When you think of Easter cakes it is inevitable to go through the memories to find fluffy doves, porridge and chocolate eggs. So why not starting from tradition to discover new recipes?
Let's review the three basic preparations before going to the discovery of delicious and innovative desserts perfect for preparing for the Easter feast, to amaze all the guests at the traditional lunch or, why not, prepare a sweet gift.
Our home-made dove
Ingredients for 12 people
Candied fruit: sugar g 500 -shells of 3 oranges – orange flower water
Colomba: flour g 450 – butter g 120 – egg yolks g 60 – icing sugar g 60 – granulated sugar g 50 – brewer's yeast g 40 – a sachet of vanillin – milk – salt – butter and flour for the mold
Glaze: icing sugar 150 g – egg whites 60 g – almond flour 50 g – flour 5 g – 4 macaroons powder – granulated sugar – almonds
Method
After blanching the orange peels 3 times, boil them for 5 minutes with 100 g of sugar and a finger of water, letting them cool in the syrup. Drain them, transfer them to a new syrup prepared with 1/2 liter of water and the remaining sugar (400 g) and cook them for 1 ', then turn off and keep them in the syrup for a night; finally drain and weigh 150 g to be diced and flavor with a tablespoon of orange blossom water.
Colomba: in the kneader with the hook whisk, work 300 g of flour with the crumbled yeast and 170 g of water and milk mixed together, obtaining a soft dough to leaven for 60 '(first leavening). Deflate it with your hands, then place it in the mixer with the egg yolks, 50 g of sugar, 150 g of flour, 40 g of butter, salt and vanillin. Work to obtain a new dough to leaven until it has doubled in volume (second leavening). Deflate the leavened dough, then work it again in the kneading machine to incorporate 80 g of butter already mixed with the icing sugar and the prepared candied fruit, then proceed to the third rising. Finally deflate the dough, divide it into 3 loaves (one larger for the body and two smaller ones, equal for the wings), then arrange them in the dove mold, buttered, floured, with the bottom covered with parchment paper. Glaze: mix the beaten egg whites (not whipped) with the icing sugar, the amaretti biscuits, the almond flour and the white one in a bowl, then coat the dove with the mixture in the mold; let it rise until it has filled (fourth leavening), then sprinkle with granulated sugar, unpeeled whole almonds and bake at 190 ° C for the first 30 ′ and at 170 ° C for another 40 ′.
Neapolitan pastiera
Ingredients for 10 people
550 g caster sugar – 500 g milk – 500 g flour – 300 g sheep ricotta – 300 g cooked wheat – 220 g more butter – 50 g candied fruit (cedar and orange) – 7 eggs – 1 vanilla pod – oranges – orange blossom water – lemon – cinnamon – icing sugar – salt
Method
Mix the flour with 200 g of softened butter, add 250 g of granulated sugar, 3 eggs, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, the grated rind of half an orange and half a lemon, a pinch of salt. Work to obtain a homogeneous paste, cover it and let it rest in the fridge for 1 hour (shortcrust). Cook the milk in a saucepan with the cooked wheat, 20 g of butter and the seeds of half a vanilla pod for about 20 ’, stirring often to prevent it from sticking to the bottom. When the milk has been completely absorbed, turn off the wheat and let it cool. Mix the ricotta with 300 g of granulated sugar and the grated rind of an orange; add 4 eggs, one at a time, the diced candied fruit, a teaspoon of orange flower water and a pinch of cinnamon. Finally, add the cooked wheat and a pinch of salt (filling) to the ricotta. Roll out the short pastry 4-5 mm thick and line the bottom and edges of a buttered cake pan (ø 28 cm). Pour the filling into the pan, leveling well. Cut out from the remaining dough at least 6 strips 2 cm wide and arrange them, crossed in a grid, over the filling, fixing them to the edges. Bake at 180 ° C for 1 hour. Let it cool, then turn out of the mold and sprinkle with icing sugar to taste.
Black chocolate egg
Ingredients
Dark chocolate, covering 750 g
Method
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie, then transfer the 2/3 on a marble surface and work this mass until it almost cools it. Then put it in the hot chocolate left in the container, mix everything and check the temperature at 29 ° (tempered chocolate). Strain it into the appropriate mold (formed by two half shells) so that the two halves are covered with a layer of about 3 mm thick. Drain the excess chocolate by turning the mold upside down, then let the chocolate coagulate in the inverted mold. Finally, remove the chocolate smudges from the contours: the edges of the two shells must be perfectly smooth; keep the mold in a cool place overnight and finally remove the shells. Pass them briefly on a hot plate to soften the edges and, immediately after, stick them together making them fit together. Melt the tempered chocolate, certainly advanced, work it in a cream with the addition of a few drops of water, collect it in a croissant to decorate and garnish the egg.
In the gallery above, 50 Easter cakes not to be missed
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