Zuppa Inglese

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Whole Milk
• 1 Cup Saputo Mascarpone at room temperature
• 1 3/4 Cup Sugar
• 4 Teaspoons Cornstarch
• Pinch Kosher Salt
• 3 Large Eggs
• 2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/3 Cup Diced Candied Orange Peel
• 1/4 Cup Rum
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 1/8 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1 1/2 Sleeves Savoiardi (lady fingers)

Directions

1. For the pastry cream, pour the milk and 1/4 cup of the sugar into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and pinch of salt. Whisk in the eggs until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the egg mixture bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Return saucepan to medium-low heat. Cook, stirring and whisking, until mixture just simmers and thickens. Immediately remove from the heat and scrape into a bowl to cool. Once cooled, mix in the chopped chocolate and candied orange. Refrigerate until chilled and thickened, at least 1 hour.
2. For the sugar syrup, bring 3 cups water and 1 cup of the sugar to boil. Boil until reduced by about 1/4. Remove from heat, stir in the rum and let cool completely.
3. When you are ready to assemble the zuppa, whip the cream, the remaining � cup sugar and the mascarpone to soft peaks. Fold half of the whipped cream mixture, along with the cinnamon, into the chilled pastry cream.
4. In a 9-by-13 inch Pyrex or other rectangular dish, make a flat layer with half of the savoiardi. Brush with half of the sugar syrup to moisten all of the savoiardi. Spread half of the pastry cream over the savoiardi. Top with another layer of savoiardi and brush them with the remaining syrup. Spread the rest of the pastry cream over top in an even layer, the spread with the whipped cream. If you have any savoiardi left, crumble them over top. Chill several hours, or overnight, to let the flavors come together before serving.