Italian · Dessert · Medium
Zabaione
Silky clouds of whisked egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine, served warm over fresh berries. Italy's oldest dessert, light as air and ready in twenty minutes.
The whole recipe in 60 seconds
Zabaione, in 5 ideas
- Room temperature yolks whip up faster and hold more air than cold ones, so take the eggs out ahead of time.
- Keep the water at a bare simmer, never a rolling boil, or the eggs will scramble instead of foaming.
- Constant whisking is non negotiable; even 30 seconds of stillness can curdle the bottom layer.
- Serve it the moment it is done; zabaione deflates and thins as it cools.
- A copper zabaglione pan is traditional, but any heatproof bowl over a saucepan works just as well.
What you need
Ingredients
- 6 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
- 1 cup fresh mixed berries, for serving
- 1 cup heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks (optional)
- Fresh mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
How to make it
Directions
- Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- Add the egg yolks and sugar to the bowl and whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until pale, thick, and ribbon like.
- Slowly pour in the Marsala wine while whisking constantly so the yolks do not scramble.
- Continue whisking over the gentle heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until the mixture is foamy, tripled in volume, and thick enough to hold soft trails.
- Remove from heat and whisk 1 more minute off the heat to cool slightly.
- Spoon immediately over fresh berries in glasses, top with whipped cream if using, and serve warm.
Dry Marsala for zabaione costs a few dollars at most wine shops and keeps for months in the pantry; one bottle covers dozens of desserts.