How to Make Zabaglione

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How to Make Zabaglione – A marsala custard lightened with whipped cream served in a glass with sliced strawberries. This is a light and elegant dessert.

I know that technically this is not a cookie. I hope that you will forgive me. But it can be a holiday dessert, and a very practical recipe to have in your pocket. Simple, elegant, and perfect for a holiday party. Make it earlier in the day and add a few berries and dessert is done.

Zabaglione is an Italian dessert staple made from egg yolks, Marsala wine, and sugar. The beauty of this dessert is that it is made from items I always have in my pantry or fridge. I make Chicken Marsala Pasta all the time, so I am happy to have another use for this ingredient. My sister is a chef and we talk a lot about what we would make if we were on a cooking show like Top Chef or Chopped. She is not a big fan of baking, or even desserts really, but she says that zabaglione is what she would make if asked to make a dessert. You barely need a recipe – it is a few egg yolks, some sugar and a splash of wine. I could remember that under the pressure of a cooking contest, couldn’t you? It is incredibly versatile. Spoon some over fresh berries like I often do, add a few cookies to dip, or just serve straight up in a beautiful glass.

I have recently become ambassador for Safest Choice™, a proud member of their Darling Dozen. They make pasteurized eggs that free me of fear when making anything with eggs. Hollandaise, eggnog, cookie dough, tiramisu, you name it. I have had salmonella before and it is absolutely no picnic, so I am very cautious when it comes to eating raw eggs or making egg dishes that do not cook all the way through. These eggs taste exactly like a regular egg, they just have gone through gentle water bath pasteurization. Safest Choice eggs are from vegetarian-fed hens that are hormone and antibiotic free. You can find them in most grocery stores, if not, ask your grocery manager to stock them for you. Did I also mention that they are running a $500 giveaway?

6 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup Marsala wine
1 cup heavy cream
zest of one orange
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala to a double boiler, or if you are like me and do not have a double boiler, a heat proof bowl will do.

Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water. The bowl should not be touching the water, we want to heat it gently, not scramble the eggs. Start to whisk using an electric mixer, or if your arms could use workout, a whisk. Mine totally could use the workout, I should have done this by hand.

It is going to take about 10 minutes, but the eggs will turn a golden yellow and get really thick. It will triple in volume and be like a runny-ish pudding.

At this point, you could cool it down a little and serve it. But, you all know me, I cannot leave well enough alone.

I like to lighten it up and add 1 cup of whipped cream. This makes the end result so fluffy and light. Like little clouds of Italian heaven. Trust.

Gently fold the cream into the egg mixture.

See how light and fluffy it is?

I sometimes like to add orange zest and vanilla bean or extract to finish. You don’t have to, and I am not sure how traditional it is to flavor zabaglione, but I say live a little.

Spoon into a glass and enjoy!

Week 10 of 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted by Meal Planning Magic.