photo credit: Neeta Lind

Happy Birthday Italy!

Every June 2nd, Italy celebrates the birth of their marvelous republic.  After World War II and the fall of facism, a referendum was held by the people of Italy and they voted to form their republic.  So this is a wonderful holiday when Italy celebrates their beloved country.

Although I posted this Tiramisu recipe back in October, I am reposting in Honor of Itay’s June 2 Celebration!  Mangia Bene!

Tiramisu has become an Italian dessert that is enormously popular everywhere.  Tokyo’s elite considered serving this to be a status symbol.  It first was introduced to the United States via Maimi and San Francisco.

Tiramisu translates to “pick me up“, probably from the espresso in the recipe.  This recipe has evolved over time and today the ingredients include ladyfingers, espresso coffee, eggs, marscapone cheese (Italian cream cheese), some sort of liquor, such as brandy, marsala, vermouth, or rum, some sort of chocolate or cocoa, and a bit of sugar.

It is commonly believed that this cake was created in the city of Siena, Italy.  At that time it was a round free-standing cake  – not at all like today’s popular version.  The original version contained no liquor as it was meant as a “pick me up” for older people and young children.  Today’s version is light as a feather – like mocha whipped cream sitting on tiny little espresso brushed cakes.

Here is a version of  Tiramisu that I’ve had for quite a while.  It is really quite easy to make.  The hard part is waiting at least two hours to eat it while it sets in the frig!

TIRAMISU
5 eggs
1 lb. ricotta
l lb. 2 oz. Marscapone cheese
5 Tablespoons rum
2 boxes Savoiardi Lady Fingers
4 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup espresso coffee, sweetened
2 Tablespoons semi-sweet cocoa powder

1.  Mix coffee and rum together and set aside.
2.  Blend together ricotta, marscapone, sugar and eggs.
3.  In an oblong baking dish, place a thin layer of the cheese mixture.
4.  Dip half of the Lady Fingers in the coffee/rum mixture and layer them in the bottom of the pan.
5.  Add a layer of cheese and sprinkle with half the cocoa.
6.  Continue with another layer of and top with cocoa.
7.  Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

I hope you will have fun impressing your friends and family with this heaven-sent Italian dessert!

Watch Chef Keith Snow make his fabulous Tiramisu right here!

Mangia Bene!

photo credit: haldean

When I ran across a recipe for Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake years ago, I knew that I had to try this one!  After all, it has one of those marvelous Toblerone chocolate bars in the recipe.  You know the ones – they come in triangular wrapping and the packaging has a picture of the Matterhorn and a bear in the logo.

Well, maybe this should actually be called a Swiss Honey Cheesecake because Toblerone chocolate is only made in Bern, Switzerland where it was made by Mr. Jean Tobler and his son in 1908.  The marvelous Toblerone not only contains the highest quality cocoa beans, but it also contains almonds and honey.  Plus, the powdered milk used in the recipe must come from Switzerland so the quality remains at the highest level.

However, the recipe says Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake, so we’ll continue to call it that.  Ricotta cheese is one of the ingredients, too, so that’s where the Italian comes into play.

In your 9 inch spring-form pan, combine 1 3/4 cups vanilla wafer or animal cookie crumbs with 1/3 cup melted butter and press into the bottom and sides of the pan.

Beat together 24 ounces of ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons of honey and 2 large eggs until smooth.  Heat 2/3 cup of heavy whipping cream to a low boil.  Remove from heat and stir in your 8 ounce Toblerone chocolate bar that you have broken into pieces.  Cool slightly and blend with the ricotta mixture.  Spoon this into your pan and bake your Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of honey over low heat and stir in a cup of granola cereal.  Spread this over your partially baked cheesecake and return it to the oven for an additional 15 minutes.

Place on a rack to cool before you remove the sides of the pan.  Wrap and chill until it is time to display your masterpiece – Chocolate Italian Honey Cheesecake!  Mangia Bene!

photo credit: Barbara L. Hanson

A traditional Italian celebration occurs every March 19th and it is called St. Joseph’s Day.  It is customary to eat Sfingi – also known as zeppole – on this day.

There are many types of sfingi.  One type is much like fried bits of sweetened bread dough dusted with sugar.  However, the traditional Italian “sfingi di San Giuseppe” is often made with ricotta cheese.  They are delicious served warm, but they can also be cooled and filled with cream or whatever you like.

There is an Italian Festival in Houston, Texas every Fall and they make thousands of sfingi to the delight of all the visitors.  If you would like to learn more about this festival, click here.

One nice thing about cooking sfingi is that if you have your oil hot enough, the little dough puffs will turn themselves over.  All you have to do is take them out when they are golden brown.

To make the traditional Italian sfingi di San Giuseppe, combine 1 pound of ricotta cheese with 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla.  Then combine 1/2 cup of flour with 2 teaspoons of baking powder and fold this into the cheese mixture.  Continue adding a little flour at a time until you have a nice thick batter.

When your oil is at about 375 degrees, drop the dough in by teaspoons and deep fry until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper sack or paper towels.

A fun thing to do with these traditional Italian “doughnuts without holes” is to arrange them all in a pyramid on a platter.  Then drizzle 1/4 cup of honey all over the pyramid and dust with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.

There are many recipes for sfingi.  Some call for yeast.  Some have raisins.  They are all wonderful and they may bring back memories of the old potato chip commercial …”Bet you can’t eat just one!”  See the guys making these at a street fair here! Mangia Bene!

photo credit: cursedthing

If you are looking to add some Italian cookies to your lineup this Christmas, why not try these heavenly Rocotta cheese cookies.  Did you know that ricotta is not really a true cheese?  It is actually  a by-product of the cheese making process.  The watery leftover liquid from the making of another cheese is called the whey.  Ricotta actually means “cooked again”.  When the whey is recooked, the final product is ricotta cheese.  Italian ricotta is made from the milk of many different animals, but the American version is almost always made from the milk of a cow.  Italian versions tend to have a nutty, sweet flavor and are more dry than American ricottas.  In Italy, you can also purchase a salty or a smoky version, as well.

