Ciarduna cake

Traditionally made in Palermo, Sicily. It is a type of almond cookie filled with ricotta or mascarpone cream and sometimes covered with chocolate or sugar. Simple, soft and creamy is one of those sweets best the next day when the sponge cake has absorbed the syrup and aromas and flavors are distributed. The Sicilian ricotta cake is a very simple dessert, also within the reach of those who approach the pastry with some anxiety, and able to give a lot of satisfaction. The base is composed of a soft sponge cake soaked in a maraschino syrup and stuffed with a soft ricotta cream. Obviously the ricotta also covers the outside of the cake, including the edge, which is covered with abundant chopped almonds.

Ciarduna or cialdoni with ricotta another Sicilian dessert perhaps little known compared to the classic cannoli with ricotta cream, cassata etc. It is a dessert of Agrigento that I discovered by chance thanks to a friend of the area. I must say that it is really good and has nothing to envy to the classic fried cannoli with ricotta cream. Below I leave you the recipe that my friend gave me, if you need help write me as well, they are not difficult to do. It is a sort of pastry filled with ricotta cream. I served them as a dessert at the end of the meal accompanied by a good coffee.

 Ingredients

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE

6 eggs

180 gr of sugar

90 gr of flour 

90 gr of starch

1 sachet of vanilla

1 sachet of baking powder

2 tablespoons brown sugar

the grated rind of 1 lemon

FOR THE CREAM

1.2 kg of ricotta cheese

300 gr of sugar

100 gr of chocolate buttons

FOR DECORATION

Candied fruit to taste 

Pistachio grains to taste

to taste chopped almonds

50 gr of dark chocolate

FOR THE SYRUP

1/2 glass of water

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons maraschino

FOR THE BAKING TRAY

1 knob of butter

Flour to taste

Stages

THE RICOTTA CREAM

The preparation of the Sicilian ricotta cake begins the day before with the processing of the cream. Take the ricotta, put it in a colander and leave it for at least 12 hours to release excess water. Then pour it into a bowl, crush it with a fork and mix it with sugar; Mix well and put in the fridge to rest for 4 hours. Get a sieve and, with the help of a spatula, sift the ricotta making it smooth and velvety, then let it rest another hour.

FOR THE SPONGE CAKE

In the meantime, let's deal with the sponge cake. Break the eggs in the jug of a planetary mixer, add the sugar and, after mounting the whip hook, operate the machine for 15 minutes; Beat the eggs making them more fluffy. Meanwhile, sift the two flours, at least twice, mix them together, also incorporating the yeast and vanilla. When the eggs are whipped, add the powders and the grated lemon peel. Knead until the mixture has incorporated all the flour. Meanwhile, turn on the oven and preheat to 175°C. Grease and flour a non-stick baking pan with a diameter of 26 cm and pour the mixture leveling it with a spatula. Sprinkle the surface with brown sugar to prevent the cake from swelling too much. Bake the sponge cake and cook for 30-35 minutes. In any case, check the cooking always in sight and do the toothpick test to ensure the correct cooking also inside. As soon as it is cooked, let it cool and only at this point remove it from the pan. Take 1/3 of the ricotta, add the chocolate buttons and mix. This is the one that will be used for the inner filling. The remaining part of the cottage cheese will serve for the surface and edge. Refrigerate again. Put a saucepan on the heat with half a glass of water, 1 tablespoon of sugar and just cool. As soon as it is dissolved, remove from the heat and mix with 3 tablespoons of maraschino. If you want a more intense alcoholic taste, increase the amount of liqueur. Cut the sponge cake in half and with a brush soak both halves evenly with the wet. Spread the part of ricotta with the buttons spreading it on the base of the sponge cake and leveling it with a spatula. Cover with the other half of the sponge cake and finish the distribution of the cream (the one without chocolate buttons) covering the surface and the entire edge.

FOR DECORATION

Decorate the ricotta cake by distributing the chopped almonds, gently, trying to make it adhere along the entire edge. In the same way, sprinkle the chopped pistachio on the top edge of the cake. Place the white fruit in the center of the cake alternating it with tufts of cream or according to other schemes to your liking. Complete with a handful of chocolate chips. Let it rest in the fridge for a couple of hours and serve.

PS: remember that the next day is even better.