Petits Fours Siciliana

Chocolate sponge cake with ricotta, orange liqueur, citrus peel chocolate filling.

• Ready In: 27 mins
• Yields: 20 slices

Ingredients

• CAKE

• 3  egg yolks
• 3  tablespoons sugar
• 2  tablespoons  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3  egg whites

• FILLING

• 3⁄4 cup ricotta cheese or 3⁄4 cup cottage cheese
• 3  tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2  tablespoons  orange liqueur
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons  finely chopped mixed  citrus peels
• 3  tablespoons  grated  semisweet chocolate

• TO COAT

•  unsweetened cocoa powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease bottom and sides 11 ½ inch x 8 ½ inch baking pan. Line the bottom with waxed paper or parchment paper. Grease and lightly flour paper. Shake off excess flour.
2. In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar until light. Sift in cocoa; add vanilla. In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff. Gently fold into egg yolks, ½ at a time.
3. Spread mixture evenly in prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cake on waxed paper; peel waxed paper off bottom of cake. To store cake, wrap in plastic wrap up to 24 hours.
4. TO MAKE FILLING, in a small bowl, beat or process cheese until smooth. Add sugar, orange liqueur, peel and chocolate. Mix well. Trim edges from cake. Cut cake in HALF; place on a flat surface. Spread bottom with filling; press other HALF gently on top. Cut cake in 20 slices. Sift cocoa over top. Refrigerate 2 hours. To store, refrigerate in a covered container up to 2 days. Makes 20 slices.
5. Chocolate & Petits Fours.Beverley Sutherland Smith.