You are all well aware of my obsession with healthy, low-fat desserts. Oh, you aren’t? Hmmm. I wonder why.
Anyway, here I would like to present you with the lightest dessert imaginable – a cream so light that if it wasn’t for the copious amount of alcohol it would probably float off your plate. 
Zabaglione is traditionally made with Marsala wine, a sweet, fortified wine from Sicily. It’s not unlike port or sherry, so you could easily substitute. The remaining ingredients are egg yolks and sugar, and, if you want to prepare it in advance, whipped cream. Obviously, once you add the latter, all that healthy lightness will be somewhat diminished.
I used zabaglione the other day to add a little je ne sais quoi to my panettone pudding, to remind myself of its Italian roots, perhaps. Zabaglione makes a great boozy alternative to custard but can easily take centre stage by serving it with fresh berries or by sprinkling crushed amaretti biscuits over it. Either way, it’s quick and straightforward to prepare. All you need is a few eggs, sugar and some sweet, fortified wine. An elegant solution if you’re desperately looking for a last-minute dessert!
Zabaglione (serves 4)
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 tbs Marsala wine
- 4 tbs caster sugar
- 200ml whipped cream (optional)
Fill a small saucepan with 3-4 cm of water and bring it to simmer. In a bowl that fits snuggly into the saucepan, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are well combined.
Add the wine and keep whisking – ideally using a hand-held mixer, but it’s not that difficult to do it by hand as long as you keep folding air into the mix.
Once the mix has become light and creamy – it will have almost doubled in size! – you can place the bowl over the simmering – never boiling! – water. Keep whisking, without interruption, until the cream becomes noticeably thicker. This will take around 5 minutes. At some point the cream will come off the sides of the bowl and any drops will remain clearly visible for several seconds.
When you are happy that the Zabaglione has the consistence of lightly whipped cream, take it out of the saucepan and place it on a tea towel (if you’re in no rush) or in a bowl filled with a little ice water (to speed up the process). Keep whisking while you bring down the temperature a little, depending on your preferences.
If you serve it straightaway, simply fill it into some pretty glasses, decorate with berries or the afore-mentioned crushed amaretti. If you want to prepare the dessert ahead, fold in some whipped cream to stabilize the foam. That way you can prepare the dish in the morning, keeping it in the fridge until after dinner.
Alternatively, fill the creamy mix into a silicone cake form and freeze it for a few hours – you’ll have a deliciously sinful parfait. Perfect with a little fruit couli on the side … and almost healthy 😉
Anyways, as it is almost Friday, I’ll be bringing this over to Angie’s at The Novice Gardener. Angie is hosting her weekly Fiesta Friday party there – lots to eat, savoury and sweet, to do drop by and sample a few of the treats!
Even better, bring your own: simply add a link to your post and then add it to the offerings on Angie’s post. It’d be great to meet you there!
Ginger&Bread 
One of my all time favoriites. So delicious, it looks so creamy and airy.
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I had been dying to make it – it’s not really for children, so some custard had to be made to appease the masses, too …
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Wow this looks fantastic Ginger…
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Thanks, Chitra! My pictures don’t do it credit, though!
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Zabaglione is one of the most delicious things ever! My mum used to make it for me when I was a kid and she would add chocolate powder which was awesome!
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That sounds brilliant! There’s few dishes that can’t be improved with a pinch or two of chocolate 😉
Btw I love your blog theme!
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Thank you Ginger! You are too kind! =) and I totally agree with you.. adding chocolate can only make something better 😉
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what a doable yet decadent dessert – love this idea. Stunning presentation, too.
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Thanks! It is the perfect adult treat 🙂
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Such a fascinating dish Ginger. When I looked at the pics, I thought Custard? But this is kind of mousse / pudding?
Love it!
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I’d describe it as a foam – it’s not as stable as a mousse, unless you add the whipped cream. Well worth the whisking!
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That is my kind of dessert right there – booze and not much else.
Looks damn fine, what you’ve done here G 😁
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What’s not to like – especially as it, really, is just an excuse for booze 😉 Good to see you back – you seemed to have had an amazing time!
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It was effing awesome. Cheers 😜
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What a delectable dessert, Ginger. I think I might start making my own low-fat, healthy dessert soon. I have to, anways. Hmm, let’s see. 😀 Thank you so much for bringing at FF. Have fun and enjoy the party. 🙂
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You are up early! No wonder you feel like you need something low-fat and healthy – so do I at half past 5 in the morning. Come 9 or ten and I’m back to the old chocolate-and-coffee diet 😉
Happy FF!
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Okay, I will be back. And did you say chocolate and coffee?? Well, whatever that is, I need to get some first. 😀
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That looks yummy Ginger. I’m afraid at my place it wouldn’t last long enough to take some pictures so don’t worry about it. Your pictures look great!
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I know! It’s a never ending race against time and greedy bystanders! 😉
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Wow never heard of this! Always love learning about new food!
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You have been missing out on a real treat, Lori!
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That is like food porn for me, it does look gorgeous, even if it’s not my thing x x x
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Ginger, I remember the first time I had this. It haunted me because it was the most delicious thing I ever ate, and I didn’t know what it was called – that was 25 years ago. I did since find the name of that dessert and have been meaning to make it ever since! I’m so glad you posted this lovely recipe, and I love the idea of freezing it in a parfait! Genius!
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You are very clever and creative, dearest Ginger! 🙂 Make zabaglione and then … magic… it becomes parfait! Moreover, I love low-fat desserts! 😀 Do you use very fresh eggs for the zabaglione? I’m afraid of very raw egg yolks..
Thanks for sharing the recipe at FF!
Have a lovely weekend! xoxo
Mila
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I use freshly-bought eggs and believe that the drawn-out whisking process i the bain-marie kills off whatever might be lurking within 😉
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wow this sounds so good, i need to try it!
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Give it a try – it’s so versatile!
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