My version of Carluccio's Layered Panettone

Over the festive season, I didn't want to make many puddings as my husband is on a fat free diet awaiting the removal of his gallbladder.  So I bought a Christmas pudding which he was able to eat but without custard or cream.

I saw Carluccio making this pudding on television and was very tempted to try it.

Ingredients:

Serves 6

• 1kg ricotta
• 140g caster sugar
• 70g candied fruit, finely chopped
• 40g flaked almonds
• 50g plain chocolate shavings/chips
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting
• 600g panettone, cut into
• 2 round discs and the rest lengthways into slices lengthways 2.5cm thick
• 175ml Vin Santo

Instructions:

Mix together half of the ricotta with half of the sugar in a medium-sized bowl until creamy. Then fold in half of the candied fruit, half of the almonds and half of the chocolate chips until well combined, and set aside. In another medium-sized bowl, mix the remaining ricotta and sugar with the cocoa powder until creamy. Stir in the remaining candied fruit, flaked almonds and chocolate chips and set aside. Line a 15cm diameter pudding basin or a deep bowl with clingfilm, leaving quite a bit of excess around the edges.
Line with the slices of panettone and, using a pastry brush, brush about three-quarters of the Vin Santo over the cake slices. Fill with the chocolate ricotta mixture, which should fill half the basin. Take one of the round panettone discs, place over the top and press, then drizzle over some of the Vin Santo. Fill with the white ricotta mixture and cover with the other panettone disc, then drizzle with the remaining Vin Santo. Bring up the overhang of clingfilm and place a weight on top (a plate with a bag of sugar on it, for example), and place in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Remove from the fridge, take off the weight and the clingfilm over the top. Turn upside-down on a plate. Carefully remove the pudding basin and peel off the clingfilm. Dust with sifted cocoa powder and serve.

30/10/11 Desserts, Two Greedy Italians Recipes

I don't like almonds so changed those for chopped hazelnuts.  I think some glace cherries would be a nice addition and maybe some raisins.