Italian Kitchen Secrets: Christmas

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5/15/2013

Milk liquor.

This is a liquor made in the South of italy, in a very small and not well-known abroad region called Molise.

You can drink it, I made and tried it but, according to me, it gives its best into cakes and cookies and sweets in general.

It's not difficult to believe, it's made of milk, lemon and vanilla so it gives your sweet a great flavour!

17 oz. whole milk

17 oz. pure liquor alcool

18 oz. granulated sugar

1/2 organic lemon

1 vanilla pod

In a big bottle or airtight container pour all the ingredients (open the vanilla pod and scratch the seeds).

Keep it for 15 days or more (even a month) in a dark place, shake it now and then.

Filter with a very fine sifter and pour in a bottle.

You will see the liquor stratified: the lighter part on the top, the cream on the bottom: it's ok, just shake before use.

Soon I'll post a recipe for cupcakes made with this liquor, honoring the region of Molise as I did with Sicily: stay tuned!

12/12/2012

Spiced white hot chocolate.

Yes I've decided to indulge in one more seasonal treat...Hot chocolate.

It's delicious in every shape and flavour but the version I created to appraise a wonderful saffron from Sardinia called San Gavino have that special flair that make you say "let's do this again".

My hubby doesn't like saffron very much, he usually can just stand it into a risotto alla milanese but I swear he drank two cups of this chocolate and asked for more.

For 2 plenty servings:

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup heavy cream

4 cups half-and-half

1 bag saffron powder

a big pinch of ground ginger

few saffron pistils to decorate if you have

In saucepan over low heat, combine white chocolate chips and heavy cream.

Stir continuously until white chocolate chips have completely melted.

Stir in the half-and-half and stir until thick then add the saffron powder and mix very well.

Pour into cups, sprinkle a pinch of ground ginger on top (as much as you like) and few saffron pistils to decorate.

Serve with dark chocolate cookies and enjoy you holidays!

12/07/2012

A nice, quick and easy treat for the incoming holidays.
You just have to wrap each candy into clingfilm or tin foil.
If you leave them free they stick to each other.
You can pur them into chocolate molds or into a baking pan (if so cut them into squares when they're cold).
With this recipe you'll have about 30 toffees the size of a chocolate.

2/3 cup granulated or raw sugar (I used raw, Muscovado)

4.5 oz. fresh milk cream

0.7 oz. honey or corn syrup ( I used honey)

1.4 oz. butter

vanilla flavour

2 teaspoon fleur de sel

Put all the ingredients in a saucepan but a teaspoon of salt (sprinkle this one on the bottom of the pan/moulds).
Let it simmer on low fire untill you have a sticky mixture then try to pour a drop of caramel into a glass of cold water: if it melts you have to cook it more, if it forms a gummy drop it's ready.
Pour the liquid caramel into moulds then let it cold, you can store the moulds into the fridge, the candies will be hard and easy to be wrapped into film.
Then store in an airtight box.

12/18/2009

Glass cookies ( Biscotti di vetro).

from lascimmiacruda.info

Hi everyone!

I'm still here, hanging around my blogs: little time to post but I don't want to give up, really!

The pregnancy is going on very well but I still feel sickness even if I passed the first three months: it's a little trouble compared to the happyness of the event but it still could be a big trouble if you manage a kitchen blog. ;)

This recipe is easy as one two three, you just need shortcrust pastry to make cookies, cookie cutters and hard candies, the colours and the flavours you prefer.

Now spread pastry about 1/4 inch and cut the shapes you like.

Inside the shape cut another hole, the same shape but little or rounded, it depends only on your creativity.

Crush hard candies on a chopping board and with candy's crumbles fill the hole in the centre of the cookie.

Cook in preheated oven for about 15 minutes at 345 F°, the crumbles will melt and create a nice "glass" panel inside your cookie.

They're so beautiful you can use them to decorate your Christmas' tree...

They would be nice in heart shaped and red for Valentine's day!

12/30/2008

Egg liquor (Bombardino all'uovo)

The perfect treat for cold days and nights, delicious if warmed a little, great if drunk with Christmas sweets.

Ingredients:

3 cups of non skimmed milk

29 ounces sugar

6 egg yolks

1 cup alchool

1 cup sweet rum

1 vanillin sachet

Boil the milk with half of the sugar gently mixing now and then.

Let it cook a couple of minutes after boiling, then turn off the heat and let it warm.

In a big bowl mix egg yolks with the other half of sugar untill they're creamy and frothy: now add little by little the warm milk, mixing very well to avoid lumps: to be sure you can filter the liquid at this point.

I didn't do it anyway.

Add vanillin, alcohol and rum liquor, mix again then pour in bottles and close them.

Wait about a week before using, shaking the bottles sometimes.

12/18/2008

Egg custard (Zabaglione or Zabaione)

Zabaione is a sweet egg custard very tasty, flavoured with Marsala wine.

It's often made douring Christmas holidays, when you spend time with friends and family.

You need:

4 egg yolks1/2 cup

sugar1/2 cup

Marsala wine (or Port or Madeira if you can't find Marsala)

Beat egg yolks until fluffy in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water (this kind of cooking is called Bagnomaria).

Add sugar and beat again, then Marsala and beat.

Whisk over simmering water, until the cream thickens but don't let it boil, turn off the fire a little before.

Let the cream cool (room temperature) then serve in glass or glass bowls, decorate with biscuits, fresh fruit or/and whipped cream.

You can also use this cream to fill tarts, cakes or as a sauce for other sweets like Christmas cakes.

Italian Kitchen Secrets