Name: La Cassata Siciliana (Sicilian Cassata)
Yield: Serves 4
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 45 ml/3 tbsp rum or liqueur; 500 g/1¼ lb/2½ cups very fresh ricotta cheese; 300 g/11 oz/scant 3 cups icing/confectioners’ sugar, sifted; 5 ml/1 tsp vanilla extract; 450 g/1 lb/2 cups caster/superfine sugar; chocolate flakes, candied and glacé fruit, silver balls, sugared almonds, pistachio halves, coloured dragées/candies and rice paper flowers, to decorate; 90 ml/6 tbsp custard; 50 g/2 oz/⅓ cup chopped mixed candied peel; 300 g/11 oz sponge or pound cake, cut in thin slices; 50 g/2 oz dark/bittersweet chocolate, grated or shaved; 150 ml/¼ pint/⅔ cup water; 2.5 ml/½ tsp cream of tartar

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Italian Regional Cookbook

By Valentina Harris

Published 2017

About

This rich and sumptuous Sicilian classic is traditionally made in springtime. Its origins lie deep in Sicily’s culinary history, and it takes its name from an Arab word meaning big round bowl. The dessert - not the ice-cream version - used to be made and sold by the nuns of Palermo’s convents. The story goes that the business became so successful, and the Holy Sisters so absorbed in making cassata, that they began to neglect their prayers and holy duties. Eventually they received an officia