One of the reasons I love these puddings is that they can be as seasonal as you want them to be. You can stew prunes or pears in a red wine for the colder months or for the warmer months, a stone fruit (peaches perhaps?) in a sauturne. Either way the ricotta and marscapone, flecked with orange rind and ground almonds, provides a beautifully light and creamy base.
Personally I think the star in the recipe is the reduced wine scented with cinnamon, vanilla and peppercorns. It is so good you might be tempted to pour it into a glass and sip it whilst eating your pud. Which is exactly what I did.
330 grams/11.4 ounces firm ricotta
120 grams/4.2 ounces mascarpone
50 grams/1.8 ounces almond meal (flour)
55 grams/1.9 onces (¼ cup) caster sugar
4 egg yolks
Finely grated rind of ¼ orange
Butter for greasing
Crème fraîche to serve
Spiced Wine Prunes
250 mls red wine
80 grams/2.8 ounces caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
1 cinnamon quill
½ teaspoon black peppercorns
Peeled rind from ½ orange
350 grams/12.3 ounces pitted prunes
Preheat oven to 170c/338f. For spiced wine prunes, combine wine, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, spices, orange rind and 60mls of water in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the simmer, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add prunes and cook until prunes are very tender (10-15 minutes), then cool in liquid to room temperature. Drain prunes (reserve) and return liquid to pan, then cook over medium heat until reduced by one-third (5-6 minutes). Pour liquid over prunes and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, beat ricotta and mascarpone in a bowl with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until combined, then divide mixture among 4 buttered 175ml shallow baking dishes. Bake until just set and golden (15-25 minutes). Serve warm with spiced wine prunes and syrup and crème fraîche.
Notes: If you would like to stew a summer fruit in a sauturne, switch the red wine for the sticky (sauturne) and follow the remainder of the recipe.
Source: Adapted from Australian Gourmet Traveller, August 2010
© 2010, Michelle. All rights reserved.
