Rafaelo Dessert

• Raffaello chocolates were first made in 1990 by the Italian firm Ferrero. 
• I have noticed that they are very popular in Poland and nearly always on sale in Polish shops in England.
• They contain: almonds, wafer, white chocolate and coconut.
• I have been looking for a definitive recipe for a Raffeallo or Rafealo tort based on this confectionary.
• There are just so many different ideas on how to make this.
• I have found a vast number of variations including no-bake versions using biscuits or sponge fingers.
• I then looked at the more baked ones.
• The cake most used is a fat free sponge – sometimes this includes ground almonds.
• The filling is a creamy budyń (Polish custard) with large amounts of added butter,
• Some versions use white chocolate in their ingredients.
• The tort is topped with desiccated coconut.
• The tort is often baked in a square or rectangular tin and each served piece is usually square.
• However a circular one might be easier if using homemade biszkopt – sponge cake.
• *
• I decided to make a lighter dessert, instead with a coconut budyń and sponge cake and a lot less butter.
• I used a 18cm fat free sponge made with two eggs – cut into two layers.
• My first attempt was getting the budyń right.

  INGREDIENTS for budyń
• 500ml milk
• 1 tablespoon of butter
• 2-3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 3 egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons of potato flour (or cornflour)
• 50 – 80g desiccated coconut & 2 tablespoons
• 50g white chocolate – coarse grated

Method for budyń

• • Put 300ml of the milk, the butter and sugar into a saucepan.

• • Heat gently till the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved, stirring all the time.

• • Bring this to the boil for a few seconds and then take off the heat.

• • Blend the potato flour with the rest of the milk (200ml) and with the egg yolks.

• • Add some of the boiled mixture to this and stir well.

• • Add this mixture to the rest of  the boiled mixture and stir well.

• • Put the pan back on the heat and bring back to boiling point, stirring gently.

• • Keep at boiling for 1 minute, stirring all the time.

• • Add in the 80g of coconut.

• • Leave to cool.

• • *

• • Use a glass dish and layer up cake, budyń, cake and budyń for the top.

• • Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of coconut and grated chocolate on the top.

• • Chill in the fridge before serving

OPTION

• Make the budyń with 750ml of milk and 4 egg yolks.
• Layer up with some budyń first, then cake, budyń, cake, budyń as before.

Thoughts

• I liked the version with more budyń. (750ml milk)
• This was more like a dessert.
• The version using 500ml of milk was more like a cake with filling.
• However – they were both voted delicious.