How to make Sospiri

Here is the awesome Sospiri or Italian wedding pastries. Today we talk about sospiri (sighs), the sweetest, round, soft, candid sponge cakes stuffed with cream and glazed, with the inviting red cherry right in the middle of so much sweetness.

Probably the fairest and most realistic version is that the name “sospiri” came from the popular tradition in reference to the nuns, often forced to the monastic life at that time, and to their sighs (sospiri) of sadness and regret while they prepared as usual the desserts for the holidays of marriage.

Serving: Makes 16 sospiri

INGREDIENTS:

For the sponge cake:

• ¾ cup + 3 tbsp of flour;
• 5 eggs;
• ¾ cup + 1 tbsp of granulated sugar;
• baking powder

For the custard:

• 500 ml (2.08 cup) of fresh whole milk;
• ¼ cup + 2 tbsp of flour;
• ¼ cup + 3 tbsp of granulated sugar;
• 3 egg yolks;
• the zest of a whole lemon

For the icing:

• 7 tbsp of powdered sugar;
• water;
• a few drops of lemon juice

For garnish:

• 16 candied cherries

METHOD:

1. Separate the yolks from the white eggs.
2. In a bowl, put the egg yolks with the sugar and beat with a whisk until creamy.
3. Add the flour and two teaspoons of baking powder.
4. Beat the egg whites until stiff with a pinch of salt and add to mixture, stirring from the bottom.
5. Now pour it into muffin tins. Bake in preheated oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
6. Once ready, remove from the oven, let them cool, remove them from the mold and put them to cool.
7. Proceed with the preparation of the custard.
8. In a saucepan heat the milk. In another saucepan beat the egg yolks with the sugar with a mixer for about 10 minutes.
9. Add the flour and stir. Add the hot milk.
10. Then add the lemon zest, eliminating the white part that is bitter.
11. Put everything on the stove and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the cream begins to thicken.
12. Remove the lemon peel and pour the custard into a bowl, covering it with plastic wrap, making sure it adheres to the surface of the cream and let cool. Now take the ‘sospiri’ , cut them in half, horizontally and hollowed out the bottom with a pipe cleaner, to remove a bit of cake, while leave the upper part intact.
13. Fill the hollowed part with the custard, using a spoon or a sac-a-poche, and close the top.
14. Prepare the glaze.
15. Dissolve the icing sugar with of water until creamy.
16. Then add in a few drops of lemon juice and let it harden in the refrigerator.
17. Once the glaze has thickened, let it drip on your sospiri and let it dry.
18. Lie a candied cherry on the top of each of them, put them in paper cups and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Buon Mangiata!

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