There are recipes that seem simple at first glance, but in reality, prove to be challenging, leading many pastry chefs to question their abilities. Among these are traditional desserts that require light and airy bases, involving a few easy steps that often lead to disappointing results. Sometimes, there are indeed small errors that compromise the success of the dessert. Other times, however, it is more a matter of recipes, or rather, unsuitable ingredients. In the case of desserts such as ladyfingers, africanetti, tette delle monaca, and cassatine, the secret to obtaining perfectly soft preparations lies in using the right mix of starch and sugar.
The Enigmatic Charm of Tette delle Monache
Have you heard of the traditional "Tette delle Monache" dessert and would like to try making it at home? The name translates to "Nun's Breasts," and the dessert has curious origins that are not entirely certain. Also known as "Sospiri pugliesi" (Puglian Sighs) or "Tre Monti" (Three Mountains) in Abruzzo, the Tette delle Monache have a history that is still somewhat unclear, but certainly curious and at times fascinating.
One hypothesis assigns the origin of the dessert to Altamura, in the Bari area (known to most for its bread production). The name comes from the shape, which closely resembles a woman's breast. But what do nuns have to do with it? According to tradition, the dessert seems to have been often prepared by the nuns of the Monastery of Santa Chiara in Altamura.
Reading the volume "Le Sise de Mòneche" by Professor Mario Palmerio, the name has three explanatory hypotheses: the first is that the original term was "tre monti," referring to the actual mountainousness of the Italian districts. The story goes that the poet Modesto della Porta, observing the pastries whiter than usual, exclaimed: «Madonna come sono bianche e diritte e appuntite, me sembrane proprie "sise de mòneche"».
A second hypothesis refers to another story, that of a nun who, to camouflage the shapes of her body, added fabric between her two breasts to flatten them. Hence the secular fantasy about the existence of three breasts. For the third and last hypothesis, the most "expeditious," the "sise delle monache" are so called because it is a dessert invented by nuns.
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The Geographical Variations: A Culinary Map
The Tette delle Monache have different names in different areas. They are also called "sise" or "zizze" delle monache, but unlike the homonymous Abruzzo desserts, they differ in their spherical shape, rather than with three protuberances.
The "Sospiro" is a typical dessert of Puglia and in particular of Bisceglie, consisting of sponge cake filled with cream and covered with icing. The origin of the "sospiro" dates back to the 15th century, during which a legend claims that the Clarisse nuns produced the so-called "sospiretti delle monache," made with sponge cake, filled with cream and covered with a pink icing. The "sospiretti" were prepared for the wedding between Lucrezia Borgia and the Count of Conversano, but the bride never arrived and the marriage failed, while in the meantime the guests ate these sweets sighing for the wait.
The Quest for the Perfect Recipe
To make perfect tette delle monache, you need a mix of flours called "africano," which is a bit difficult to find. Fortunately, it can be found on Amazon.
The "Africano" Mix: A Key Ingredient
Africano Mix is a complete powder preparation for making ladyfingers, "teste di moro," africanetti, and "tette della monaca." It is essentially a semi-finished product for confectionery, and more precisely a complete semi-finished product for light whipped bases, therefore optimal for creating perfect ladyfingers and Bisquisit Joconde. Various producers adopt slightly different recipes to create this powder mix, which in any case is a mixture of starches and sugar.
Iginio Massari's Recipe: A Master's Touch
The famous Italian pastry chef Iginio Massari shared his infallible and fantastic recipe for Tette delle Monache.
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Ingredients:
- 100 g egg whites
- 100 g egg yolks
- 100 g sugar
- 50 g flour
- 50 g potato starch
- 1 vanilla bean
For the pastry cream:
Iginio Massari advises: "For the pastry cream, make it as you are used to making it."
Procedure:
- Start by whipping the egg whites, which have a structuring function.
- Then the yolks, with the emollient function, with the sugar.
- Add the vanilla.
- Then the two sifted flours and combine the two compounds using a spatula and moving it from top to bottom.
- Make small hemispheres and place them on a baking sheet with a pastry bag using the smooth n.10 nozzle.
- Bake at 200°C and wait for the "tette" to be evenly golden; usually, but it depends on the oven, they will be ready after 8-9 minutes.
- Once cooled, create a central hole and add the pastry cream a little "supported" with the pastry bag.
- For the glaze, use the sugar melted at 38°C and glaze the "tette."
- Finally, add a half candied cherry on top, take it and… eat it!
Alternative Recipe and Preparation
The tette delle monache can also be prepared as follows:
- Create a light and frothy mixture.
- Transfer it to a pastry bag.
- Using a wide nozzle, start creating the tette della monaca.
- Bake in a static oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
- Monitor the cooking carefully: in about 15 minutes, you should have swollen and slightly colored pastries.
Tools of the Trade: Essential Equipment
- Silicone Mold for Ladyfingers: A non-stick silicone mold that stimulates creativity and inspires new culinary experiences.
- Aluminum Mold for Bussolà: An aluminum mold for making the classic bussolà. The non-perforated dome shape has an internal recess for cooking the bussolà in its classic shape.
Preservation and Presentation
The tette delle monache can be stored in the refrigerator for two days. They are very soft sponge cake shells filled with a generous dose of chantilly cream, all covered with powdered sugar. The particular shape of a breast is due to the point placed in the center of it.
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