Tag: simple

Simple and nice Christmas treats – Italian Cuisine

Santa Claus, the fir, the candy canes are all symbols of the holiday season. Why not bring them to the table in the form of nice easy-to-make sweets?

TO Christmas each family has its own traditions, especially as regards cooking. In Italy then, the typical dishes that cannot be missing in party menu sometimes they cannot be counted on the fingers of both hands and the same goes for i desserts. But for those who want to get out of the usual patterns and propose something more creative and imaginative, here are some ideas to make gods easy and cute Christmas treats, which recall the various with their shape symbols of Christmas.

Cupcake in the shape of Santa Claus

Santa Claus it is undoubtedly the icon of the holiday season and its image peeps out almost everywhere. Why not bring it too at the table in the form of cupcake? For the base of 12 cupcakes you need 120 grams of flour 00, 120 grams of butter, 120 grams of sugar, three eggs, five grams of yeast in powder for sweets and a teaspoon of essence to vanilla. For the decoration you need 300 grams of sugar icing, 150 grams of butter, a teaspoon of vanilla essence, a tablespoon of milk, 300 grams of sugar paste red and 100 grams of white. In a bowl, put the softened butter, sugar, vanilla essence and mix with whips. Add the eggs and continue working the ingredients. Then add the sifted flour and baking powder and mix everything together. Transfer the dough to 12 red paper cups, arrange them in one muffin pan and bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 25 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the hats of Santa Claus with sugar paste and cream. In a bowl, mix the butter, milk, vanilla essence and icing sugar with whisk, which must be poured gradually. Once ready, transfer the cream into one sac-à-poche with star nozzle to garnish the cupcakes and place the hat on top.

Christmas treats in the shape of meringue trees

Another inevitable symbol of Christmas is thetree. To bring it to the table you can create colorful meringues that remember its shape. For 20 meringues you need 2 egg whites (about 70 grams), 70 grams of powdered sugar, 70 grams of caster sugar, a teaspoon of dye food green, a pinch of Cream of tartar is colored sprinkles to garnish. First, whisk the egg whites until stiff. Gradually add a spoonful of powdered sugar and one of granulated sugar and continue to work everything for about 10-15 minutes. When the meringue is shiny and compact, add the green dye, little by little until the desired color is obtained. Transfer the mixture to one sac-à-poche with star nozzle and on a baking sheet covered with baking paper draw some tufts that develop in height. Decorate the saplings with colored sprinkles, cook at 80 ° for at least three hours and let them cool completely in the oven before serving.

Christmas “hugs” for breakfast

Some other easy-to-prepare and perfect sweets breakfast on December 25th are the Christmas "hugs", shortbread biscuits whose shape recalls that of candy canes. For the classic shortcrust pastry you need 250 grams of flour 00, a egg, 100 grams of sugar icing, 125 grams of butter and the grated zest of half a lemon. For the cocoa one 150 grams of flour 00, 15 grams of cocoa powder, 75 grams of butter, 85 grams of sugar icing it's a yolk. In a blender, blend the flour together with the butter reduced to small pieces and a pinch of salt. Once the mixture is sandy, add the lightly beaten egg, icing sugar and lemon zest (the yolk and cocoa in the case of the cocoa one). Operate the robot and work the mixture until all the ingredients are completely blended. Then form two loaves, wrap them in cling film and let them rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour. At this point, form with each dough cylinders with a diameter of half a centimeter and a length of 7 or 8, weave them and give them the shape of stick. Arrange the biscuits on a baking tray covered with baking paper e cook at 180 degrees for 20 minutes.

5 simple secrets for making a chef's broth – Italian Cuisine

Five tricks, from the parmesan crust to the temperature of the water, to change your broth forever (even the Christmas one). From beginner to pro level, you need it too

There is always a reason, sometimes more than one, why some of the recipes are better than others. But "no chef secrets", the reasons are very often written in science books. Or now in the new Why don't spaghetti Bolognese exist?A volume (Ippocampo edizioni) that answers hundreds of questions about the kitchen and its tools very frankly, to become aware and improve without having to study as for a doctorate. Of the many why the author Arthur La Caisne he answers there is a section dedicated to broth that is perfect for this period. A broth can really make a difference during Christmas lunch, in fact, but also in everyday life, from the classic risotto to the mistreated soups. So here are five tricks to go from a sad bland broth to a super broth.

