Capriccio di dama, or checkers whim

Ingredientss

Capriccio di dama, or checkers whim, it is a very retro sweet, one of those with the nostalgic taste that reminds you of childhood. It has no particular origin or history, it is simple, easy and genuine. In vogue especially in the 70s and 80s, it is one of those recipes that are inevitable in the cookbooks of almost all mothers and grandmothers.

Production time: 1 hour and 30 minutes
Degree of difficulty (from 1 to 5): 2
Mold: 16 × 16 cm

For the basis
50g of butter
80g of sugar
80 g of thick white yoghurt (Greek type)
80g of flour
2 medium egg yolks
1 pinch of salt
4 g of baking powder
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
a handful of coarsely chopped walnuts

For the meringue
2 medium egg whites
80g of sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

For the jam
150 g of strawberries
75g of sugar
5 g of pectin
½ teaspoon of lemon juice

Procedure to make the Capriccio di dama

Beat the butter with the sugar, add the egg yolks, one by one, and yoghurt, always whipping at low speed. Put the salt, baking powder and vanilla and finally the flour, you get a fairly thick dough. Coat the mold with parchment paper and pour into the mixture, spread it evenly and sprinkle with the walnuts. Bake at 160°C for 35-40 minutes.

For the jam
Blend all the ingredients together, put on the heat for 5 minutes and pass through a sieve to remove the seeds. A ready-made jam can also be used.

For the Swiss meringue
Bake the egg whites with the sugar and bring them to 70°C, stirring constantly. Remove from water and whip the meringue until cool. Flavor with vanilla.
Remove the base from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.

Put the jam and the meringue on top. Put back in the oven with only the resistance above for about ten minutes to dry and lightly color the surface of the meringue. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in with the slot door for another 10 minutes. It serves at room temperature.
The recipe was made by Lyuba Radeva.