Il Senso di Melissa per le Torte book is intuitive, cheeky and fun. She has black dyed hair, a fringe, lips painted red and tattoos everywhere. No white jacket, no serious scientific look.
She looks like a rock singer, except she's a punk baker. Her Melissa's Tea Room & Cakes in Sarzana, a stone's throw from Cinque Terre, is a destination for international culinary tourism, and her book Il senso di Melissa per le torte (Guido Tommasi Editore) has been sold all over the world.
"When I started this job, I was intimidated by so many things; life is strange. I never imagined I would be doing this job. I was afraid of the bakery, afraid of making mistakes. Everyone said to me 'Baking is a science and you're not at all good at science or mathematics!'. In a certain sense they were right, but after years of studying the subject (because of course you have to study first), I developed my own way of making pastry. I would call myself a 'punk pastry chef'. Having said that, today I can create recipes by mixing and matching ingredients as I never thought I could".
Fortunately Melissa did not listen too much to others, and opened her vintage pastry shop with tea room, where she prepares and serves her cakes, created from Italian tradition but revisited adding her personal touch, something inspiring taken from a memory, a trip, a perfume or a loved one.
In her book you’ll find recipes uncovered from faded family copies, desserts that bring with them childhood memories, international cakes that combine different cultures, biscuits for breakfast or a snack to enjoy with children and, of course, countless suggestions to accompany the five o'clock tea time. "What would life be like without a slice of cake?" Sad.
Recipe for Il Parrozzo
The parrozzo is a domed dessert that dates back to the time when Gabriele D'Annunzio writes about a cake created to celebrate the shape and color of bread which was prepared by farmers with cornstarch. You can find this cake in Abruzzo, especially at Christmas, or why not make it yourself.
Ingredients for 6-8 people
80 g of melted butter, plus a piece softened for greasing, Good quality cocoa powder for dusting, 100 g of peeled almonds, 60 g of cornstarch, 60 g of flour, 5 eggs (separate yolks and egg whites), 1 teaspoon of pasta or vanilla extract, 130 g caster sugar, 200 g of good quality dark chocolate cut into pieces
Method
Heat the oven to 180°C. Butter a dome mold and dust with cocoa. Finely chop the almonds (or blend them in a food processor until they are coarsely chopped). Sift the flour and starch and set aside.
In a planetary mixer bowl (or a bowl, if you use an electric whisk) whisk the yolks, vanilla and sugar until you have a clear mixture which is three times the initial volume. Add the melted butter, chopped almonds and sifted flour, and incorporate everything gently.
Whisk the egg whites using a whisk or an electric whisk and then carefully add it to the mixture. Pour the mixture into the mold and bake in the oven for 40 minutes until, when inserting a toothpick in the center it comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before turning it upside down on a grill, with the dome upwards. Let it cool down completely. Melt the chocolate, wait for it to cool a little and pour it over the cake. Let it set at room temperature.