Cuneo originals with rum? Some clarity

Welcome everyone!

In today's article, I would like to focus on a Piedmontese delicacy, a typical sweet, which has made the province of Cuneo great in the world.
Obviously I'm talking about the famous " Cuneesi al Rum ".

If you didn't know me yet, I'm Umberto, I'm passionate about chocolate and pastry and I try to share my knowledge with an audience able to appreciate these sweet treats.
Together with my family we have a pastry shop in Dronero, in the province of Cuneo.

If you're a fan of chocolate desserts, then you've probably heard of these delicious chocolates before, but if you're new to this world, read on to find out everything you need to know.

Cuneesi with rum

What is a Cuneese al Rum?


Cuneesi al Rum are chocolate desserts of Piedmontese origin. They are made with a crunchy dark chocolate base, filled with a creamy chocolate rum ganache , and then covered in dark chocolate. If you don't know what an excellent ganache is or how to make it, take a look at this post where I explain it to you step by step.

The history of Cuneo al Rum


Legends trace the invention of the Cuneesi al Rum to the Arione pastry shop, a pastry shop in Cuneo, Piedmont. The pastry chefs were trying to create a dessert that could be eaten during the Lent period, when the consumption of meat was prohibited.

It was born on the basis of the Droneresi, the chocolates invented by Galletti in the early 1900s (we talked about them here ). The Cuneesi are then covered in chocolate to increase their "shelf-life", the duration, which in the Droneresi was more limited precisely because of the external meringue. The fact of having a longer shelf life and being less delicate, allow the new Cuneesi al Rum di Arione to be shipped and marketed in a more widespread way than the Droneresi cousins.

FUN FACT

What in the Droneresi is still the complete meringue, in the Cuneo area (for practicality and saving time and work) is "crushed into a disk", and is still present.

PRO TIP 😎

To recognize an "original" Cuneese al Rum, see if it still has the two meringues. They are proof of the originality of the recipe 😉

Original Cuneesi Rum


The original recipe envisaged the use of rum as the main ingredient, but in the following years many variations were created, including Cuneesi with Grappa di Barolo and Cuneesi with Cointreau , Cuneesi with Genepy, etc.

How to prepare Cuneesi al Rum


If you want to try making Cuneesi al Rum at home, here is a recipe you could try to follow:

Ingredients:

200g of dark chocolate
150g of fresh cream
50g of butter
20g of icing sugar
20g of rum
200g of dark chocolate for the covering


Method:

Start by melting 200g of dark chocolate in a bain-marie.

Pour the fresh cream into a bowl and add the butter cut into pieces, the icing sugar and the rum. Mix well until you get a smooth cream.

Add the melted chocolate to the whipped cream and mix well.


Put the mixture in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, until the cream has solidified enough to be molded.


Form balls of cream and place them on a pan coated with oven paper.


Melt 200g of dark chocolate in a bain marie and cover each scoop of cream with the melted chocolate.


Put the Cuneesi al Rum in the fridge for at least an hour, until the chocolate coating has solidified.

It's important to use a high-quality dark chocolate to get the maximum flavor and texture. Make sure you have the correct texture for the ganache cream, so it can be easily shaped into balls.


Conclusions


Cuneesi al Rum are an iconic Italian chocolate dessert, born in Piedmont and loved by many. If you've never tried a Cuneese al Rum, don't miss the opportunity to do so! They are easy to find in many Italian pastry shops, but if you want to try making them at home, follow our recipe. Alternatively, you can always order them on our website: in just a few clicks to your home 😉

Enjoy your meal!



Humbert