Italian Kitchen Secrets: chocolate

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6/02/2013

White chocolate ricotta mousse with coffee.

I was editing this recipe from my Italian blog for a contest and suddenly I thought I didn't post it here.

It's so simple and delicious I can't avoid to share it with you, it's 6 servings the size of an espresso cup as you see in the photo.

1 cup 1/4 fresh ricotta cheese (better if it's buffalo's ricotta but plain one is ok anyway)

1/2 cup white chocolate

3-4 ladyfingers or plain biscuits you can soak

1/2 cup espresso coffee

Melt chocolate bain-marie or into the microwave at very low temperature, with a beater beat ricotta cheese until fluffy then add melted chocolate while you're still beating.

Taste the cream, I think it's sweet enough but you can add a tablespoon or two of icing sugar to taste, always while beating.

beat until there are no lumps and the cream is smooth then soak biscuits divided in small pieces in cold coffee and put a piece in every cup.

With a spoon or better with a sac-a-poche pour the cream inside the cups.

You can store it in the fridge (1 day max.) or into the freezer (3 weeks max., remove them in advance from freezer before serving).

You can decorate with chocolate coffee beans and coffee powder or cocoa powder but just before serving.

2/17/2013

Sicilian cupcakes.

I'm up to something on my Italian site: a "cupcakes project".

It's sort of challenge (with myself and contribution from friends and fans) to create twenty different cupcakes, each one to match one of the Regions of Italy for ingredients and traditions.

Probably you can't name many of these Regions, I can recall some of them to your memory: Tuscany, Lombardy, Liguria and Sicily are the most famous among foreigners I think.

I don't want to post all the cupcakes I'm going to make because it will be difficult for you to find all the ingredients but I made Sicilian ones thinking of Sicilian cannoli which are quite famous worldwide then I thought you would like to try them.

With this recipe you'll have 8 cupcakes.

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup almond flour

1 tbs Marsala wine (if you like)

1 egg

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 ts baking powder

1/3 cup melted butter

1 pinch of salt

3 tbs candied orange

milk as needed to make the dough creamy

Frosting:

1+1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese

1/3 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

8 candied cherries

Finely chop the candied orange, mix all the dry ingredients then add egg, butter, Marsala and milk enough to make the dough creamy.

Fill the muffin pan and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350 F°.

Beat ricotta cheese with sugar with an elettric mixer untill fluffy then add chocolate chips and mix with a spoon.

If you want to use a sac-a-poche to spread the icing be sure to use a tip large enough to let the chocolate pass.

Yes I did the mistake if you're asking...

I had to cut the sac-a-poche and I had to use it without tip (you can see it from the photo...)

Add a candied cherry on top to decorate.

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!

5/02/2012

Ricotta cheese rolls.

Nice recipe for a light afternoon break, for a children party or even for a simple treat for the whole family without regrets.

2+1/3 cups all purpose flour

7 spoons skimmed milk

7 spoons seeds oil

3 spoons sugar

2 cups fresh ricotta cheese

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla flavour

1 egg white

1/2 cup hazelnuts toasted and minced

1/2 dark chocolate drops

Mix ricotta cheese with milk, add sugar, salt, oil then the flour sifted with baking powder.

Knead untill you have a smooth loaf and let it rest into the fridge for about 1 hour.

Divide the dough in 2 parts, same size and with a rollpin spread them in a rectangular shape, spread the dough sheets with egg white, lightly whisked, then sprinkle with hazelnuts and chocolate drops.

Roll the two parts and cut each into slices about 1/2 inch tall.

Put them on a baking pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes at 356 F°.

When cold sprikle with icing sugar.

You can choose many other filling: cinnamon and apples, almonds and chocolate...Just chop them in tiny pieces!

4/29/2012

Gluten-free chocolate cake.

This flourless cake is very very similar to a chocolate cake made in Ferrara (North of Italy) that's called "Tenerina" (softy cake) and made the first time in honour of Elena Petrovich from Montenegro, married to Vittorio Emanuele III and their tender love.
It's really really easy and everyone can make it but it's really good.

4-oz dark chocolate coarsely chopped

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Melt chocolate with butter into the microwave at low temperature mixing now and then, add sugar, mix untill warm then add eggs one at time mixing well.
Add vanilla extract and sifted cocoa, mix and pour into a slightly greased 8 inch pan.
Bake at 375 F° about 20-25 minutes, cake will remain short, soft and moist.
Serve at room temperature with a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar.

