Category: Dessert

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Dessert Italian Food

Tiramisu Coffee Cups

Nothing says ‘Italian’ dessert quite like a tiramisu! No matter the meal, no matter the time of day, a tiramisu always tastes just right! There’s no place in Italy untouched by the traditional tiramisu. You can find this espresso charged dessert served in every corner of Italy.

Here’s a variation of our favourite traditional tiramisu recipe, Tiramisu 101. , with Tiramisu Coffee Cups. View the Tiramisu 101 recipe to get the whole step by step of the tiramisu making! 

Tiramisu coffee cups are a fun way to serve individual (or to be shared in 2) servings. It’s a quicker preparation and leads to an extra punch of espresso, cookie and mascarpone in every spoonful!

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The ingredients and steps to prepare are all the same, just instead of layering the cookies, coffee, and mascarpone in a large serving dish you layer them in a coffee cup or mug.  By doing this the cookies will have to be broken in half after soaking in the espresso. Always start your layering with the mascarpone, then the savoiardi (lady finger cookies) after being dunk in espresso, then a light layer of cacao powder.

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**Note**: You may not have an Italian moka – espresso maker for stove tops – but as an alternative you can buy Illy or Lavazza ground coffee and make it in your coffee maker just ristretto with less water than usual.

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INGREDIENTS 

100 grams Sugar

20 Savoiardi Cookies (or Lady Finger cookies if unable to find)

1 cup of Espresso Coffee

250 grams of Mascarpone Cheese

1 egg yolks

Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 tablespoon of sugar

PREPARATION

Make espresso coffee, in moka coffee maker like found in Italy, or an automatic espresso maker or a normal coffee maker with espresso Italian coffee.  Once coffee is made pour it into a bowl that is wide enough to dip the cookies into, and set aside.

Prepare the cream, first separate egg yolk then the yold with the sugar.  Mix with a mixer or whisk thoroughly until the eggs and sugar become a creamy consistency and all sugar granulates have been worked into the egg.

Add little by little – to avoid lumps in the cream – the mascarpone to the egg & sugar mix.  Mix in the cheese, whisking from bottom to top.   It will then turn into the cream that will be used for the filling.

Take 2 (or more to your pleasure) coffee cups and spread a layer of mascarpone at the bottom of each cup.

Take cookies and dip them individually into the coffee **Hint: make sure it is just a dip with the cookies into the coffee, otherwise these sponge like cookies will become too soggy to maintain there cookie crunch** and lay the espresso dipped cookies on top of the mascarpone layer.  You may need to break the cookies in half to get them evenly in the coffee cups. Dust cocoa powder of the cream layer then continue the layering process all over again until the entire cup is filled.

On top of the last layer, dust cocoa powder over the entire layer – the last layer must finish with the mascarpone mixture – until it has be covered.   It is now tiramisu but before serving refrigerate up to an hour and serve cold.

 

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EAT BENE 

Categories
Dessert Italian Cooking 101 Italian Food Italy

Chocolate Italian Salami

Who doesn’t love a chocolate surprise on their table?

That is exactly what the Chocolate Italian Salami is!  The perfect little touch of chocolate to finish a meal or have with an espresso as a midday snack.

This recipe is one I inherited from my fabulous Italian mother in law.  I remember first eating this and thinking how delicious this was at the same time being completely surprised in finding out what was in it.  I was also taken aback because I remember just how hot it was that summer day I tried this dessert for the first time and thought how did she ever bake a dessert in this hear?! I learned after that day that this is the secret summer dessert of the Italian women, because here when the summers become unbearable and you have no air conditioning the last thing you’re going to do is turn on the oven! And a highlight of this recipe is that it’s quick, little prep, and no oven baking necessary.

But I find that this recipe is so easy to whip up and just the perfect amount of chocolate that you can serve it anytime of the year. Get the kids involved and let them take the lead the way and have fun in shaping their salami dessert.

 

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INGREDIENTS 

150 grams of butter

100 grams of powdered sugar

50 grams of cacao

2 egg yolks

150 grams of armaretti cookies

150 grams of novellini cookies (or vanilla wafers)

3 walnuts

3 tablespoons of rum

 

INSTRUCTIONS 

Chop well the armaretti cookies, novellini cookies(vanilla wafers) and walnuts, add sugar, cocoa, eggs, melted butter, rum (this can also be eliminated from the recipe if you prefer and/or making for kids).
Mix all together well and give the dough a form of a salami by rolling it with a piece of baking paper. Once you are happy with the salami shape of the dough, make sure to keep it covered and in that form and put it in the fridge for 1 hour before serving.
Cut into slices, like a salami, when it is very cold.

