Italy from the Inside

Pandoro farcito con crema al mascarpone: a Christmas treat

A few days ago, I attended a Christmas potluck with some Italian friends and since I was in charge of bringing un dolce (Italian term to define a dessert) I decided to make the pandoro farcito con crema al mascarpone (pandoro cake with mascarpone cream). This is a very simple and yet delicious dessert that has become a classic in Italy during the Christmas holidays. If you decide to make it, this is what you need:

– 1 pandoro (I got mine at Marshall’s in Bellevue, WA, but you can find it also either at Ross Dress for Less, World Market or any Italian specialty food store)
– 2 egg yolks
– 4 tbsp sugar
– 3 tbsp mascarpone cream
– powdered sugar
– Gianduiotti chocolate (optional)

First beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the mascarpone cheese until you get a smooth cream. Set aside.

Cut the pandoro in 5 layers.

Spred the crema al mascarpone on each layer (the more liquid the better, it will make the cake softer).

Place each layer back, without matching the edges, in order to create a Christmas tree like shape.

I used Gianduiotti chocolate to decorate the cake, but you can use any other decoration, sometimes we even use small candles.

Finally, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and decorate the top with your favorite object (I “borrowed” baby Jesus from my kids’ Fisher-Price nativity).

Enjoy it, Buon Natale!

“A Natale puoi…”

There’s one thing Italians associate with Christmas every year and that’s the lavender box of the pandoro Bauli. The Bauli brand has been around since 1937, when Ruggero Bauli opened his workshop in Verona (AKA Romeo and Juliet’s town) where in 1950 he started producing pandoro, the traditional Veronese Christmas cake. However, besides producing very good Christmas cakes and sweets, the Bauli company has been producing also memorable commercials for its products, you know, in the Coca-Cola style, with songs that you still remember and sing after many years.

This commercial was running in the 80’s (when I was attending middle school and eating sweets with no guilt, just to give you an idea…).

Most recently, Bauli launched a new commercial which features, in my opinion, one of the best Italian Christmas songs  titled “A Natale puoi” (literally translated as “At Christmas time you can…”).

Oh, by the way, if you want to sing it AND taste the pandoro at the same time, just remember that you can find it on Amazon! Is there anything Amazon doesn’t sell?

Merry Christmas everyone!