So this, my finale, is the ultimate in Everyday Italian cooking. Sure, there’s some cheating involved—I’m not asking you to bake a pound cake. But this distinct combination of Italian flavors will transport you to a piazza-side café, nibbling this great dessert, sipping espressos, and people-watching, instead of struggling in the kitchen for hours upon end. That’s been my goal in this book. I hope I’ve succeeded

　　

Ingredients

6 servings

　　1/4 cup sliced almonds

　　3/4 cup apricot preserves

　　3 tablespoons amaretto liqueur

　　1 (10.75-ounce) pound cake, cut crosswise into 12 slices

　　2/3 cup mascarpone cheese

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the almonds on a large, heavy baking sheet, and toast in the oven, stirring occasionally, until the nuts are fragrant and light golden brown, about 7 minutes. Let cool completely.

　　

Step 2

In a small bowl, stir the apricot preserves and amaretto to blend. Working in batches, toast the pound cake slices in a toaster until golden.

　　

Step 3

Place 1 cake slice atop each of six plates, and spoon the mascarpone cheese atop the cake slices. Arrange the remaining cake slices offset atop the bottom cake slices. Spoon the apricot mixture over. Sprinkle with the almonds and serve immediately.

　　Cooks' Note

　　You could also grill the pound cake or toast it in the oven—whatever is easier.

　　Reprinted with permission from Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes by Martha Stewart Living Magazine. Copyright © 2005 by Giada De Laurentiis. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.Giada De Laurentiis is the star of Food Network's Everyday Italian and Behind the Bash. She attended the Cordon Bleu in Paris, and then worked in a variety of Los Angeles restaurants, including Wolfgang Puck's Spago, before starting her own catering and private-chef company, GDL Foods. The granddaughter of movie producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada was born in Rome and grew up in Los Angeles, where she now lives.