While my mom was in town, I had her browse the Barefoot Contessa’s cookbooks for anything that she had to have while visiting. Her #1 choice was this Make-Ahead Zabaglione with Amaretti. It’s a recipe that I’d never given a second glance — possibly because I wasn’t sure about Marsala wine in a dessert but more likely because I can’t pronounce zabaglione …
I’m so happy she did. The basics of a zabaglione is egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine. Ina adds vanilla and almond extract and folds in some whipped cream to give it an even lighter texture. The final result is sweet, light, Marsala-almond custard (Is this technically a custard??) layered with the crisp almond cookies that was absolutely delish.
I struggled finding Italian Amaretti di Saronno cookies at any of my local grocery stores. My last hope was the Whole Foods that opened in Harlem last week. No luck, but they did have fresh, crisp almond cookies in the market. They weren’t the real deal, but complimented the cream nicely. Looks like you can order Amaretti cookies on Amazon if you plan far enough in advance, but they’re pricey!
I don’t have any fancy dessert glasses, but found a martini glass to be the perfect serving size.
Book: Barefoot Contessa Make It Ahead
Episode: Barefoot in L.A.
Rating: 4/5 (Mom gave it a 5/5)
How Easy Is That: Easy
Store Bought Is Fine: Italian Amaretti di Saronno cookies or almond cookies
Good Ingredients: Dry Marsala wine