 

EAT BENE 

Categories
Dessert Italian Food

Peach & Apricot Torta

There’s no denying the heat this summer in Italy ! But we sure love all the scrumptious fresh fruit this heat has brought us. We just can’t help ourselves from going and picking up fresh produce daily at the open air market. This fruit is out of this world, tastes better than eating candy ! So needless to say, our summer fruit needs no help in the taste department, and quite frankly fresh summer produce just tastes better “al naturale”, but if you’re looking for an extra sweet to combine with your farmer’s market finds, here’s a real quick recipe!

Ingredients

Peaches

Apricots

Sfoglia

White chocolate

Armaretti cookies

Sugar

Egg

img_4101Instructions

1. Place he sfoglia on a cooking tray, poke holes into it with a fork, cook in oven with pie weights for 4 minutes at 160C.

2. While the pie crust cooks, melt the white chocolate in bagnomaria style. Take pie crust out – making sure the pie crust base is well cooked and spread melted while chocolate over dough.

3. Cut apricots and peaches into fourths and layer them evenly over the white chocolate. Sprinkle sugar over top of fruit. Use a half cup of crushed Armaretti cookies and sprinkle over top. Whisk one egg and spread over crust.

4. Place in oven for 20 minutes at 165C. Serve warm with a dollop of cream gelato !

EAT BENE 

Categories
Dessert Italian Food

Blood Orange Ricotta Cream Cake

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This dessert! We have no words for how utterly tasty it really is!  Came across our beloved blood oranges. So naturally, we just couldn’t get enough of them and found ourselves with an abundance of beautiful ripe blood oranges to let our recipe making mind run wild!

Continue reading “Blood Orange Ricotta Cream Cake”
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Dessert Italian Food

Mini Coconut & Berry Bundt Cakes

Mini Coconut & Berry Bundt Cakes
Mini Coconut & Berry Bundt Cakes

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Roses are red, Violets are blue, Will you make a bundt cake just for us two? Valentine’s Day is just around the corner or as we say here in Italy San Valentino. This delightful berry and coconut treat can be served as an afternoon sweet snack or a light mono portion dessert.  What’s great about this recipe is that you can even feel good about yourself eating it!  It is free of any dairy products with the substitution of coconut milk and vegetable oil instead. This dolce will have you falling in love with it’s fluffy sponge like cake and perfect balance of sweet berries and exotic coconut flavours and best of all home-made-ness. A perfect match for the whole family to enjoy together! 

Continue reading “Mini Coconut & Berry Bundt Cakes”
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Dessert Italian Food

Mini Nutella Brioche

Nutella Mini Brioches

One word. Nutella! And we’re saying Nutella at breakfast! Oh yes!

I’m pretty sure your mouth has already started watering by just reading the word Nutella, it’s almost impossible not to!  Our beloved creamy chocolate delight is just the best guilty pleasure there is. But you won’t feel so guilty eating a mini portion for breakfast to get your wheels moving in the morning. Needless to say just the utmost perfect coffee or espresso combo as you’re running out the door to work.

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Dessert Italian Food

Gelato Panettone Cake

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What is better than panettone, chocolate and gelato? Gelato Panettone Cake! This is the dolce recipe of all dessert recipes for your holiday get together or even a fun recipe to make with the kids!

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Categories
Dessert Italian Food

Pie di Mirtilli

BLUEBERRY PIE

Mirtilli, better known as blueberries in English, are considered the super fruit of all fruits that easily takes us back to our summertime childhood memories of picnics, or outdoor bbqs .  You may be surprised but even in Italy, yes Italians too, have a fond childhood memories of blueberry pie – pie di miritlli.   It is a simple dessert, rich in taste, positive health benefits, and extremely appealing to the eye.

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Dessert

Carnevale Menu, Dolci

CHIACCHIERE MILLE RIGHE

Carnevale is one of the funniest times of the year in Italy!