2/22/2010

Two-coloured ring-shaped cake ( Ciambellone bicolore).

from gingerandtomato.com

A nice recipe for morning breakfast or afternoon snack or...Well, whatever! LOL

I love it because I used to eat it when I was a child, my mum still often prepare it because it's quick, fast and have the smell of something made with love.

You need:

8 1/2 oz. all purpose flour

8 1/2 oz. sugar

3 eggs

4 1/2 oz. milk

4 1/2 oz. extra-virgin olive oil ( delicate taste)

1 bag baking powder

2 spoons cocoa powder

pearl sugar

Beat eggs with sugar untill smooth, add milk and oil and mix.

Add flour with baking powder and blend in.

Grease a ring- shaped cake pan and pour half of the mixture in it.

Into the half still in the bowl add cocoa and mix untill blended.

Pour gently over the first half and sprinkle with pearl sugar.

Put in preheated oven for about 40 minutes at 345 F°.

Oh now I'm starving to death for it, tomorrow I'll do a ciambellone! ^^

9/22/2009

Homemade chocolate and hazelnuts cream ( Nutella fatta in casa).

Today I'm going to post the recipe of a famous Italian chocolate and nuts called "Nutella".

Of course this receipe will give you the chance of making it at home, tasty and healthy, sweetened as you want and witha great hazelnuts flavour.

The recipe is easy and quite quick, the only thing you must pay attention to is nuts whisking: you must obtain a smooth cream and it takes quite long, even half an hour with electric mixer.

You need:

5 oz. whole toasted hazelnuts

3 1/2 oz. milk chocolate

7 oz. dark chocolate

3 1/2 oz. sugar

1/2 cup whole milk

1/3 cup peanuts oil

vanilla seeds from a fresh vanilla bean

Put hazelnuts and sugar into the electric mixer and start whisking: whisk untill you have a greasy cream (it's nuts' oil) then add the two kind of chocolate in tiny pieces and whisk again.

Add milk and peanuts oil then vanilla seeds then mix well once again.

Put on fire, cook in a bain-marie for about 15 minutes, untill you have a thick cream, well amalgamated.

Let it get cold then pour in glass jam jar.

Store in the fridge, use within about 2 months.

It's great in the morning on fresh bread, every child in Italy eats it, I think you can compare Nutella to the American peanuts butter.

P.S. : this is the real Nutella in its packaging:

http://www.buttalapasta.it/wp-galleryo/pandoro-alla-nutella/la-nutella.jpg

4/02/2009

Rice crispies and Mars cake ( Torta al riso soffiato e Mars)

I suppose you well know what a Mars snack is.

To tell you the truth I can't find it tasty even if I'm fond of mou cream.

This cake is something that, according to me, only children can love...

But for their parties it's so useful because it's quick and can be stored for a long time, it doesn't need spoons, plates or forks and it's totally junk :P

You need:

6 mars snacks

8 1/2 oz. rice crispies (white or chocolate ones)

3 1/2 butter

Divide mars in little pieces, put in a pan with butter and let it melt "bagnomaria".

When butter and melted mars will be well amalgamated add rice crispies and mix, keeping on low heat always "bagnomaria".

Take a baking tin (better if it's one with border that can be opened), pour the mix and press well with a spoon or even hands.

Let it get cold at room temperature, before serving take it out of the tin and cut with a long knife in slices or squares or brills.

If you want to decor the cake put on the bottom of the cake tin coloured chocolate coriandoli then pour the mixture: they will remain sticked to the cake.

P.S. : I rember this recipe from my childhood, especially in birthday parties but I never did it personally.

On the web the measures vary a lot so try this one than seems to me a good proportion then adjust the recipe following your taste (more mars, less butter or whatever).

3/30/2009

Giant homemade Oreos ( Biscotti al cioccolato accoppiati)

Oreos are sold in Italy too but not very loved.

I know that abroad, instead, they're really really appreciated, especially in the English-speaking world ( U.K., U.S.A. ...).

This is a funny and easy recipe to have really big kind of Oreo cookies, perfect for children and teen-ager parties but even for unformal meetings with friends maybe for a tv- movie night.

For 4 serves you need:

3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate

6 oz. all purpose flour

1 egg

2 oz. bitter cocoa powder

1 1/2 oz. butter

2 oz. sugar

1 oz. icing sugar

vanilla flavour

a sprinkle of salt

1 cup milk cream

Chop chocolate and let it melt "bagnomaria".

Mix butter with sugar very well then add vanilla flavour, egg and the melted chocolate.

Add then cocoa, flour and a sprinkle of salt; mix again untill you have a smooth dough.

Stretch it with a roll-pin in a layer of about 1/4 inch, if it's stitcky don't add flour but icing sugar.

