Creamy Italian Zabaglione

Zabaglione or zabaione is one of the most classic Italian desserts. Similar to a custard, though not made with milk, zabaglione is a simple and flavorful dessert that takes very little time to prepare and can be a last-minute dessert to offer to your guests. All that you need are egg yolks, Marsala wine, sugar, and an optional egg white beaten to firm peaks. If perhaps you don't know what to do with that Marsala wine that has been sitting in your cabinet, this is a great recipe to put it to good use. Serve this zabaglione in individual cups and garnish with your favorite fruit, such as fresh berries or peaches, and a couple of ladyfinger cookies.

Served as a thick and creamy custard, or sometimes lighter as a beverage, zabaglione is very popular in areas with high rates of Italian immigration, like many parts of the Eastern United States, and countries in South America like Argentina and Uruguay. The eggy concoction has many fans around the world, and similar preparations have taken hold elsewhere using local ingredients and traditions, like French sabayon or other sweet beverages based on alcohol and eggs like eggnog, Hispanic coquito, or Dutch Advocaat. If you've never had Marsala wine, expect a sweet vanilla-like and nutty flavor from this Sicilian wine. Buy good quality wine, though; if you won't drink it by the glass you probably won't like the flavor of it in your zabaglione.

For this recipe, you need a double boiler to gently cook the egg cream without it scrambling. If you don't have a double boiler, you simply need two pots, one large and one medium that can easily and firmly fit on inside the bigger one. Add one or two inches of water and cook the egg mixture in the smaller pot. Voilá! No need to spend money on a proper double boiler, unless you plan on using this method of cooking often.