Let's play with Zuppa Inglese Yo-Yos!

2017-09-08 Did your mouth start watering after you read our blog the other day? Well, then, now we'll explain how to make the Zuppa Inglese Yo-Yos by chef and pastry chef Matteo Berti, the Director of Education at ALMA – the world’s leading international educational and training centre for Italian Cuisine in Colorno (Parma).
Here is the method for the vanilla ice-cream:

• Place all the ingredients in a pot and cook at 85°C.
• Refrigerate for 12 hours.
• Churn in an ice-cream maker.

And for the chocolate centre...

• Boil the milk and cream with the invert sugar and dextrose.
• Put the chocolate in a basin.
• Pour the boiling milk mixture into the basin with chocolate and stir to obtain a ganache.
• Cool to 35°C and add the alchermes liqueur.
• Keep at room temperature in a forcing bag.

How do we make the Pan di Spagna cake?

• Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the egg in a basin and add the sugar and honey.
• Pour the mixture into the bowl of a planetary mixer and use the whisk attachment to beat until it increases in volume at least fourfold.
• Switch off the mixer, then carefully mix in the egg yolk.
• Fold in the flours and vanilla.
• Spread a 2-centimetre layer onto a non-stick baking sheet (Silpat mat) and bake for 8 minutes.
• Cut out 5-centimetre rounds of cake.

There's only one step for the syrup (you can even get the kids to do this bit).

• Mix the two ingredients together.

Lastly, the plate-up and garnish.

• Dip the cake rounds in the syrup.
• Use the special scoop to make an ice-cream ball.
• Fill it with the chocolate ganache.
• Now place it in a 5-centimetre round steel ring.
• Press down carefully to give it a cylindrical shape.
• Place it on the cake round.
• Remove the steel ring.
• Place another cake round on top of the ice-cream.
• Fill a forcing bag with chocolate to create the yo-yo string around it.

Mariagrazia Villa

Recipe: chef Matteo Berti (ALMA).
Recipe source: Luciano Tona, Arturo Delle Donne, Andrea Sinigaglia (edited by), Gusto Italiano. Cucina contemporanea dei maestri Alma (Italian flavour. Contemporary cuisine of the Alma masters), Edizioni Plan, Milan, 2012.
Photography: © Arturo Delle Donne.