Beginner level: umami

The easiest way to improve a broth that doesn't taste much is to add a parmesan crust or a drizzle of soy sauce to the pot. Both will give your broth the famous umami flavor, the savory, which will "push" the flavor without overpowering the others. The result of a single gesture will be more pleasant and tasty.

Amateur level: do not salt

There is a limit to the amount of flavors that can dissolve in water. When the water is saturated it will no longer be able to absorb other flavors. Salting the water at the beginning will prevent the ingredients you put in your broth from releasing all their flavors, leading to a bland and forgettable result. So don't salt the broth and it will be even tastier.

Advanced level: use rich cuts of meat

Collagen po they fero or po they feather. If it is not cooked enough or at too high a temperature it becomes a shoe sole, instead if you are careful, it melts into a tasty, lean cream, which helps to capture other flavors. Do not use fine cuts, you will only waste money and the broth will be much less tasty than the cheap one. The neck, the head, the royal and the white stalk are therefore welcome. Cut them into small pieces to reduce cooking time and favor the infusion of flavors into the water.

Professional level: do not boil the water

As many know, starting with cold water allows you to better extract the flavors from the meat. However, few know that a good broth must cook while remaining between 80 ° and 85 ° degrees. This allows for a better quality of the infusion, because the collagen remains dissolved, the flavors remain sharp and clean, no bitter foams are created that force us to foam it continuously. So, to have a better control of the temperature, better do a lot of it, on the fire to the minimum, with a cast iron or terracotta pot that distribute the heat evenly. Then check it: better to have a real professional thermometer, but failing that, just observe that it makes a maximum of one or two bubbles every now and then. This is the main tip for transforming your broth from a simple accompaniment to an irresistible golden infusion.

Chef level: design the broth according to the dish

Not all broths are the same. Try different combinations and taste them to become real experts. Do you want a persistent broth? Do not degrease it and do not clarify it. Do you want clearer tastes and a cleaner mouth? Microfilter it, let it cool in the fridge and remove the superficial fat with a spoon. Do you want a roasted flavor? Put the bones in the oven at 180 degrees until they brown and then dip them in cold water. Do you want to have a French touch? Also roast vegetables and meat in the oven. Which broth is best, you will decide on the basis of the balance of the final dish. Try it, indulge yourself and your diners will compete for the last spoonful.

Bonus level: Don't waste the broth

The broth does not keep for long. It can be frozen, but there are better options to take full advantage of it. In the Christmas lunch, for example, you can use it with cappelletti or tortellini, then you can use it in cooking the roast and finally reduce it to make it a sauce or sauce. Broth is a very versatile base that can transform even a simple soup into a dish to remember.

Text by Jacopo Giavara, Margo Schachter

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the simple recipe with yogurt and figs – Italian Cuisine

Ingredients

1 Jar of plain yogurt (to be stored and used as a measuring cup)
3 jars wholemeal spelled flour
2 jars of whole cane sugar
1 jar of seed oil
1 pc Sachet of baking powder
A pinch of salt
Grated zest of an organic lemon

Duration: 1 h

Level: Easy

Doses: 8 people

Mix everything, even with the planetary mixer, and form a homogeneous mixture. Separately, caramelize 4/5 fresh figs in slices with sugar and brandy in a pan. Put half a layer of dough, the caramelized figs, the chopped hazelnuts in a loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Finish with the other half of the dough and the chopped hazelnuts. Bake in a static oven at 180 ° C for 45 minutes.

Stefania says: we in the family liked it very much, it's simple, healthy and with seasonal fruit, an excellent breakfast or snack for the kids. But also for adults!

The chef's secret: to be good the plumcake dough must be soft and swollen inside and well cooked on the outside. By adding a touch of humidity in the cooking compartment, it will penetrate the dough, keeping it moist and facilitating leavening.

Recipe from our reader Stefania.