This beautiful dessert comes from the Greek island of Zakynthos! It is the island right next-door to Kefalonia, the island that my family comes from. I can literally wave to it it from my village.
Frigania is dry wheat rusks that look like palm sized toast. They are usually eaten for breakfast with butter and jam.
In this gorgeous dessert, they are used as the base layer, drenched in a beautiful lemony sugar syrup. Then topped with vanilla pudding followed by whipped cream.
Garnished with toasted almonds and a light dusting of cinnamon stick. The finishing touch is the ultimate showstopper!
Sour cherry spoon sweets. A tea spoon or two. Right on top. Takes it to the next level!
Ingredients:
The Base
16 Elite brand frigania or wheat rusks
1 cup sugar
2 cups water
1 cinnamon stick
Juice of 1 lemon
1 lemon peel
3 whole cloves
Vanilla pudding
4 cups of milk
1 cup sugar
5 tbsps corn starch
4 large eggs
2 tbsps vanilla extract
1 stick of cold butter
Whipped Cream
2 cups cold whipping cream
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Garnish
toasted sliced almonds
Cinnamon powder
Sour cherry spoon sweet
Directions
You will need a deep 9×13 deep pan. Lay out the rusks at the bottom pan.
For the syrup, add the sugar, water, cinnamon stick, lemon peel and juice and bring up to a boil. Simmer until the liquid is clear. Pour the hot syrup over the rusks, allow to cool. The rusks will absorb the syrup.
To make the pudding, add all the ingredients except the vanilla and butter into a medium pot. Turn heat on to low, and as it warms up bring it to medium, constantly whisking until thickened.
Take off the heat, add vanilla and butter and stir in. Pour it through a strainer to be sure there are no bits. You want a smooth finish to this cream .
Pour it over the rusks and smooth to even it out. Press saran wrap on top of the pudding and allow it to cool completely in the fridge. Around two hours.
In the meantime, toast a cup of sliced almonds in a dry pan till golden brown. Set them aside to cool. I like to crush them a little in my hand to make them a little smaller pieces.
For the whipped cream:
Add the cold heavy cream into bowl and whip to soft peaks. Gradually add the powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
Spread it evenly over the cold pudding and let it set in the fridge for two hours.
Garnish with the toasted sliced toasted almonds, and a light dusting of cinnamon.
And for the finishing touch, when you serve it spoon a little bit of sour cherry spoon sweets on top. This makes Frigania Zakynthou a showstopper!
Kali Oreksi!
on xenia street 