In Italy, ricotta is used in many desserts such as cannolis and cheesecakes.  It is also used to make these marvelous Italian cookies!

This recipe for Italian cookies makes about two dozen.  You will want to have your oven at 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, place two cups of sugar and one cup of softened butter.  Blend together on low speed.  Then raise the speed to high and beat until the mixture is very light and fluffy – about five minutes.

Turn your speed to medium and add in a 15-oz. container of ricotta cheese, 2 teaspoons of vanilla and 2 large eggs. Beat until well blended and turn speed to low.  Add 4 cups regular flour, 2 tablespoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt.  Beat until a dough forms and drop by tablespoons a few inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake about 15 minutes.  The cookies should be starting to turn a little golden, but they will be soft.  Remove to a rack to cool.

Meanwhile, make your icing.  Mix together 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon orange extract.  When cookies are cooled, spread icing on tops of cookies and allow to dry for about an hour.

You will enjoy the smiles when people bite into these delightful Italian cookies made with ricotta cheese! 

Would you like to see author Sylvia Main make some fabulous lemon ricotta pancakes?  Click here!

Mangia Bene!

photo credit: stu_spivack

Zabaglione is a wonderful Italian dessert that is rich and custardy and has a taste of “spirits”.  There does not seem to be a consensus of opinion about the origin of this dish.  Some say Florence, some say Venice, but most agree it came about some time in the 1500′s.  The original version is actually thought to have been a drink, rather than something eaten with a spoon.  It was primarily wine that was thickened by with the addition of egg yolks.

Today it is a light custard that has at its base – egg yolks, sugar and some type of wine – Marsala, sweet sherry, or dessert wine or liquer.  The original recipes used honey as a sweetener because sugar was not readily available.  Large amounts of air are whipped into this Italian dessert delight, giving it the nice airiness that people love.  It is served hot immediately after cooking, although it can be refrigerated and served cold.

Italians LOVE Zabaglione and they even have Zabaglione flavored gelato.  Although this is considered primarily an Italian gourmet treat, it is also quite possible in parts of South America.  In fact there is a drink in Venezuela that tastes similar to Zabaglione called ponche de crema.  This is primarily served during Christmas season, much like egg nog in the United States and England.

In an Italian kitchen, you might even find a round bottom little copper pot that is supposed to be the best for making Zabaglione.  It is often made in a double boiler over barely simmering water, so as to avoid ending my with a scrambled egg mess.

This Italian dessert is traditionally served with some sort of side fruit, such as figs, berries, peaches, pears – although it is often served with a cookie or two on the side.

Italian Dessert:  Zabaglione

Starting with a double boiler, whisk four egg yolks with 1/3 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of whichever “spirit” you have decided to use.  Turn on the heat and whisk, whisk, whisk – until it thickens.  This can take 8 or 10 minutes, but the mixture will become frothy and light.  Turn off the heat and beat 1/2 cup of heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of sugar to the soft peak stage.  Fold the cream mixture into the egg mixture and serve immediately!

Would you like to see Gordon Ramsey make a marvelous Peach Zabaglione in under a minute?  It looks marvelous, although I think I would pass on adding the basil.  Want to see?  Click Here!

Watch Chef Angelo make his fabulous Zabaglione Custard with Strawberries here!

Mangia Bene!

photo credit: Ash-rly

Italian desserts are ALL wonderful, but the cool, silky, melt-in-your-mouth Gelato is in a class by itself.  Gelato actually IS an art form!  The technique was actually perfected by a Sicilian in Paris back in the 1600′s.

So what is the difference between ice cream and gelato?  One difference is that gelati (the plural) are made at a much slower pace than ice cream.  It is all of the air that is whipped into ice cream that makes it so fluffy.  Gelato is churned slowly so very little air is incorporated into the final product.  Gelato usually contains about 25% air, while ice cream can have as much as 50% air!  Since the gelato is churned slowly, the air bubbles are tiny, thus creating the soft, creamy texture.  No stabilizers or thickeners are used in the process. This addictive Italian dessert also includes more milk and less cream than ice cream, and often contains more egg yolks.
So you see that surprisingly, gelato has less fat than ice cream, despite its remarkable intense flavor!

photo credit: tee.kay
If you visit the city of Florence, you will notice that the people there rarely eat in the streets.  They do, however, make one exception to the “rule”.  You guessed it!  Gelato is everywhere!

Gelato comes in dozens of flavors.  Since hazelnuts are so popular in Tuscany, you will find Gelato de Nocciola very popular in that region.  Other popular flavors include Stracciatella (chocolate chip), Cioccolato (deep, dark chocolate), Crema (vanilla), Pistacchio and Foro Di Latte (plain).

One of the nice things about the Gelato Experience is that you can get lots of tastes in one serving!  Even a small cup or cone can have three flavors and the larger ones often have five different flavors to tingle your taste buds.

Do not think that you are going to be able to conquer this Italian dessert and come out with results equivalent to an Italian gelateria.  That won’t be happening.  Like I said, it is an art form.  You can actually buy gelato makers for home use, although they are a little on the pricey side.  The word “gelato” actually means frozen, and these machines need to be at a minimum of -4 degrees to produce good results.

I did, however, find a cute site where the person claims he made a pretty darned good gelato with his ice cream maker.  If you would like to see how he did it, click here!

If you would like to see gelato being made professionally in New York, click here!

Mangia Bene!