5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup Marsala wine

The custard can be served alongside with ladyfingers, or topped with whipped cream and fresh berries

Using an electric mixer cream egg yolks and sugar (about 10 minutes).

Place creamed egg yolks in the top of a double boiler and let it cook for awhile until the sauce thickens a little and the egg yolks are nicely cooked (Not scrambled!).

Slowly add the Marsala wine and keep stirring until the mixture looks like a nice thick sauce (about 5 minutes).

Serve warm or cold in individual pudding dishes with Italian cookies or whipped cream and fresh berries.

Apparently this is not a "custard" in the usual sense, but a thick sweet sauce. For those who like the taste of Marsala then this might be an interesting dessert; however, for those who don't like alcohol-flavored custards or creams, then this dessert should be avoided as the taste of the Marsala wine predominates. Some recipes for zabaglione suggest you can replace the Marsala with any sweet white wine. Possibly, the resulting mixture can be as tasty as the one with Marsala, but it will not be zabaglione. For the dish to be a traditional-style zabaglione it has to include Marsala. Some food historians believe zabaglione has its origin in Piedmont and Valle D'Aosta, others believe it was first made in the 16th century in Florence, Tuscany. In the old days the recipe was kept rather simple: egg yolks, sugar and Marsala.... Paula Fresco noted that when her father was growing up in Lanciano, Abruzzo in the 1940s "zabaglione" was thought of as a health drink rather than as a custard to be served for dessert. In fact, "zabaglione" was drank in the morning in the hope that the "tonic" would energize one for the day. While Lanciano's recipe for "zabaglione" included Marsala wine, sugar and egg yolks, the egg yolks at that time were added to the drink raw. Coffee was also mixed in, making "zabaglione" thin and easy to swallow. Paula's father continued to make himself a "zabaglione" for breakfast in Montreal, Canada after he had immigrated from Abruzzo. Paula does not know the exact recipe that he used to make himself the "zabaglione" but she does know that her father enjoyed the drink a great deal.... Nowadays, modern-day cooks are including all sorts of flavoring, including grated lemon peel, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Often the dish is topped with whipped cream and grated chocolate or slivered nuts etc. Whatever is used has to be light, 'cause if it isn't, it will sink to the bottom of the dish. This sauce/custard is rather thin, so it will not hold any weight. Fresh fruit can be served alongside it, but if you place a strawberry or a slice of pear on top of this sauce the fruit will very likely sink to the bottom. Adding a touch more of marsala wine prior to serving it, will make the custard foam up a bit and this might appeal to some (though not all). In any case, zabaglione is not for everyone. It has a peculiar taste and smell; some will enjoy it, and some will walk out of the room, rather than take in its potent aroma.... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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