Chocolate Sformato Recipes

Steps:

• For the panettone crumbs: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Tear 2-inch pieces of panettone into a rimmed baking sheet. Bake 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave the crumbs in for an additional 20 minutes. Cool completely. Puree in batches in a high-speed blender for 1 minute on high or until fine crumbs are formed.
• For the sformato: Raise the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Butter a 12-cup muffin tin and dust with panettone crumbs. Set aside.
• Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in 3/4 cup panettone crumbs until smooth and fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, slowly, until smooth, then season with the salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking often, until it thickens, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Add the chopped chocolate and ricotta to a medium bowl and pour the warm milk mixture over the top. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then whisk to combine. Allow to cool until just warm to the touch. Whisk in the eggs until smooth, then divide among the prepared muffin cups. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and place in the oven. Use a kettle or pitcher to pour warm water into the baking sheet coming halfway up the sides of the muffin tin. Bake until just set, about 45 minutes. Allow to cool slightly in the pan, about 20 minutes, then invert onto a platter to cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate to cool completely. Serve topped with sweetened whipped cream and a dusting of more panettone crumbs.

Steps:

• This step can be done in advance.Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease 6 individual muffin liners or ramekins, place in a larger baking dish and set aside.In a small (3-quart) saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour to the melted butter and mix until the flour is evenly absorbed. Continue to stir and cook the bechamel sauce base, until the flour begins to thicken and bind with the butter, about 1 to 2 minutes. Using a whisk, slowly add the cold milk, a little at a time, until all the milk has been incorporated. Bring the sauce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover the surface of the bechamel sauce with plastic wrap, and allow to cool slightly.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add a tablespoon of the olive oil.Add the spinach and sauté quickly until tender, about 1 minute. Season the spinach to taste, usually a scant 1/2 teaspoon, remove from the saute pan, spread out on paper towels and cool to room temperature. Squeeze the spinach gently to remove any excess water.Blend the remaining olive oil, béchamel sauce, parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon salt, eggs and egg yolk, and spinach until very smooth. Fill the prepared liners 3/4 full with the batter. Pour hot water into the baking dish, filled to 2/3 of the way up the custards. Place the larger baking dish on the lower rack in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes. The custards are cooked when a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Run a knife around the edge of the sformato and invert or unmold onto a small plate. Serve with your best-quality extra virgin olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a small saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of the milk, the sugar, and vanilla. Bring to a simmer and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the gelatin over the remaining 1/2 cup cold milk and let dissolve for 2 minutes. Combine the cold milk and gelatin with the hot milk and sugar. Stir to dissolve the gelatin, about 5 minutes. (Heat the milk gently if the gelatin is not dissolving easily.) When the gelatin is dissolved combine the eggs with the warm milk, whisking constantly to avoid scrambling the eggs. Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a large measuring cup or small pitcher.
• Meanwhile, melt the chocolate over a double boiler. When the chocolate is melted gradually combine the milk and egg mixture with the melted chocolate, stirring between each addition to create a smooth chocolate mixture.
• Pour the mixture into a buttered 2-quart casserole dish. Sprinkle the top with the almonds. Place the casserole dish in a larger dish or roasting pan. Add hot water to the outer pan until the water comes halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the sides are firm and the center is jiggles slightly, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 30 minutes.
• Just before serving, whip the cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl using a whisk or electric hand mixer. Add the sugar and almond liqueur and whip to combine. Spoon the sformato into individual serving bowls and dollop the top with the almond liqueur whip cream.