Snow Dumplings with Pistachio Sauce (Liguria)

Appetizers

Ingredients

Eggs, separated - 4

Confectioners sugar - 4-5 tbsps

Milk - 5 cups

Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup

All purpose flour - 5 tsps

Pistachio nuts, ground - 2 1/2 tbsps

Ground cinnamon - pinch

Beat the egg whites until smooth and gradually add the confectioners sugar, beating constantly until the mixture is stiff and smooth. Put aside.

Bring all but 1/2 cup of milk to a boil in a large, wide, shallow pan. Take the egg white mixture, a tablespoonful at a time, and drop it carefully on top of the boiling milk. As the dumplings set on one side, turn them carefully. Take them from the pan with a perforated spoon as soon as they are firm, and put aside.

Take the milk from the heat and stir in the granulated sugar.  Beat the flour smoothly with the eggs yolks and half the reserved milk; stir this into cooled milk. Mix the ground pistachios with the rest of the milk and stir this into the egg and milk mixture. At this point it can be rubbed through a fine sieve if an absolutely smooth sauce is required, otherwise pour the milk mixture as it is into a thick pan and cook over a low heat until it thickens to a sauce. Don not let it boil or it will curdle.

Arrange the dumplings in a fairly deep glass serving bowl. Pour the sauce carefully over them and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. This is a simple, rather everyday Ligurian dish, Instead of pistachios, almonds or walnuts may be used.

Serves 6