Zabaglione, a foamy, wine-sweetened pudding from Italy, is wonderful with any kind of fresh fruit or with cake. The trick with making zabaglione is to keep whisking the mixture while it cooks — if you stop even for a few seconds, the mixture may curdle.

[Credit: © 2010]
Credit: © 2010

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 servings

5 eggs

2 cups dry white wine

1/4 cup dry or sweet Marsala wine

3/4 cup sugar

  1. Separate the eggs, placing the yolks in a large bowl.

    Discard the whites.

  2. Add the white wine, Marsala, and sugar to the bowl.

  3. Place the bowl over a pot of boiling water.

  4. Whisk in a clockwise motion, lifting the whisk out of the mixture each time and dipping it back into it.

    This process ensures that you incorporate the maximum air possible. While the steam below the bowl cooks the mixture, the mixture becomes opaque and starts to thicken — don’t stop whisking!

  5. Keep whisking, occasionally running the whisk around the sides of the bowl to prevent the eggs from sticking, for about 15 minutes.

    The mixture becomes very fluffy, and the bubbles get smaller while you whisk. The mixture is done when a dollop of it dropped on a plate holds its shape without breaking down.

  6. Serve warm or cold with fresh ripe strawberries and a sprig of mint or with other fruits.

    Zabaglione also is good over any type of berry or high acid fruits, such as peaches, apricots, or plums.