Sabayon is the French version of Italian zabaglione, an airy egg-and-wine custard. It requires a certain amount of energy—and strength—to whip up a batch. If you’ve ever heard a frenzy of whisking coming from the kitchen at an Italian restaurant, you’ve heard why many Italian cooks (especially the sturdy grandmas) have such well-developed arms. But one lick of the boozy, frothy dessert is enough to make you forget those few furious minutes of whipping. If you don’t think you’re up to the task, you can use an electric handheld mixer. But I always feel that if I’ve worked hard to make something, I’ve earned the right to eat it. You can serve the sabayon hot from the stove, although here, it is cooled and whipped cream is added so it can be held before serving.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 3 1/2 cups (875 ml)

　　7 large egg yolks

　　1/3 cup (65 g) sugar

　　2/3 cup (160 ml) Champagne or other sparkling wine

　　1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream

　　

Step 1

Fill a large bowl with ice water.

　　

Step 2

In a large heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, and Champagne or other sparkling wine. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk vigorously and constantly. The mixture will first become frothy, then as you continue to whisk, thick and creamy. When the mixture holds its shape when you lift the whisk, remove the bowl from the heat. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and whisk gently until cooled.

　　

Step 3

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk the cream on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the sabayon.

　　

Storage

Step 4

Sabayon can be refrigerated for up to 2 days, but it is best used the day it’s made.

　　

Variations

Step 5

Don’t limit yourself to sabayon flavored with Champagne. In Italy, the traditional flavoring is Marsala, but any dry or sweet white wine is also delicious.

　　

Step 6

To make CIDER SABAYON, use 6 large egg yolks and replace the Champagne with 1/2 cup (125 ml) sparkling apple cider and 1/4 cup (60 ml) applejack or Calvados.

　　Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz. Copyright © 2010 by David Lebovitz. Published by Ten Speed Press. All Rights Reserved.David Lebovitz lived in San Francisco for twenty years before moving to Paris. He baked at several notable restaurants before starting his career as a cookbook author and food writer. He's the author of four highly regarded books on desserts, and has written for many major food magazines, sharing his well-tested recipes written with a soupçon of humor. His popular, award-winning blog, www.davidlebovitz.com, entertains readers from around the world with sweet and savory recipes as he tries to unravel the complexities of living in Paris.