Ricotta Zuccotto

Ingredients

1 Panettone cut into slices
4 tbsp CSR Pure Icing Sugar
200ml Marsala wine (Optional. You can use coffee or simply some milk, to make it child friendly)
500g full-cream ricotta
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean
400ml double cream
1 handful of dark chocolate chips
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp Dutch cocoa powder
1 tbsp marsala (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
200g good-quality melted dark chocolate
Berries to serve

Method

Line a pudding bowl with plastic film, leaving plenty overhanging to fold over the top of the pudding.
Cut two of the panettone slices into disks that will fit the base and top of the pudding basin. Cut the remaining slices to fit around the sides of the bowl. Brush the panettone slices and disks with Marsala (or coffee, or milk). Line the bottom of the pudding basin with the disk and the sides with the wedges.
Mix the ricotta with icing sugar until creamy.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream by hand or with hand-held electric beaters until soft peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the ricotta mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between two bowls. In one bowl, mix in the vanilla, chocolate chips. To the other bowl, add the cocoa powder, cinnamon and orange zest. You can also add 1 tablespoon of Marsala, if liked.
Gently pour half of the vanilla cream into the pudding bowl, top with all the chocolate and orange cream and then layer the remaining vanilla cream on top. Place the remaining panettone disk on top and fold the plastic film over the top to enclose it securely. Put a plate on top of the basin and something heavy to weigh it down. Set in the fridge for 6–8 hours or overnight.
Shortly before you’re ready to serve, melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water).
Take the pudding basin out of the fridge. Remove the weight and release from the bowl, place onto a serving dish and peel off the plastic film.
Pour the warm melted chocolate over the zuccotto – the fridge-cold pudding will set the chocolate, creating a delicious outer shell. Decorate with berries and serve straight away.