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Bunet is a Piedmontese dessert, traditionally eaten during the colder months. Similar to a crème caramel but with the addition of rum, cocoa and amaretti biscuits, this luxurious Italian dessert is sure to please anyone with a sweet tooth.

First published in 2018

A quintessential Piedmontese dessert, bunet is a creamy pudding made primarily with cacao, eggs and amaretti, and flavoured with rum. Together with pannacotta and other creamy puddings, it belongs to the category of 'dolci al cucchiaio', or 'desserts that you can eat with a spoon'. Bunet often comes in the shape of a brick and is served in slices. Alternatively, you can use single-serve pudding moulds. I used the latter in this method, so if you’d rather use a larger mould, ensure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Caramel sauce

  • 2 tbsp of caster sugar
  • 60ml of water

Pudding

  • 6 tbsp of caster sugar
  • 4 medium eggs
  • 500ml of milk
  • 3 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 30ml of rum
  • 70g of amaretti biscuits, crumbled

To serve

  • amaretti biscuits

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4
2
To make the caramel, place the sugar and water in a small saucepan set over a medium heat. Bring to a gentle boil and allow the caramel to darken and thicken. Remove from the heat and divide the caramel between 6 pudding moulds. Set aside
3
Next, place the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the eggs are pale and airy. Add the milk, cocoa, rum and crumbled amaretti, then whisk until fully combined
4
Pour the mixture into the moulds, then place the moulds in a deep tray filled with water to create a bain-marie. Place in the oven and cook for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cooked through –– use a toothpick to test for doneness: it should come out clean from the centre of one of the puddings
5
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours – or better still, overnight – before serving. Serve chilled with a couple of extra amaretti biscuits as a decoration

Discover more about this region's cuisine:

Valeria Necchio is an Italian food, travel and culture writer and photographer with roots in the Venetian countryside.

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