Where does cassata come from?
Like most Sicilian specialties, Cassata also has an Arab origin.
During the 11th century, Palermo was the largest city in Europe, and the Arabs had imported various products there. Indeed, pistachios, citrus fruits, almonds, and sugar cane began to circulate within the city.
of the island right at this time.
Tradition has it that baked cassata has a totally unexpected history. The protagonist is a shepherd who, one night, decided
to use a bowl to mix a little bit of it inside sheep ricotta with sugar and honey, thus discovering something truly exceptional. Subsequently, the chefs of the Palermo court
of the emir, they went out of their way to wrap the same dough in a shortcrust pastry. From the oven cooking The cassata was born from the latter. Even today, the baked version represents the oldest of the
versions of this dessert.
However, the term cassata It appears for the first time only in the 14th century. In fact, in Declarus by Angelo Senisio (a lexicon preserved in a single manuscript from the 15th century), we read that cassata is a food made of bread dough and cheeseThe following centuries marked the evolution of this dessert. In fact, in the eighteenth century it began to be used sponge cake instead of shortcrust pastry and some were added chocolate chips with ricotta. Similarly, decorations were created with the marzipan, candied fruit and sugar glazeIt is precisely with these ingredients that, in the 1873, the pastry chef from Palermo Salvatore Gulì he created the colorful Sicilian cassata that we know today.
Despite this great innovation, it was only at the end of the 19th century that the "sweet" cassata became fully established in homes and popular tradition. Until then, it was considered a official dish of the Easter holidayIn fact, the synod of the diocese of Mazara del Vallo had established it in 1575, also prohibiting its preparation during the period preceding the religious feast to avoid falling into temptation.
Emporium Sicily offers you the recipe of the oldest variant,
the baked one. A dish characterized by an unmistakable flavor of tradition.
Ingredients (for a 24cm diameter mold)
FOR THE SHORT PASTRY:
- ½ kg of 00 flour
- 200 g of butter
- 200 g of sugar
- 2 eggs and 1 yolk
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 sachet of vanilla
- Dry biscuits (to taste)
- 1 pinch of salt
- Powdered sugar (for dusting)
FOR THE FILLING:
- 1 kg of ricotta
- ½ kg of sugar
- 60 g of chocolate chips.
Procedure
After doing drain the ricotta overnight so that it loses all the excess water, add the sugar and mix vigorously to avoid lumps forming.
For the shortcrust pastry, combine in a bowl the Flour, it sugar, the slemon peel. Add the butter cold from the fridge cut into cubes, a pinch of salt and the egg (Keep the remaining egg white, as you'll need it later.) Knead the pastry with your hands until the ingredients are perfectly combined (but not too much, to avoid melting the butter). Form a loaf and place in the refrigerator to chill. an hour.
Meanwhile, line the bottom of the pan with a disc of parchment paper cut to size and butter the edges. 2/3 of shortcrust pastry between two sheets of baking paper and line the pan, going up to the edges. Sprinkle a generous layer of crumbled dry biscuits, which will help absorb the ricotta's moisture. Pour the ricotta into the casing, smooth it out, and sprinkle more biscuit crumbs on top.
At this point, lower the edges to the level of the cream and brush them with theegg whiteRoll out the remaining pastry and cover it, cutting off the excess and making sure it adheres well to the edges. Prick the surface with the tip of a knife (small cuts) and bake at 180°C for a good hour, checking that the cassata takes on a nice golden color.
Remove from the oven and after 10/15 minutes turn the cassata upside down on a tray, leaving it to cool covered by the mold so as not to lose its shape. Sprinkle the cassata with powdered sugarTo obtain the classic diamond shapes, before adding the icing sugar, arrange the spaghetti, crossing them over each other and then carefully remove them.
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