You cut a clean square that still sighs: savoiardi soaked in espresso and Marsala, layered with mascarpone cream, dusted thickly with cocoa. It should be set but not stolid, the biscuits soaked but not collapsed. You want a dark, bitter snow on top, and a spoon that meets no argument.
Veneto, most often Treviso, and younger than it tastes — a 1960s or 1970s invention, pick-me-up, claimed by more than one kitchen. Le Beccherie is the name most often attached. It is not an old farmhouse pudding, however much it behaves like one.
Dip the biscuits for a second; they drink fast. Chill at least four hours. Cocoa at the last moment. It is better the next day.
Method
- 01
Beat the yolks and sugar together until the mixture is pale, thick, and leaves a ribbon when you lift the whisk — a good five minutes of real work. Then beat in the mascarpone until the cream is smooth and holds a soft shape. Don't overbeat or it will go grainy; stop when it looks like silk. Taste it; it should be rich and only just sweet.
- 02
In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites to soft peaks — they should droop slightly when you lift the whisk, not stand in stiff spikes. Fold them into the mascarpone cream with a spatula, cutting down and turning, until no streaks remain. Be gentle; the air you just beat in is what keeps the cream from going stolid. You should have a billowy, ivory mixture.
- 03
Stir the cooled espresso with the Marsala in a shallow dish. Dip each savoiardi for a second — they drink fast, and a soggy biscuit will collapse — then lay them in a dish and cover with a layer of the cream. Repeat until you have used everything, finishing with cream. The biscuits should be soaked but not collapsed; if one looks drowned, you held it too long.
- 04
Cover the dish and chill it for at least four hours, better overnight — it is a better dessert the next day, when the layers have become one. Just before serving, dust the top thickly with cocoa, so you have a dark, bitter snow. A spoon should cut a clean square that still sighs. Don't dust it hours ahead or the cocoa will melt into the cream.
