IN OUR HOUSE THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE SOME PANETTONE LEFT OVER, DELICIOUS AS IT IS, IT CAN DRY OUT, SO THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO USE IT WITH SWEET RESULTS. YOU CAN OF COURSE USE YOUR OWN PLAIN SPONGE.
WHEN POACHING THE PEARS, TRY ADDING A FEW PIECES OF LEMON ZEST. IT NOT ONLY GIVES A WONDERFUL FLAVOUR TO THE STOCK SYRUP, BUT HELPS TO KEEP THE PEARS FROM DISCOLOURING.
ZUPPA INGLESE DI LIMONE E PANETTONE / SER V ES 4 – 6
3 pears, peeled, cored and sliced into wedges
100g caster sugar
400ml water
100g mascarpone
120ml natural yoghurt
120ml cream
1 lemon, zest only
5 tbsp icing sugar
100ml poaching syrup from the pears
3 tbsp amaretto
8-10 slices of panettone
2 tbsp chopped pistachio nuts, plus extra to decorate
white chocolate shavings to decorate
1 To poach the pears, heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar has dissolved.
Add the pears and simmer for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Set aside.
2 Lightly whip the mascarpone, yoghurt, cream, lemon zest and icing sugar together in a bowl.
3 In a separate bowl, combine the poaching syrup and amaretto.
4 Layer a few slices of pear in pretty glasses or a large trifle bowl and spoon over the lemon yoghurt cream. Add a layer of panettone, drizzle over some of the amaretto poaching liquid and sprinkle over a few nuts. Continue layering, ending with the yoghurt mascarpone cream.
5 Decorate with pear slices, white chocolate shavings and a few nuts.
