Our neighborhood restaurant, Tavolino, serves several Italian desserts but there is only one we order, and that is the Bonet. This dessert is a great choice for your holiday table.
It is the only dessert on the menu from the chef’s native region - the Piedmont. But that isn't why we order it. We order it because it is fantastic.
Eleven years ago, when I first tasted it, I had never heard of it. I asked the chef’s wife (who ran the front of house) for the recipe. “It's a family secret,” she said.
A family secret? Really? I found recipes in several of my authentic Italian cookbooks and discovered it was not entirely secret. No doubt each family has its own nuance in preparation, as with so many classic recipes.
What I did find, in my research, are several spellings of the name, probably shaped by regional dialects: Bonet, Bônet, Bonèt, and even Bunet.
Regardless of the spelling, it does have only one meaning in the Piedmont dialect: hat.
When served at Tavolino, you can tell it was made in a brioche pan which, when turned out, can resemble a fancy hat. The more traditional form would be a mold that makes it look like a pillbox hat.
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| We might have enjoyed a little of our Il Palazzone Grappa with our bonet. |
I made it in a rectangular loaf pan, which works very well for slicing and serving. It's oddly rich and light at the same time - something at which Italians excel. Figuriamoci!
~ David
Bonet
1/2 cup sugar
scant 1/4 cup water
4 eggs - about 8 ounces total
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups whole milk
5 1/2 ounces amaretti cookies
1/2 cup best quality unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons dark rum, brandy, or amaretto
1 teaspoon almond extract
lightly sweetened whipped cream
extra amaretti, crushed, for garnish
Put 1/2 cup sugar and the water in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until sugar is melted; continue at a gentle boil until it turns golden. Do not overcook the caramel as it will be bitter. This will take about 10 minutes, depending on your heat.
Remove caramel from the heat immediately and pour into the an 8 1/2-inch by 4 1/2-inch loaf pan, distributing it evenly on the entire bottom and somewhat up the sides. Set aside to cool.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Crush the amaretti cookies coarsely in a large bowl using a pestle. Sift the cocoa powder over the crushed amaretti and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar together until the eggs start to foam. Scald the milk in a large sauce pan. While whisking the eggs, slowly pour the warm milk and mix well. Add the ground amaretti, cocoa, rum, and almond extract; whisk thoroughly.
Pour the mixture in the caramel coated mold. Don't be alarmed that the cookie crumbs all float to the top - that is what makes the crust. Bake in a bain-marie in the lower part of the preheated oven for an hour. (Make sure the water in your bain-marie is already very hot.) remove from the oven and the bain-marie and set on a rack. Let the Bonet cool completely and refrigerate for at least four hours or overnight before serving.
To serve, dip mold in hot water, then run a knife around the sides. Turn out onto a platter and serve slices with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream, and a sprinkling of amaretti crumbs.
Serves 8-10.
Labels: amaretti, bonet, bonèt, bônet, bunet, cocoa, custard, piedmont, pudding
