At first glance, there’s something slightly old-fashioned about Ursula Ferrigno’s latest book, though – I should add – I say this approvingly. After all, old-fashioned doesn’t have to mean irrelevant or out-of-touch. As all Italians and home bakers know, old-fashioned can stand for time-honoured, reliable, and enduring. Dolci Italiani: Desserts, Cakes & Other Sweet Bakes from Italy, in common with Ferrigno’s other books, shines bright with these very qualities, but Ferrigno always brings a freshness of spirit to her work, too. So yes, the trusty traditional recipes are here – the pine nut tart, Torta della Nonna, and Schiacciata con l’Uva (flatbread with grapes), Biscotti and Cannoli etc – but there is also an exuberant mix of new ideas and iterations, such as Fudged Espresso Shortcake, Blackberry and Chocolate Tart, and a beguiling Lemon Bread. The recipe I’ve chosen to share with you today could be said to combine the old and the new. It’s her Torta di Compleanno, or Italian Birthday Cake, and I am firmly of the view that we don’t need to wait for a birthday to make it!
Dolci Italiani by Ursula Ferrigno, published by Ryland Peters & Small (£22).
Photography by Clare Winfield.
