"This recalls for me the chocolate and bread sandwiches that sometimes were my lunch, and always a special treat. And it is another way surplus is used in Umbrian cuisine,with leftover country bread serving as the foundation of an elegant layered dessert. Though it is soaked with chocolate and espresso sauce and buried in whipped cream, the bread doesn't disintegrate, and provides a pleasing textural contrast in every heavenly spoonful." - Lidia Matticchio Bastianich, www.lidiasitaly.com
Origin: Lidia Matticchio Bastianich
Ingredients:
8 ounces Perugina Bittersweet Classic Bar, finely chopped 8 ounces country-style white bread, crusts cut off, and sliced 1/2 inch thick 1/2 cup freshly brewed espresso 2 tablespoons dark rum 2 tablespoons sugar 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream 12 Baci, frozen
Preparation:
1. Melt chocolate in a bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let bowl touch water), stirring occasionally, until melted. Keep warm, over the water, off the heat. Arrange bread slices in one layer, close together, on a tray or baking sheet. Pour the warm espresso into a large glass measuring cup, add the rum and sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in half the melted chocolate. Pour the sauce over the bread slices, then flip them over and turn them on the tray to make sure all the surfaces are coated. Let the bread absorb the sauce for a few minutes. 2. Coarsely chop the Baci and return to the freezer. 3. Beat the cream in a chilled bowl with a whisk or electric mixer until it holds soft peaks. 4. Break the bread into 1-inch pieces. Spoon half the pieces into each of 6 glasses, top with half of the whipped cream and half of the chopped Baci. Spoon the remaining bread pieces on top of the Baci, drizzle with remaining melted chocolate, top with remaining whipped cream and chopped Baci. Serve immediately while the melted chocolate is still warm and runny. _________________________________ Look for Baci and Perugina Chocolates in your supermarket, or to purchase on-line, visit ColavitaStore.com
