05-01-2013
The sweet charcoal brought by the Befana, the old woman who brings gifts on the day of the Epiphany in Italy, as seen by Galileo Reposo, pastry-chef of the Vun at the Park Hyatt in Milan, +39.02.88211234. Contrary to the traditional recipe, this one includes hazelnuts, salt and freshly grated orange zest. Easy to make at home
I wanted to make the Befana’s sweet charcoal more tempting, by adding hazelnuts. This way it is tastier and more enjoyable. There are also pieces of milk chocolate and salt and the effervescent powder becomes very appetizing. In the end, a suave scent of orange lingers on the palate, thanks to the freshly grated orange zest. Not the usual sickly sweet taste of sugar.
Recipe for 12-14 people
INGREDIENTS 1 kg of white sugar 350 g of water 35 g of cocoa 150 g of egg whites 450 g of icing sugar 300 g of hazelnuts 450 g of milk chocolate 5 g of salt flakes 50 g of effervescent powder the zest of one orange METHOD Cut the chocolate into pieces (these shouldn’t be too small) and put it in the freezer. Whip the egg white with the icing sugar until you obtain a spumy mixture. Mix the sugar, the cocoa and the water and cook on a high heat until the mixture reaches 130°C. Pour the cooked sugar on the egg whites’ mixture and mix energetically. Add the other ingredients one by one, always mixing with a wooden spoon. Pour the mixture in rectangular moulds and leave to cool. Thank the Befana for the gift received.
Previews, personalities and establishments in the sweet side of the food planet
by
born in 1978, alumnus of Leemann, Marchesi and Ducasse, he's now the pastry chef of Vun at Park Hyatt in Milan