With a cookie cutter round shaped or a glass cut biscuits in even number.

Put them on a buttered baking tin and cook for about 8 minutes in pre-heated oven at 345°F.

Let them get cold, then whip milk cream with icing sugar, spread whipped cream on a cookie then cover with another.

Put in fridge for at least 2 hours then serve cold.

P.S. If you want to give a spicy touch you can add at the cookie dough a generous sprinkle of red chili pepper powder.

It fits great!

For adults only ;)

3/21/2009

Potato masher's cake with ricotta cheese ( Torta dello schiacciapatate con ricotta).

This recipe is easy peasy, quick and a sure success for any kind of meal, with family, friends, colleagues...

The cake in the photo misses of the last icing sugar sprinkle but I wanted to take the picture immediately :P

The potato masher I'm speaking about is like this (with big holes) :

You need for the shortcrust pastry:

10 1/2 oz. all purpose flour

5 1/5 oz. sugar

3 1/2 oz. butter

2 eggs

1 bag baking powder for cakes

For the stuffing:

25 oz. ricotta cheese

3 1/2 oz. sugar

Decoration:

dark chocolate chopped in irregular pieces

icing sugar

Mix all the ingredients to make the pastry and divide the loaf in two parts of the same wheight.

Put one part in the potato masher, take a baking tin of about 10 inches diameter and press untill strands of pastry fall down.

Spread them quite evenly but don't worry if you see holes between the strands: the dough, rising, will close them.

Mix ricotta cheese with sugar then pour on the base of pastry's strands, put the other half of the loaf in the potato masher and cover ricotta with the same process, once again don't worry about holes :)

Heat the oven at about 345° F, before putting in the oven sprinkle icing sugar on top of the cake and add chocolate chops.

Bake for 45 minutes.

The result will be the one in the photo...Enjoy! :D

2/22/2009

Cocoa and vanilla liquor ( Liquore cacao e vaniglia)

Another liquor recipe, easy to prepare and perfect as present for adults even for the incoming Easter.

It's ready to drink, no need to wait weeks or months.

If you live in a hot place better store it in a cold place or fridge.

You need:

2 cups skimmed milk

1 cup pure alcool

3 1/2 oz. bitter cocoa powder

1 vanilline bag

1 pound sugar

Heat milk but do not let it boil, add cocoa and mix untill there are no lumps.
Add sugar too and let it melt into milk.
Now you have a sort of "cream" , let it cold then add alcool in which you have melted vanilline.
Mix again and put in bottles, then close.

2/08/2009

Tenerina cake (Torta tenerina)

It's Valentine's day period, everyone is looking for presents, flowers, chocolate.

I read everywhere of women and girls in search of chocolate treats for their men so I decidet to post the recipe of a very particoular cake, Tenerina cake.

It's a typical dessert from Ferrara city (not far from Bologna, I've got there my uncles and cousins, it's a little and quiet city, perfect for a slow kind of life, for bicycles, famous for the ferrarese bread).

This cake remains very short, humid: it's normal, it's quite a sort of brownie to tell the truth.

You need:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/3 cup all purpose flour

8 oz. dark chocolate

1 1/2 oz. milk

3 eggs

salt (a sprinkle)

Chop chocolate then melt it with milk "bagnomaria" (in a double saucepan).

In a bowl mix butter and sugar untill you obtain a cream then add 3 egg yolks and flour.

Let the chocolate getting warm then add to the cream mixing.

In a bowl apart whip the egg whites up with a sprinkle of salt (the egg whites should be at room temperature) then add them to the chocolate mixture mixing carefully and slowly.

Pour it in a buttered cake tin and cook for about 25 minutes at 300 F°.

When the cake is cold sprinkle with icing sugar, you can also make or buy a heart-shaped stencil and use it to decor the cake with sugar; you can serve it with whipped cream aside.

2/04/2009

Cappuccino cookies (Biscotti al cappuccino)

I saw I post so many sweet recipes...

It's strange to tell you the truth because I prefer salty dishes: pasta, meat and so on.

But maybe it's because making sweets is so funny!

These biscuits are great in the morning, soaked in a creamy cappuccino.

I love cappuccino so much but a lot more "latte macchiato" ( stained milk): it's very similar to cappuccino but there's more milk and not a whole espresso inside.

Unluckly I'm really sensitive to coffee and it turns my stomach upside down if I drink too much :(

You need:

4 ounces dark chocolate chopped

1 cup brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon grinded coffè

1 teaspoon baking powder

a sprinkle of salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup toasted hazelnuts coarsely chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a food processor, blend together the chocolate and brown sugar until fine.

