Homemade Vov
Those of you who have been with me for awhile know that my mom had three older sisters who never married and who shared an apartment in Rome. One of the highlights of visiting them in summer was opening up all the cabinets that lined the walls of their dining room. My sister and I would find such treasures as crystal salt cellars with tiny silver spoons; confetti wrapped in tulle; and giant chocolate Easter eggs that our aunts had set aside for us.
One cabinet had a pull-down door on hinges, with a key on a tassel to open it. It was here that my aunts kept a small but well-chosen stash of liquor. Amid the Cognac, whisky and various amari there was always a bottle of Vov, a sweet liqueur made with egg yolks and Marsala wine. When company came by, out came the Vov. It was instantly recognizable by its white bottle and splashy red, yellow, and blue label ~ the letters V-O-V stamped in the foreground and a depiction of the Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua in the background.
The creamy liqueur (sort of an Italian version of eggnog) has a charming back-story, one of typical Italian resourcefulness. In 1845, Gian Battista Pezziol, a pastry chef in Padova, faced a daily dilemma: how to use up hundreds of egg yolks left over from making torrone, Italy’s famous nut-studded nougat. He hit on a liqueur based on zabaglione, a spoon dessert made from yolks, sugar and Marsala. He named it “Vovi”—Venetian dialect for eggs. The popularity of Vov has waxed and waned over the many decades since its creation, but in recent years it’s come back into vogue as a key ingredient in winter cocktails such as the “bombardino” (“little bomb” ~ see below for more on that).
This recipe is from the “Syrups, Liqueurs, and Fruits Preserved in Alcohol” chapter of my book Preserving Italy (possibly my favorite chapter!). It is adapted from one in Ada Boni’s classic book Il Talismano della Felicita. I tweaked her version, substituting cream for some of the milk and adding a splash of Cognac.
You can enjoy your homemade Vov soon after you make it, or you can let it “cure” a bit in the fridge; it improves with age and will keep at least a month.
HOMEMADE VOV ~ ZABAGLIONE CREAM LIQUEUR
Makes about 5 cups (1.2 L)
INGREDIENTS
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups (400 g) sugar, divided
1/2 vanilla bean
4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup dry Marsala wine
1/2 cup grain alcohol, such as EverClear
1/4 cup Cognac
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Pour the milk and cream into a saucepan and stir in 1 cup sugar. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the saucepan. Bring the milk and cream to a bare simmer over medium heat, without letting it boil. Stir to make sure the sugar dissolves completely. Remove from the heat.
2. Whisk together the egg yolks and remaining sugar until thick and light in color. Add a few driblets of the scalded milk and cream to the egg yolks, whisking vigorously to prevent the yolks from curdling. Continue to whisk in the milk and cream, a little at a time, until you have added it all. Gently whisk in the Marsala, alcohol and Cognac.
3. Pour the liqueur through a funnel into a clean bottle (I use a 750 ml bottle with a metal closure hinge, rubber gasket and plastic stopper). Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. The liqueur is ready to drink once it’s cold. It will last for a month in the refrigerator. Shake well before serving.
NOTE: Here are two winter cocktail recipes from the Vov website. They are said to be popular among Italy’s ski resort set (I have no first-hand knowledge of this, alas). You can use your homemade Vov in place of the commercial liqueur.
Bombardino: Heat 1 ounce of Vov until warm. Pour into a glass and add a splash of rum. Top with whipped cream.
Calimero: Heat 1 ounce of Vov until warm. Pour into a mug and add 1 shot freshly brewed espresso. Top with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder.