The sun has been shining now for a good long ten days and tonight was the night for Italian Desserts. My task was to teach 60 ladies Italian puds and keep cool!! More importantly keep the puddings and the ladies cool.

The Wootton centre, Northampton was my venue and the hall was perfect, air conditioning blasting, bar bursting and Italian balloons looking beautiful. I teach, write, cook, wife, mum, and more, but I cant explain to you the excitement that I get and the butterflies that these mass cookery events bring me. I just LOVE them.

Ladies came on mass to make and share puddings, recipes, chitter chatter and a little vino too. From mothers and daughters to best friends, groups and just ladies escaping from the day to day jobs at home, note men and welcome too.

My passion is to teach the simple and delicious art of Italian cookery to whoever wants to learn. From children and teenagers (CRB checked) through to mums, nonna’s and beyond. There is nothing more encouraging seeing ladies walking into a hall holding there mixing bowl and whisk with the anticipation and sometimes dread of what they will be leaving with!!

I demonstrated Panna cotta with fresh berries, zabaglione with pan fried nectarines, affogato (espresso and vanilla ice cream) and of course tiramisu. Tiramisu tonight was hit with amaretto liqueur, it worked incredibly well. All of my students then got to work and made there own tirmaisu to take home. Recipe can be found below.

I just want to say a very big thank you to my friends above for helping me set up and for every one for coming and supporting me and the event. Who knows whats coming next!! Here is a little insight to my Saturday evening. I am thinking about going and exploring London, find and venue and run a mass pasta class or desserts class? What are your thoughts? Anyone fancy coming?

Carmela and her kitchen angels, Charmaine, Gill and Sue.

 250gmascarpone

3 large eggs
4 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 Packet Savoiardi biscuits
150ml Strong black coffee
3-4 tbsp. tia maria or amaretto
10g dark chocolate

1.      Make the strong coffee and cool. Pour in the deep coloured coffee liquor and stir. Set to one side.
2.      Separate the eggs. Whites in one bowl and yolks in another. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks until creamy.
3.      Add the mascarpone cheese into the egg yolk mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon, and then whisk to remove any lumps, whisk for at least two minutes.
4.      Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks are formed.
5.      Gently add and fold in the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.
6.      Take your trifle dish or individual glasses.
7.      Let the layering begin. Start with dipping each biscuit into the coffee liquor mixture, dip and remove immediately and place in your dish.
8.      Complete one biscuit layer, then spoon on a layer of the cream mixture. Then the biscuits again and the cream. You should have three layers finishing with the cream on top.
9.      Grate with dark chocolate and cool in the fridge for at least 4-6 hours.

Carmela x
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