Italian cuisine · Desserts & Sweets

Sospiri di Monaca

Apulian sponge domes filled with pastry cream and completely coated in white sugar glaze.

Ingredients · for 8 servings

• 4 eggs
• 120 g sugar
• 120 g flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 organic lemon (zest)
• 400 ml whole milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 100 g sugar for the cream
• 40 g cornstarch
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions

1. Whisk the eggs with the 120 g sugar, a pinch of salt and the grated lemon zest for 8 min. until very foamy, almost white and clearly holding trails, then gently fold in the flour.
2. Fill the batter into a greased half-sphere mold or twelve round silicone molds and bake at 175 °C top/bottom heat for 15–18 min., until the domes are golden and spring back; let cool completely.
3. For the cream, heat the milk with the vanilla extract, whisk the egg yolks with the 100 g sugar and cornstarch until smooth, stir in the hot milk and bring everything to a thickened boil for 3–4 min., stirring.
4. Cover the pastry cream with plastic wrap directly on the surface and chill for at least 1 hr., then stir smooth briefly and fill into a piping bag.
5. Hollow out each dome from the bottom with a small knife, fill generously with cream and close the opening with the cut-out lid again.
6. Mix the powdered sugar with the lemon juice and 1–2 tbsp hot water into a thick white glaze, coat the domes completely and let dry on a rack for 1 hr.