Pandoro zuccotto, an elegant dessert, is easy to prepare. Resembling a dome of stars, it's a playful alternative to Christmas pandoro.
How to make the dome of stars
This dessert's particularity is in its zuccotto, or pumpkin shape, crafted from star-shaped pandoro slices.
To make it, use a zuccotto mold or a salad bowl with a rounded bottom, covered with transparent film.
Cut the pandoro into slices around ¾" and use the smallest slice (the top one) for the top of the zuccotto.
Place it in the center of the mold with the dark part facing up so that you can see the light side once it's turned upside down.
Cut the other slices into two parts and try to match the tips of the stars to cover all the empty spaces.
Mascarpone and raspberry cream
Finis the zuccotto with a semifreddo type cream — one that's sweet, but has a sour aftertaste from raspberries.
Whip the cream with an electric whisk the same amount of 11 oz. cream and 11 oz. mascarpone with ½ cup powdered sugar. Add some washed and dried raspberries, and some chocolate shortbread or ½ cup roughly crumbled wafers.
Fill the pandoro base with this cream and close everything with the other slices, without leaving any empty spaces.
Cover with cling film and place in the freezer for 3 hours. Thaw for at least 30 minutes before serving, upside down.
Does the pandoro need soaking?
It's not necessary for this recipe, but if you want to serve a cold cake like a tiramisu for example, then soaking the slices is best — just don't soak for a long time because pandoro is spongy. We suggest soaking in coffee, barley, milk, or tea.