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Cassata Siciliana

INGREDIENTS:

* 1 3/4 pound whole milk ricotta
* 2 cups sugar
* 5 squares baking chocolate (or equivalent of semi-sweet chips)
* 1 pound candied fruit
* 4 pounds pistachio or pine nuts, chopped
* 1 pound pan di spagna (traditional Italian sponge cake)
* 1/2 cup favorite liqueur (Maraschino, Amaretto, etc.)
* confectioners sugar
* ground cinamon

DIRECTIONS:Beat the ricotta in a large bowl until smooth, dissolve the sugar with two or three tablespoons water and heat gently until it just begins to
change color. Take syrup from heat immediately and beat into ricotta. Add a generous pinch of cinamon and the chocolate and mix well. Take half the
candied fruits, reserving the best pieces to decorate the cake and chop into very small pieces. Add to ricotta along with nuts and mix well.
Cut the sponge into 1/2 inch thick slices and moisten with liqueur. Line a deep round bowl, about 10 inches ind diameter, with some slices and fill with
the ricotta mixture, smoothing it down neatly with the blade of a knife. Cover with the remaining slices of sponge and chill overnight.
Place a plate about the same diameter as the top of the bowl over the bowl and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Carefully lift off the bowl. Decorate the cake with reserved pieces of fuit and sprinkle with the confectioner's sugar.

COMMENTS: You can also bake the sponge in cake pans, slice into 1/2 inch thick layers,
moisten each layer with liqueur, and spread with ricotta filling, decorating the top
with candied fruit and sprinkling with confectioner's sugar.

~Ron La Conte

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