Sicilian Cassata

Total Time: 4 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 4 hrs Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 3 eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 lb ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons liqueur (rum or amaretto)
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons candied fruit, chopped
• 1/4 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (pecans or almonds)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 325f.
• 2 in a large mixing bowl, beat egg yolks; adding sugar gradually.
• 3 add butter.
• 4 sift dry ingredients and add alternately with milk; mix.
• 5 add vanilla and mix.
• 6 fold in beaten egg whites.
• 7 pour batter into greased and floured 10x16-inch jelly roll pan.
• 8 bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
• 9 do not over bake as it will not roll.
• 10 turn out onto a clean dish towel sprinkled thickly with powdered sugar.
• 11 trim off all edges with a knife.
• 12 roll the cake in a towel and let stand a few minutes.
• 13 while you let the cake, prepare the filling.
• 14 put ricotta cheese through a sieve to remove all lumps.
• 15 add cream, sugar, cinnamon and liqueur and beat until smooth.
• 16 fold in candied fruit, nuts and chocolate chips.
• 17 unroll the towel and spread with filling.
• 18 reroll and refrigerate for 4 hours to"ripen".
• 19 slice when ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar.