole while she was preparing the mascarpone cream, and the best part was when Mom let me lick the bowl at the end.
I do just two layers of cookies for a tiramisù that’s on the light side, and I like to use Pavesini or Plasmon cookies (which you’ll find in Italian groceries and some supermarkets) rather than the standard Savoiardi, or ladyfingers, as they are firmer and absorb less coffee and get less mushy in the finished tiramisù. If you use ladyfingers, it’s best if you eat the tiramisù the same day you make it.
Note that this recipe uses raw eggs. Only use super-fresh organic farm eggs. If you are uncomfortable with raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs.
1 cup (240 ml) freshly brewed coffee, cooled
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest
1 pound (455 g) imported Italian mascarpone cheese (such as Galbani or Polenghi), at room temperature
10 ounces (280 g) Pavesini or Plasmon cookies
Dark cocoa powder, for dusting
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Pour the coffee into a small bowl and add the brandy and 2 tablespoons of the granulated sugar; stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks with the remaining granulated sugar and the lemon zest and beat on medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, and mix to combine. Gently fold in the cheese with a spatula or a wooden spoon.
In a clean bowl of the stand mixer with a clean whisk attachment (or using an immersion blender with the whisk attachment), whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the cheese mixture.
One by one, dip the cookies very quickly into the coffee mixture and arrange them in a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) glass casserole dish, covering the bottom to make a base. The cookies can overlap a little. Cover with half of the cheese mixture. Make another layer of cookies, dipping them into the coffee as you add them. This time you don’t need to overlap them, just place them next to each other. Top with the rest of the cheese mixture, smoothing it evenly with a rubber spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Just before serving, dust the top with cocoa powder and confectioners’ sugar.
Kids’ Tiramisù: Dip the cookies in apple juice instead of the coffee-brandy mixture. Omit the marsala, and add chopped strawberries or peaches between the layers.
Everyone knows I’ve struggled with dessert, but on MasterChef I really learned to believe in myself! This was the first time I ever used puff pastry and, miraculously, this dessert got me in the top three of that challenge.
Nonna Nori, my father’s mother, used to make this for us a lot. She passed away many years ago, but I have great memories of spending summers with her, Nonno Toni, and Nonna Catina up in the house in the mountains.
Now, I know some people might have concerns about including raw egg in your salame. If that’s the case for you, you can use pasteurized eggs or do without the eggs altogether. In Italy this wasn’t something we thought about, as we always had the freshest of eggs. My nonna Nori used to tell me about how when my dad was a kid, he would go into the henhouse, grab an egg or two while they were still warm, make a hole in them with a needle, drink the yolk, and put the eggs back. Then when my grandmother would go to pick up the eggs, they would be empty!
The dark chocolate gives a fudgy feeling to the salame; to lighten it up you could use all semisweet chocolate or a mixture of semisweet chocolate and milk chocolate and decrease the amount of sugar. A final dusting of confectioners’ sugar gives your salame an “authentic” aged look.
5 ounces (140 g) unsweetened dark chocolate, chopped
2 ounces (55 g) semisweet chocolate, chopped
10 tablespoons (140 g) unsalted butter, cut into cubes and completely softened
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
6 large almond biscotti (about 6 ounces/170 g), coarsely crushed
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
Makes 1 large or 2 small salames
Fill a large saucepan with 4 inches (10 cm) of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl that will fit into the pan snugly without touching the water (you don’t want the bowl to touch the simmering water at any point) and set the bowl over the simmering water. Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula. Remove the bowl from the pan and let cool completely.
We’ll make the salame batter quickly so the butter doesn’t start to melt before you roll it out. Place the butter in a large bowl. Add the eggs and granulated sugar and mix until the mixture is thick and the sugar is completely incorporated. Add the crushed biscotti, grappa, and melted, cooled chocolate and stir well, making sure everything is evenly incorporated. The mixture will be a little sticky.
I had just realized that I forgot to strain the panna cotta (recipe on this page) and had to start over again. My family and friends in the balcony went completely silent; in the end the suspense made my win even more of a thrill.
Now you can decide to roll two small salames (you can call them pepperoni!) or one big one. Cut out a long piece of parchment paper, place it on a work surface, and roll the chocolate mixture onto the middle of the paper into a log of whatever length and thickness you like, then move it to one side of the paper and roll the paper around the log to mold it. Twist the ends of the paper to seal it like a candy. Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight to firm up before serving.
Remove the chocolate roll from the refrigerator a few minutes before serving. Dust it all over with confectioners’ sugar, if using. Place the salame on the table on a cutting board with a knife alongside so everyone can slice their own piece. Serve with whipped cream on the side, if using.
LUCA’S TIPS: Serve your salame on toasted baguette slices for a chocolate salame crostini.
Le Frittelle della Nonna Anita
This is a dessert served often during Carnival in Italy, a fun time for us kids, as we’d get to go to school with masks on our faces. I choked up when I was testing this recipe for the book because the smell in the house reminded me so much of my nonna Anita’s kitchen. She passed away recently, before she could help me write down how she made these fritters. Luckily, my mom remembered, and it would have made Nonna Anita happy to know that I am staying true to her recipes. I was in Italy the last week she was alive, and she got to know that I had become a MasterChef and was pleased about all I’d learned from her.
