Stresa Travel Recipes: Bonet (Bunet) all'astigiana

I thought it was about time for another recipe. I've stayed local for this one and delved, once again, into my book of Piemotese cookery. I have gone for the recipe pictured on the cover (left), although as you'll see below, my food styling skills leave a bit to be desired. As Luca was tucking in last night there were plenty of appreciative Homer Simpson type "mmmmmm's" and he declared that "it's the taste that matters!". Quite right :)

Bonet (or bunet) all'astigiana is a typical Piemontese dessert based on eggs, sugar, milk and a liqueur (usually rum) and amaretti biscuits. You can also add chocolate or cocoa, which this recipe does.

Ingredients (makes 6 in large moulds or 10-12 in smaller moulds)

1 litre milk
100g savoiardi (ladyfinger / boudoir biscuits)
120g amaretti biscuits
4 dessert spoons rum
5 eggs
200g sugar
50g unsweetened (bitter) cocoa powder
Caramel

Method

Grease your moulds.

Boil the milk in a pan and then leave to cool. Turn on your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6 and prepare a bain-marie

Break up the savoiardi and amaretti until they are crumbs and mix into the cooled milk, mixing well. Add the rum and mix again.

Savoiradi and amaretti crumb / egg and sugar mixture ..... with cooca added

In a bowl use a hand mixer to combine the eggs and sugar until you get a pale, soft cream texture. Add the cocoa and mix until completely combined.

Add the milk mixture a bit at a time until all ingredients are combined.

Pour a thin layer of caramel into the bottom of each mould and then pour your bonet mixture in on top. At this point I should say I didn't have caramel so used a small dribble of vanilla essence!

Place your moulds in the bain-marie and cook in the oven for 30-40 minutes.

Refrigerate the desserts, in their moulds, for at least 2 hours. Turn them out and serve at room temperature. If you like the look of the cover picture add a dollop of whipped cream and some chocolate shavings.

The finished product - not beautiful, but very tasty!!!

I used a mixture of aluminium moulds and a ramekin. Despite greasing them well beforehand I did get a bit of sticking when trying to turn them out so maybe these new silicon moulds might work better. Let me know if you try.