Parrozzo Abruzzese

Ingredients

• 120g fine semolina
• 100g blanched almonds
• 150g caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 80g butter, melted, plus extra for the tin
• 2 tbsp amaretto liqueur
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Pinch of salt
• 200g dark chocolate, 55 per cent
• 20g butter, for the glaze

Before you cook

• Grind the almonds to a fine powder.
• Separate the eggs into two bowls.
• Melt the 80g butter and leave it to cool.
• Butter and flour a 16cm hemisphere or bowl-shaped tin.

Steps

1. Heat the oven to 160C.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with 100g of the sugar for 5 minutes, until thick and pale.
3. Whisk in the melted butter, the amaretto and the lemon zest.
4. Fold in the ground almonds and the semolina.
5. Whisk the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks in a clean bowl.
6. Add the remaining 50g sugar and whisk to a firm, glossy meringue.
7. Fold a third of the whites into the batter to loosen it.
8. Fold in the rest of the whites in two additions, lifting rather than stirring.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
10. Bake for 55 minutes, until a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
11. Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes.
12. Turn it out onto a rack and leave it until completely cold.
13. Melt the chocolate with the 20g butter over a pan of barely simmering water.
14. Set the cooled dome on a rack with a tray underneath.
15. Pour the warm chocolate over the top in one steady stream, so it sheets down the sides unbroken.
16. Leave the parrozzo to set at room temperature for 1 hour before slicing.