I’ve added a recipe for pastry cream and chocolate ganache to dip your fritters in, but you could also stay simple and do what Nonna Anita would do: Dip them in red wine before popping them into your mouth.
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
Freshly grated zest of 1 orange
½ cup (120 ml) fresh orange juice
3 1/2 cups (435 g) all-purpose flour
1 (¼-ounce/7-g) packet active dried yeast
1 quart (960 ml) sunflower or vegetable oil
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
8 ounces (225 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup (25 g) confectioners’ sugar
FOR THE PASTRY CREAM (OPTIONAL)
½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
In a medium bowl, soak the raisins in the wine for 30 to 60 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and granulated sugar. Add the milk, orange zest, orange juice, vanilla, and salt and whisk until incorporated.
Sift the flour and yeast into a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Add the soaked raisins and their liquid. Cover with a clean dish towel and set aside for 2 hours, or until doubled in volume.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauces to serve with the frittelle, if you are so inclined (and I hope you are!).
Fill a large saucepan with 4 inches (10 cm) of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.
Place the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl that will fit into the pan snugly without touching the water (you don’t want the bowl to touch the simmering water at any point).
In a separate small saucepan, combine the cream and confectioners’ sugar, set over medium heat, and bring just to a boil. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the cream mixture over the chocolate. Let stand without stirring for 1 minute, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and incorporated. Whisk in the salt. Set the bowl over the simmering water to keep warm until ready to serve.
NOW WE’LL MAKE THE VANILLA PASTRY CREAM:
In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup (120 ml) of the milk, the cornstarch, and the egg yolk to make a slurry.
In a small saucepan, combine the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) milk, the sugar, and butter. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean, add them to the pan, and set the pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then immediately turn off the heat and very slowly (to keep from curdling the egg yolk) pour the mixture into the slurry, whisking continuously. Pour the mixture back into the pan and set over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture comes to a simmer, then continue to whisk for another minute or so, until it has thickened into a pastry cream.
IT’S TIME TO FRY OUR FRITTERS:
Heat the sunflower or vegetable oil in a deep-fryer or a shallow saucepan over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325°C (165°C). You don’t want to get the oil too hot, because even though you need the outside golden brown and crunchy, the inside of the dough needs to be completely cooked as well. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Make a test fritter: Take about 1 tablespoon of the dough and drop it into the oil, making sure not to burn yourself. Cook the fritter on one side for a minute or so and then turn it. It will take about 5 minutes, turning it at least 3 times. Remove the fritter from the oil using a slotted spoon and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Cut it in half to check that the inside is fully cooked so you’ll know how much time you’ll need for the rest of the fritters.
Now start making batches of fritters, 4 or 5 at a time. As they finish cooking, place them on the prepared baking sheet. When all are done and still hot, toss them in a large bowl with confectioners’ sugar to coat. My grandmother would serve them at the table just like that. I give you another option for your dipping pleasure: Put the chocolate ganache and vanilla pastry cream into separate serving bowls, set them in the middle of the table, and let your guests have fun dipping their fritters into them.
LUCA’S TIPS: My favorite way to dress up my fritters is to cut them in the middle like a sandwich, spread some pastry cream in the middle, then coat them in the chocolate ganache and top with extra confectioners’ sugar.
You could use more dough, if you like, for large fritters; just add a little more time for frying.
This is another of Nonna Anita’s classics. I would know she’d made her apple cake as soon as I walked into her house. We’d enjoy a slice or two, and then she’d send us home with a big piece to eat for breakfast the next day. It’s perfect in the morning with a good cup of coffee.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for brushing
1 3/4 cups (215 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
4 tablespoons (55 g) brown sugar
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons grappa (optional)
7 tablespoons (100 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
FIRST, LET’S TAKE CARE OF THE TOPPING:
Combine the cinnamon and brown sugar in a medium bowl. Pulse the almonds in a food processor until evenly crushed, then add them to the bowl with the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Add the butter and work the mixture with your hands until evenly incorporated.
Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Brush a 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish with butter and dust it with flour. Tap out any excess flour.
Fill a large bowl with cold water and add the lemon juice. Peel the apples, core them, cut them into quarters, and then cut them into slices ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick. Place them in the lemon water to prevent them from turning brown.
Melt 1 1/2 tablespoons of the butter in a large nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Drain the apples and add half of them to the butter. Add 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon and cook for about 5 minutes, until the apples have softened slightly but still have a little crunch and the brown sugar has started to caramelize; add a little water if the apples start to stick to the pan. Transfer the apples to a medium bowl, and repeat the process with the remaining butter, apple slices, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Let cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and grappa, if using, and beat on medium speed until thick and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add the melted butter and run the mixer for 2 minutes more.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a small bowl. Alternating with the milk, incorporate the flour mixture into the egg mixture in 3 additions, ending with the flour.
In a clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-high speed until hard peaks form. Using a spatula, gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the egg-flour mixture, then fold in the rest until fully incorporated. Reserve about one-third of the apple slices for decoration and fold the rest into the batter. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish, press the reserved apple slices into the top of the batter, and sprinkle the almond topping on top.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean. Place on a wire rack and let cool completely, then slice and serve.
