Pandoro, a rich buttery Christmas cake from Verona, is my personal favorite among the commercially baked cakes that fill Italian supermarkets at this time of year. Friends know this by now, so when they come calling during the holidays they bring one, and we therefore have quite a few in the house.
Fortunately, they are quite easy to rework, becoming delightful surprises for Santo Stefano (December 26th, which is also a holiday in Italy) or New Year's Eve. For example, pandoro is perfect for making tiramisu.
Fortunately, they are quite easy to rework, becoming delightful surprises for Santo Stefano (December 26th, which is also a holiday in Italy) or New Year's Eve. For example, pandoro is perfect for making tiramisu.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 pound (225 g) pandoro slices
- Freshly brewed Espresso coffee
- Crema pasticcera, or if you'd rather, crema chantilly (see links)
- Shaved baking chocolate
- Candied nuts, or peanut or nut brittle
Preparation:
Begin by making either crema pasticcera or, if you'd rather a richer tiramisu, crema chantilly. Let the cream cool some.Line a pretty-looking roughly 6 by 9-inch (16 by 22 cm) baking dish with half the pandoro slices. Sprinkle them with coffee, and then spread either pasty cream or crema chantilly over them -- about half of what you have made (you should have at least a half-inch (1 cm) layer.
Lay the remaining slices of pandoro over the cream, sprinkle with more coffee, and top with a second layer of crema pasticcera or crema chantilly.
Decorate the tiramisu with chocolate shavings, together with either candied nutmeats (scroll down) or crumbled brittle, chill it in the refrigerator, and it's ready.
