English soup

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 80 g sugar
• 2 packets of vanilla sugar
• 50 g cornstarch
• 60 g flour
• 2 tbsp butter, for the springform pan
• 500 ml milk
• 1 vanilla pod(s)
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar
• 50 g flour, sifted
• 150 g chocolate, 60 – 70% cocoa content, cut into small pieces
• 125 g candied fruits
• 175 g fruit (compoted fruit), peaches, apricots etc., or fresh seasonal fruit
• 3 tbsp Maraschino
• 150 ml liqueur (Alchermes, Italian red liqueur) from the delicatessen
• 200 g cream

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 6 hours 15 minutes

classic version

Recipes for Zuppa inglese are widespread throughout Italy and sometimes very different. I would like to present a classic version here, which is native to the Bologna and Florence areas. The bright red liqueur Alchermes, which the Medici used during the Renaissance, is essential for this. Amaretto or Marsala are too common and are plentiful in other recipes. You should also make the effort to make the sponge cake yourself. To do this, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until frothy, then beat the egg whites until stiff peaks, and combine the two. Add the cornstarch and sifted flour and mix everything together lightly. Pour the mixture into a buttered springform pan with a diameter of 26-28 cm and bake immediately at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. The hopefully lightly beaten mixture should be placed in the oven immediately to prevent it from collapsing. After baking, let the sponge cake cool and cut it crosswise into three pieces. For the pastry cream, bring the milk to a boil and let the contents of the scraped vanilla pod and the pod itself steep in it for 10 minutes while it is still hot. Beat the egg yolks until frothy, remove the pod from the milk, and dissolve the sugar in the hot milk. Now add the egg yolks and flour to the milk and heat to 80 degrees Celsius, whisking continuously until a relatively thick consistency (like pudding) is reached. Empty just under half of the contents into another saucepan and melt the chocolate in it. Remove both saucepans from the heat and cover with cling film to prevent a skin from forming. Set aside and let cool. Chop the candied fruit into small pieces and marinate in the maraschino. Drain the compote and chop them as well. If using fresh fruit, clean or peel it (depending on what you are using) and chop it if necessary. Place a slice of sponge cake in the springform pan and drizzle one-third of the Alchermes evenly over it. Spread a little more than half of the pastry cream on top and then distribute a third of all the fruit varieties on top. Now place another sponge cake layer on top, drizzle with liqueur and then spread a little more than half of the cream mixed with chocolate on top. Place a third of the fruit on top and finally place the third sponge cake layer on top. Drizzle and then spread both creams one after the other. Finally, lightly press the remaining fruit into the cream. Chill well for at least 5 hours. To serve, whip the cold cream until stiff and spread a thick layer of it on top of the Zuppa Inglese and decorate as desired. Remove the rim from the springform pan and cut into 8 large pieces. Tips: Because of the pastry cream, you should eat everything within 24 hours. If you want the sponge cakes to be more moistened, add more Alchermes or extend the 150 ml with a little water and sugar.