Alright, let’s talk about this Italian sweet wine dessert I tried whipping up the other day. Had a bottle of Vin Santo sitting around, felt like a waste not to use it properly, you know? Wasn’t even sure what I was going for exactly, just knew I wanted something simple that really featured the wine.
Getting Started
First thing, I dug out that bottle. It wasn’t a super expensive one, just a decent table Vin Santo. Grabbed some basic stuff from the kitchen too. Needed some eggs, sugar, a bit of flour maybe? Honestly, I was kind of winging it based on vague memories of things I’ve eaten.
Here’s roughly what I pulled out:
- That Vin Santo, obviously. Poured a good slug into a measuring cup.
- A couple of eggs. Just regular ones.
- Some sugar. White sugar, nothing fancy.
- A lemon. Thought the zest might be nice.
- Maybe some plain cookies or biscotti for dipping later? Found some almond ones.
So, I cracked the eggs into a bowl. Separated them? Nah, too much fuss. Whole eggs went in. Dumped in some sugar – didn’t really measure, just eyeballed it until it looked like enough. Whisked that together pretty hard until it got a bit pale. Not going for professional meringue here, just mixing it up.
The Cooking Part
Next, I poured in the Vin Santo. Stirred that in. Then I grated in some lemon zest. The smell was already starting to get interesting – sweet, boozy, with that hint of citrus.
I decided this needed to be heated, maybe thicken it up slightly like a zabaglione, but simpler. Poured the whole mixture into a small saucepan. Put it on the stove, low heat. Real low heat. Didn’t want scrambled eggs swimming in wine. That would’ve been a disaster.
Stood there stirring it. Felt like forever. Just kept stirring gently, making sure nothing stuck to the bottom. It slowly started to thicken up a bit, coating the back of the spoon. Not super thick, more like a custard sauce. Took it off the heat before I pushed my luck.
The Result (and some thoughts)
Poured the warm sauce into a couple of small glasses. Served it with those almond biscotti on the side for dipping. Took a spoonful. Yeah, it was pretty good. Sweet, warming, definitely tasted the wine. The lemon zest cut through the richness nicely.
It wasn’t exactly a showstopper dessert you’d see in a magazine. Looked a bit rustic, let’s say. But it tasted honest. It reminded me why I like messing about in the kitchen sometimes. You don’t always need a complicated recipe with fifty steps. Sometimes you just grab what you have, throw it together, stir it over some heat, and hope for the best. It doesn’t always work, mind you. Had my share of kitchen fails. But when it does, like this time, it feels pretty satisfying. It’s just cooking, not rocket science. You just gotta do it.
