Erdbeer-Amarettini-Kuchen (strawberry amaretti torte)

Method

1. Crush the amaretti to fine crumbs and stir in the melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Press firmly into the base of a 24 cm springform and chill while you make the mousse.
2. Purée the 350 g strawberries with the 60 g sugar.
3. Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes. Warm a third of the strawberry purée gently in a small pan, take off the heat, squeeze the gelatine dry and stir it in until fully dissolved. Stir this back into the rest of the purée.
4. Beat the mascarpone and 40 g sugar together until smooth, then fold in the gelatine-set strawberry purée.
5. Fold in the whipped cream in two additions, gently, keeping as much air as possible.
6. Pour the mousse over the chilled base, smooth the top, and chill at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
7. Arrange the halved strawberries and crushed amaretti over the top just before serving, so the biscuit stays crunchy.

Notes

• Add the crushed amaretti topping just before serving, not before the chill. Left on top overnight, it absorbs moisture from the mousse and loses its crunch entirely.
• Amaretti bring a genuine bitter almond note that a plain biscuit base does not have, and it is what keeps this from tasting like a one-note sweet strawberry cake.
• Squeeze soaked gelatine dry before it goes into anything warm. Extra water dilutes its setting power.
• It keeps for 2 days in the fridge, covered, though the topping is best added fresh each time a piece is served if making it ahead.

Ingredient substitutions

• Amaretti biscuits vary in bitterness between brands; a milder one can be balanced with a few drops of almond extract in the base if a stronger flavour is wanted.
• Strawberries can be raspberries for a sharper mousse.
• Mascarpone can be part-replaced with cream cheese for a slightly tangier result.
• A splash of amaretto, stirred into the mascarpone, is a good adults-only addition that reinforces the almond flavour.

From Christoph Mayer

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