It’s not only a festival in Venice but all over Italy, where kids dress up as princesses, or super heroes, more or less a spring time version of Halloween.  And everyone goes crazy for the sweets prepared specifically for this time of year.  Each city or region in Italy has their traditional recipes and preferences for this festive time of year – a real gastronomic journey through some of the oldest and most traditional recipes throughout Italy centered around this event.  Even though recipes vary from city to city there is one thing that they all make sure not to leave out:  frying and sugar!

No matter which recipe you prefer or choose to recreate – we guarantee each dessert will bring huge success to your table!

Continue reading “Carnevale Menu, Dolci”
Categories
Dessert Italian Cooking 101

Tiramisu 101

TIRAMISU 101

What isn’t to love about tiramisù?  Coffee, Cookies, Mascarpone and Sugar… che buono! It is without a doubt one of the top comfort foods from Italy and a dessert that is seen on menus and tables from the north to the south and everywhere in between.  This recipe is said to come from the regions of Veneto, Piedmont, and Tuscany who have the most traditional and classic version of the beloved dolce.  For many of you who are an espresso lover, this dessert is for you! And you can be certain that serving this will always leave guests impressed!  What they may not know is just how easy tiramisu preparation is, and you’ll be wanting to keep it your secret to impress the next group alla Italiana!

Note: You may not have an Italian moka – espresso maker for stove tops – but as an alternative you can buy Illy or Lavazza ground coffee and make it in your coffee maker just ristretto with less water than usual. Tiramisu Collage

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Categories
Dessert

Ricotta, Sage and Apple Mini Pies

RICOTTA, SAGE & APPLE MINI PIES

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Difficulty: Medium       Prep Time:   40 minutes        Cooking Time:   30 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs of red apples

200 grams of ricotta

200 grams of flour

120 grams of butter

1 large egg

60 grams of brown sugar granulates

8 bay leaves

1/2 cup of cognac or port wine

Salt

Continue reading “Ricotta, Sage and Apple Mini Pies”
Categories
Dessert

Pan di Spagna alla Frutta di Bosco

PAN DI SPAGNA CAKE

Pan di Spagna or Sponge Cake is a staple pastry recipe in Italy.  That in every Italian household this dessert or dolce has been made for birthdays or special occasions. A simple recipe, but many times the simplest of recipes require a lot more attention! The trickiest part is keeping the cake light and fluffy – no yeast or baking powder is used – and the eggs allow for the airy-ness in the cake.   Many do not know that low and behold, this recipe originates from Italy in particular Genova.  It’s original name was Pâte Génoise, but quickly changed it’s name once a Genovese chef was called to visit the King’s court in Spain in the 1700s. After which the Spainish adored this cake and introduced it around the world.  This cake can be combined with fresh fruit, cream, chocolate, frosting, all suiting whatever the occasion may be.

Difficulty:  Medium   Prep Time: 25 minutes    Cook Time:  40 minutes

Ingredients

4 Eggs

160 grams of White Sugar

160 grams of Flour 00

3 dl of Fresh Cream

150 grams of Mascarpone Cheese

375 grams of Fresh Fruit (Berries)

100 grams of Powdered Sugar

Butter (for the pie pans)

2 Vanilla Beans

Lemon juice

Preparation for the cake:

  1. Whip eggs, and add in the vanilla.  With a mixer or with a whisk continuously mix the eggs in the same direction, adding in little by little the sugar.  The mixing should take about 15 to 20 minutes, making sure the sugar is correctly absorbed into the egg, should be an airy and fluffy consistency.
  2. Sift the flour and add again little by little to the egg and sugar mixture.
  3. Butter and flour the pie pan, then add the dough.  Cook at 350F for 25 minutes.

Preparation for the cream:

  1. Wash the berries, set aside half of the berries.  Use the berries to make a marmalade with 1/2 powdered sugar and a tablespoon of water.  Mix it all in a blender or mixer until a liquid, set aside.
  2. Whip the fresh cream to make peaks with the mascarpone cheese and the other half of powdered sugar.
  3. Remove cake from oven, cut in half to make two layers.  Spread lemon juice mixed with vanilla bean over each layer.  Put the marmalade on top of the top of first layer then the cream mixture on top of that, and finally the rest of berries.  Place the second layer on top and do the exact same process on top of that layer.  Sprinkle powdered sugar over everything and serve!

Buon Appetito!!