Is there a specific dish that gives you all the feels? I mean, when you think of it, does it bring back feelings of real nostalgia? For me, that dish is always zabaglione. As early as the age of 4, my grandmother used to make me the most epic breakfast. Every. Single. Day.
She would tear up day old pieces of Italian bread into a bowl, pour hot milk (mixed with a shot of espresso) over top, sprinkle the soaked bread with sugar and then serve it with a side of zabaglione (yup, egg yolks, more sugar and marsala) definitely breakfast of champions!
It might sound odd to you but it absolutely gave me all the feels and whenever I see zabaglione on a menu, I have to have it!
Whenever I get farm fresh eggs, I always whip up a batch. So, when I was asked to create a recipe for Conestoga Farms, my brain jumped to my favourite go-to dessert!
Conestoga Farms has a mission to bring local, wholesome, premium eggs from southwestern Ontario farmers to families. For this recipe, I used Conestoga Farms Free Range Eggs which are laid by Ontario-raised laying hens that live on open concept farms, with access to outdoor pastures. The chickens can freely forage, scratch peck, perch and lay their eggs in nest boxes. I always look at the products I use and, when I was looking into Conestoga Eggs, I read that all their hens are fed nutrient-rich, all-grain, registered feed formulas, made from approved ingredients, which is what is required by the Canada Feeds Act.
I’ve always preached that supporting local farmers is so important (after all, it’s one of the hardest jobs out there and they are the heroes that put food on our tables), but using the freshest eggs available is crucial especially when you are making a recipe that highlights the freshness of those eggs!
I’ve given you all of the information you need to make this entire dessert from scratch (homemade angel food cake + homemade zabaglione + homemade fruit sauce), but let me break it down for you it easy peasy pieces!
Your first easy substitution: You need 9 Conestoga Farms Free Range egg yolks for the zabaglione so why not whip up the angel food cake (which uses up the remaining egg white for the cake)? But, if you are a bit uneasy about trying your hand at making an angel food cake (which, btw, isn’t as hard as you think), just buy an angel food cake at your local grocery store and save those egg whites to whip up an egg white omelet for dinner to go with your fab dessert.
Your second substitution: I’ve given you the recipe for the yummiest cinnamon sugar crusted angel food cake croutons, but if that’s just too much to wrap your head around, simply slice the angel food cake and toast it up (either in the oven under the broiler or in the toaster).
Your third substitution: If you’re short on time, sub in a good quality fruit preserve for the rhubarb peach sauce. It will still give you all the feels!
This is such a great recipe and an absolute dream for your Canada Day festivities because all of the components (whether you make all of them or only make the zabaglione) can be made ahead and can also be served separately on a buffet table because then your guests can serve themselves, isn’t that what the “lazy days of summer” is all about?
Hope you have a magnificent Canada Day weekend! But, then again, how could you not when this is on the table?
Toasted Angel Food Cake Cubes with Zabaglione and Rhubarb Peach Sauce Recipe
Serves: 8-10
The perfect summer dessert, a light and airy (and low calorie) cake topped with a fruity summer sauce and some zabaglione, an Italian egg cream. Any of these separately would be lovely but together, they are a home run!
Ingredients
Cake:
9 Conestoga Farms Free Range Egg, only the whites
1 ½ cup sugar, divided
1 ½ tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cake and pastry flour
Pinch of salt
Rhubarb Peach Sauce:
3 cups rhubarb, fresh or frozen
2 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 cups sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup peach jam
Zabaglione:
9 Conestoga Farms Free Range Eggs, just the yolks
¼ cup sugar
100 ml marsala
To Assemble:
1 cup canola oil
½ cup sugar
2 tbsps cinnamon
½ cup strawberries and peaches for garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and get all of your ingredients ready including an ungreased tube pan.
2. In a clean mixing bowl, add the Conestoga Farms Free Range egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and vanilla; beat on high until soft peaks form.
3. While the egg whites are beating, sift together flour and ½ cup sugar. Set aside.
4. Once the egg whites have reach the soft peak stage, slowly add in the rest (1 cup) of the sugar, folding gently until combined and then add in the flour and mix slowly until no streaks are left.
5. Gently scrape the batter into the tube pan and bake in the preheated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake has risen and is brown (and somewhat dry) on the top.
6. Remove the pan from the oven and invert it on top of a glass for an hour (gently turn it upside down and rest the tube portion of the pan on top of a glass which will ensure the cake stays elevated).
7. While the cake cooks, prepare the sauce by mixing the rhubarb, strawberries, cornstarch, vanilla and jam together in a pot; cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick and “jammy”. This process will vary in time depending on whether you are using fresh or frozen rhubarb [fresh takes longer to break down]. You want to make sure the rhubarb is beginning to soften, and remember it will thicken a bit as it cools.
8. Once the fruit sauce is cooked, cover and set aside. This can also be made ahead and refrigerated for a few days.
9. After an hour, run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake pan and also around the tube portion and gently lift it out of the pan; place the cake on a cooling rack.
10. To make the zabaglione, add the Conestoga Farm Free Range egg yolks to a mixing bowl and add the ¼ cup sugar and marsala and beat for about 5 minutes (mixture will become a bit pale).
11. Place the bowl over a small pot of simmering water and keep beating the egg yolks for another 5 minutes – mixture will become creamier (just be sure to continue beating to ensure the eggs don’t curdle with the heat).
12. To prepare the angel food cake, cut the cake into 2″ slices and cut each slice into 2″ cubes.
13. In a shallow pan, heat oil over high heat; once hot, add a few cubes of the cake into the oil and turn until all sides are golden.
14. In a small bowl, mix the sugar and cinnamon; as the cubes are browned, remove them, tap them lightly on a piece of paper towel to remove a bit of the oil, and toss them in the sugar mixture.
15. Place on a plate until ready to assemble.
16. To assemble each dish, place a dollop of the sauce in the bottom of each dish. Add a spoonful of the zabaglione over the sauce, place a toasted cake cube on the zabaglione and then garnish.
17. Serve immediately.
NOTE: For a simpler version, feel free to use store bought angel food cake and even a good quality preserve of your choice.
*This post was sponsored by Conestoga Farms
