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Neapolitan Babá and Pastiera
March 7, 2020 @ 8:00 am - 4:00 pm
Award winning Italian Pastry Chef, Palmiro Russo, will be teaching you how to make some of the most iconic Neapolitan Desserts, known as Babá and Pastiera Napoletana (Easter Pie).
Babá
Neapolitans take the Babá very seriously, if you ask anyone in Naples, they will tell you the Babá is no joke. Babá originated in France at the beginning of the19thcentury and was introduced in Napoli in the early 1830s. This treasured dessert is sophisticated in flavor and texture. Its success depends on the mastery of making the perfect dough, which is acquired through a double stage of leavening. Once the dough is baked to perfection, it is soaked in citrus-rum syrup; the taste is incredible. You may see the Babá in various shapes, from the mushroom like single portion to a beautiful cake topped with whipped cream, custard or fruit.
Pastiera Napoletana
In Naples, during Easter week you can smell the delicious aroma of Pastiera Napoletana from family ovens and pastry shops in every neighborhood. This iconic dessert originated in Napoli, but is now enjoyed throughout the year by people from all over the world. In Napoli, the making of the Pastiera is a ceremony where home bakers gather to start the 3 to 4 days process of preparing the Grano. They start by soaking the wheat berries in water for 3 days, refreshing the water morning and night and boiling them on the last day to make the berries soft and ready to be mixed with the rest of the ingredients. This is a unique dessert that offers a distinct flavor and a soft delicate texture.
The following recipes will be covered in this class:
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Classic Babá (Single portion)
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Babá with custard
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Babá with whipped cream (Single portions)
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Torta Babá
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Pastiera Napoletana (Pie)
Instructor Bio
Palmiro Russo is an Italian pastry chef from Napoli. Palmiro holds the honor of being a part of the Equipe Eccelenza of the Italian Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate, and is considered an expert of the Neapolitan Pasticceria as well as the Italian classics. His range of expertise covers everything from small pastries, cakes and cookies, to chocolate confectionary products, nougat and pulled sugar. Throughout his successful career, Chef Russo has participated in many national and International competitions, receiving numerous awards and prizes. Palmiro is still very active in the field as a pastry chef, teacher and consultant. Just recently, some of Palmiro’s recipes are being reproduced in California by his son Antonio, owner of the baking company True Delicious.
Categories: Baking Class, Intermediate