The passionate restaurateur and TV host chose to prepare a gluten-free version of an irresistible pastry called mirtillina, which quite simply means ‘small blueberries’.
Explaining his choice of dessert to audiences at the Cookery Corner, the pastry chef said: “This is a very difficult recipe. It has many layers, but I always say, if you go out to eat and order a dessert you could just cook yourself, what is the point?”
Confidently mixing sugar, butter and salt with almond flour, Carrara gave useful advice to the audience about keeping their ratio of gluten-free dishes made with wheat alternatives at 70:30 respectively.
“And never ever over mix the base of a crumble,” added the Tuscan chef.
The other layers of this mouthwatering dish were made with wild blueberry and plum sponge, sour cream, blueberry jelly, and mascarpone mousse mixed with Omani black lemon. The sweet dish was then finished off by pouring a thin layer of glaze made exclusively with natural blueberries.
“There is no sugar or artificial sweetener added,” said Carrara. He then meticulously decorated the perfectly round purple pastries with wafer-thin white chocolate ribbons and showered the delectable creation with an edible silver paint.
“Minus the black lemon, this is the same recipe we use to make tiramisu,” he explained.
Young children at the fair who gravitated to the Cookery Corner were curious to know the name of the first dish the Italian baker had ever made. “It was a Cream puff!” replied the chef.
Sharing his journey with the SIBF audience: “I am always eager to keep learning. I learnt a lot when I was in America for 12 years - more than what I would have learnt If I had stayed in my hometown.”
Italy is being celebrated as Guest of Honour at this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair. From children’s programmes, cultural shows, comic book exhibitions, book signings and social media stations, there is something for everyone at the cultural event which is free for everyone to attend.
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