Mix together the flour, espresso powder, baking soda and salt.

In a separate bowl, blend the eggs and vanilla until the mixture is light and fluffy.

Add half the chocolate mixture and blend at low speed.

Add half the flour mixture and blend.

Repeat blending just until mixed.

Stir in the hazelnuts and mix throughout the dough.

With a roll-pin stretch the dough and cut biscuits of the shapes you prefer.

Bake the cookies for about 25 to 30 minutes or even less or more, it depends on the oven you have: they must results quite dry but of course not burned.

Cool the biscotti completely and then store in a biscuit box or a jar.

10/08/2008

Chocolate salami dessert (Salame al cioccolato)

The shape it's the one of salami, it's served sliced like a salami...But it's not a real salami!^^

Today it's time for a chocolate delight, a sweet dessert easy to prepare, you can even involve children, for their joy!

I remember when I was little and I had the occasion to prepare it with my mum, I always had had a lot of fun!

Ingredients:

3 onces cocoa powder

1/2 once hazelnuts

3 1/2 onces sugar

2 1/2 onces butter

5 onces biscuits (plain ones)

1 egg + 1 yolk

icing sugar

Bake hazelnuts in the oven untill they're toasted (if they're not still), break them in little pieces.

Put biscuits in a plastic bag for food and crush them with a rollpin or something similar: they must be well broken but not completely pulverized.

Keep off the butter from fridge and let it getting soft.

Put in a bowl the egg and the yolk, mix them with sugar untill you have a smooth cream.

Add cocoa powder and butter and mix again very well.

Add hazelnuts and biscuit, mix untill everything is well amalgamated.

Pour the mixture on a big oven paper sheet, give it the shape of a big salami and put in the fridge for at least 3-4 hours.

Before serving keep off the paper and powder the dessert with icing sugar, then slice it and make your family and guests happy! ;)

9/13/2008

Tiramisu' dessert (Tiramisu')

Tiramisu' is a very famous Italian dessert but it's quite new even on our tables.

It hasn't got a long history but, because of it's own great taste, everyone loves it.

Tiramisu’ can be prepared in advance and kept in the freezer.

Remember to remove it from the freezer enough time in advance to serve it cold but soft, not frozen.

Ingredients:

1 cup and half of espresso coffee

about 40 savoiardi biscuits (ladyfinger cookies)

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites, whipped

1 lb. mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup of sugar

cocoa powder or chocolate chips/ drops

1/2 cup of marsala wine (if you like, it's an optional, I never use it)

Prepare espresso and let it be cold (you can sugar it when it's hot and mix but I don't love very much too sweet desserts so I don't usually do it).

With a rubber spatula mash mascarpone cheese untill it's creamy, mix yolks and sugar untill sugar is melted and pour the mixture in the bowl with mascarpone.

Beat very well, untill everything is well mixed, if you want add marsala wine now.

Whip the whites and add them to mascarpone: fold the whipped whites in the cream mixing up and down (not round) gently.

Now take a glass container of about 12 X 8 inches, soak ladyfinger one at time and places them in a layer on the bottom of container.

Pour and spread half of the mascarpone cream over the cookies, repeat the step with a second layer of biscuits and top with the rest of the cream.

Sprinkle with cocoa powder or cover with chocolate chips (my favourite!).

Refrigerate for about 3-4 hours.

You can also choose individual servings in glass cups, here just put one layer of ladyfingers and then a generous quantity of cream, in this case 2 hours in the freezer are enough.

Italian Kitchen Secrets

6/02/2013

White chocolate ricotta mousse with coffee.

2/17/2013

Sicilian cupcakes.

12/12/2012

Spiced white hot chocolate.

5/02/2012

Ricotta cheese rolls.

4/29/2012

Gluten-free chocolate cake.

2/22/2010

Two-coloured ring-shaped cake ( Ciambellone bicolore).

9/22/2009

Homemade chocolate and hazelnuts cream ( Nutella fatta in casa).

4/02/2009

Rice crispies and Mars cake ( Torta al riso soffiato e Mars)

3/30/2009

Giant homemade Oreos ( Biscotti al cioccolato accoppiati)

3/21/2009

Potato masher's cake with ricotta cheese ( Torta dello schiacciapatate con ricotta).

2/22/2009

Cocoa and vanilla liquor ( Liquore cacao e vaniglia)

2/08/2009

Tenerina cake (Torta tenerina)

2/04/2009

Cappuccino cookies (Biscotti al cappuccino)

10/08/2008

Chocolate salami dessert (Salame al cioccolato)

9/13/2008

Tiramisu' dessert (Tiramisu')

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