Posts Tagged ‘recipes’
Pandoro farcito con crema al mascarpone: a Christmas treat
A few days ago, I attended a Christmas potluck with some Italian friends and since I was in charge of bringing un dolce (Italian term to define a dessert) I decided to make the pandoro farcito con crema al mascarpone (pandoro cake with mascarpone cream). This is a very simple and yet delicious dessert that has become a classic in Italy during the Christmas holidays. If you decide to make it, this is what you need:
- 1 pandoro (I got mine at Marshall’s in Bellevue, WA, but you can find it also either at Ross Dress for Less, World Market or any Italian specialty food store)
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp mascarpone cream
- powdered sugar
- Gianduiotti chocolate (optional)
First beat the egg yolks with the sugar, then add the mascarpone cheese until you get a smooth cream. Set aside.
Cut the pandoro in 5 layers.
Spred the crema al mascarpone on each layer (the more liquid the better, it will make the cake softer).
Place each layer back, without matching the edges, in order to create a Christmas tree like shape.
I used Gianduiotti chocolate to decorate the cake, but you can use any other decoration, sometimes we even use small candles.
Finally, sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar and decorate the top with your favorite object (I “borrowed” baby Jesus from my kids’ Fisher-Price nativity).
Enjoy it, Buon Natale!
Italians eat flowers! Zucchini Blossoms recipe
One of the pleasures of visiting Italy is to be delighted by its food and…flowers. This time I was lucky enough to find the fiori di zucca at the grocery store, so I bought them with the intent to make one of the easiest and yet most delicious recipes of the Italian cuisine.
Ingredients:
-about 15 zucchine blossoms (note: the correct word is zucchine not zucchini!)
-4 tbsp flour
-About 1/2 cup water or milk
-1 egg (optional)
-frying oil
-salt
Remove the pistils and gently wash the flowers inside and outside. Pat them dry. Prepare the batter by mixing the water (or milk), the flour, a little salt and the egg, if you decide to include it in your recipe. Make sure the batter is smooth and creamy. Dip the fiori di zucca into the batter and then fry them in very hot oil. Drain them on absorbent paper and lightly salt them. Serve them hot.
If you want to combine some language and cooking practice, we recommend Francesca Valerio’s blog on Italian recipes.
Buon Appetito!
Nonna Grazia's Tiramisu recipe
Ingredients
- 4 yolks
- 8 oz. Mascarpone cheese
- Sugar
- 1 cup of coffee
- 10-12 Savoiardi cookies
- Milk
- Powder cocoa (optional)
Start by making the coffee. She usually uses a traditional Italian Espresso coffee machine, which makes the coffee in about 4 minutes. You can even use some ready coffee, since there are many brands and kinds available at the superstore.
Meanwhile, beat the yolks with 4 tbs of sugar until creamy (1-2 minutes). Use an electrical handmixer which makes the job faster and the cream smoother. Add the mascarpone cheese and beat for an additional minute until the cream becomes very smooth.
Pour the coffee in a bowl and add some milk and sugar (or nothing at all if you like the coffee strong). Dip the Savoirdi cookies quickly on both sides to avoid that they become too moistured and eventually break.
Lay them on the bottom of a flat serving dish (a Pyrex is ideal), cover them with the cream and, right before serving, spread the top with some powder cocoa. Cover and chill for a couple of hours.
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Name: Paolo and Francesca Tosolini
Location: Bellevue, Washington, United States
Paolo was born and raised in Italy for his first 30 years. He now lives in Seattle, WA (USA) where he works for Microsoft as a New Media Business Manager.
Francesca worked as a travel agent before choosing the career of full time mom of two beautiful kids.
Through this blog, Paolo and Francesca want to share an insider view of the Italian culture, and offer useful tips and information to make your trip to Italy the most enjoyable ever.
Suggest a new topic to blog!
Email: [email protected]
Cell: (425) 985-7886.
p.s. Of course, this blog reflects only my opinions and not my employer's.
