Tag: sweets

Abruzzese Christmas sweets: the sfogliatella – Italian Cuisine

Revisiting the original Neapolitan recipe, the sfogliatella has been the cake of the Abruzzo Christmas tradition for about a century

There Abruzzese puff pastry it is a traditional Christmas dessert that is still made by hand following an ancient recipe whose filling is typical of Abruzzo sweets: homemade or scrunched grape jam, cocoa powder, almonds, cinnamon.

History

It differs from the original sfogliatella due to its filling, but also because of the Abruzzese puff pastry it is softer with the thinner layers of dough. The origin of this dessert dates back to the early twentieth century, in Lama dei Peligni, and is attributed to Donna Annina Di Guglielmo who received the original Neapolitan sfogliatella recipe from her mother-in-law Francesca D'Antonio, noblewoman of Santa Maria Capua Vetere, on the occasion of a trip to Naples.
When, in 1902, she settled in Lama, Donna Annina modified the recipe adapting it to the availability of local ingredients and creating what would become an undisputed regional tradition, which began in the early 60's when the family cook shared the recipe with the country women who began to reproduce it.
The sheet became softer by adding the lard, of which there was great availability, while the filling was replaced with the typical products of the area.
The processing, very complex, for the preparation of the sheet is done by hand and provides 4 or 5 layers separated by loose lard, even if each family has created its own recipe with small, but significant, variants that require the replacement of lard with oil extra virgin olive oil or (rarely) butter.
We like the recipe that we propose because it is not based on the weight of the ingredients, but on a game of proportions, therefore on the skill and dexterity of those who make it!

Ingredients and procedure

dough
6 egg yolks
3 spoons of sugar
Place the egg whites in a glass and keep them as a unit of measurement.
In fact, the quantity of white wine and seed oil to be used will be equal to the quantity of egg whites that you have kept aside, but which will not be needed for the preparation.
Flour in the quantity necessary to obtain a consistent but soft dough.

Lard for brushing the dough.

Stuffed
Scrunched of Montepulciano grapes.
200 g grated dark chocolate
200 g shelled, toasted and chopped almonds
200 g of crumbled amaretti biscuits
Ground coffee and cinnamon
2 glasses of Punch Abruzzese liqueur
Zest of 1 grated orange

Secret: when you work the dough washer, and before putting the filling, remember to turn it over so that the dough is flaking.

Text by Romina Ciferni

Ideas and recipes for Christmas sweets – Italian Cuisine

Not just pandoro and panettone: discover our recipes to prepare traditional and not Christmas sweets. To please those who prefer fresh or spoon desserts

After i rich Feast meals not everyone wants panettone and pandoro, but would prefer a fresh and creamy sweet, maybe spooned and chocolatey. Panic? No fear: we have collected recipes from Christmas sweets from the fridge (but not only) that will please everyone, even those who do not renounce traditions.

Traditional Christmas sweets from the fridge

There is no need to move away from the classics if you don't want to turn on the oven. The Mont Blanc, a riot of browns and cream, is often associated with the Festivals, given its richness. But there is also the blancmange – a pudding based on almond milk widespread in Sicily, Sardinia and Valle d'Aosta – which, perhaps, could be enrich with pistachios and chopped dark chocolate on the surface so as not to disfigure on the Christmas table.
The tiramisu, which is not exactly Christmas, usually satisfies everyone anyway and to give it a Christmas touch you could prepare it in single-portion cups with slices of pandoro or panettone instead of ladyfingers. And how not to mention, among the Christmas sweets from the fridge, the Bonet, a Piedmontese pudding made with cocoa and macaroons, and it eggnog?

No fridge or oven

In addition to Christmas sweets from the fridge, there are a number of delicacies that do not include the use of the oven, but neither of the fridge: le Apulian carteddate he Neapolitan struffoli they are fried sweetness. And then there is the whole vast world of gods nougats and gods crunchy – almond or sesame – le candied orange peel, dates and dried figs stuffed with walnuts and mascarpone.

Cold sweets for Christmas

Christmas sweets from the fridge to amaze

If your purpose is, instead of surprising the diners, with a Christmas menu but different from the usual why not bring to the table Orange baskets with sorbet for dessert: add a pinch of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves to give a Christmas scent. Also an semifreddo – maybe with chestnuts with whiskey sauce – it will delight the palate of your guests, not making them feel the lack of panettone & co. For last-minute guests prepare one mousse in single-portion glasses that will cool while you dine: do the custard with your recipe of the heart, that of the grandmother who never fails and cook it until it is very thick. Add us chopped nougat finely with a mixer and a goccino of the liqueur you have at home. Fill the glasses with this rich cream, perhaps helping yourself with a pastry bag for a cleaner result and refrigerate. At the time of serving, garnish with melted dark chocolate, chopped nougat and maybe some toasted panettone or crumbled Christmas biscuit.
And who does not renounce chocolate? The chocolate salami is always good, even in the veg version to be suitable for everyone and made with Christmas cookies instead of the classic dry biscuits. Now all that remains is to choose which Christmas sweets for the fridge to prepare.

Christmas sweets

Halloween sweets, three tips to prepare them with the children – Italian Cuisine

Do you want to make sweets, to give as gifts or to eat for Halloween? Follow the advice of our pastry chef of La Suola de La Cucina Italiana

The party of Halloween is now at the door; you can't be caught unprepared if someone rings at the door saying "Trick or treat?". Here you can find simple and quick ideas for Halloween sweets to prepare with the children, three easy recipes and also fun.

Don't miss the advice of pastry chefs from The School of Italian Cuisine, to prepare Halloween sweets for this special party.

Greedy "Pumpkins"

To make small delicious "pumpkins", you can take some tangerines and dig the inner part, removing the pulp; use a teaspoon to help you. Once the slices are removed, dry the inside with a sheet of absorbent paper and with a black marker draw the eyes and the mouth of a scary Halloween pumpkin.
Then fill the mandarins with a pudding to the chocolate. The scenic effect is assured: the dark color of the pudding and the orange of the mandarin will create a beautiful contrast. Here is a quick recipe!

Ingredients:
200 ml Milk
50 lt Fresh cream
50 g Milk chocolate
2 g Fish paste
25 g Egg yolk
85 g Whole eggs
100 g Sugar
1 g Salt
Orange peel

Method:
Bring the cream and milk to the boil. Combine the grated orange zest, chocolate and isinglass, previously soaked and squeezed. In a bowl beat the eggs with the sugar and salt. Combine the two compounds and pour everything into the baking molds. Cook at 150 ° C in a water bath for about 50 minutes. Then let it cool and serve.

Witch's Fingers

To make the horrible fingers of the witch, roll out the pastry, creating a sausage. Divide it, then, into pieces about 8 centimeters long; to make them more like fingers, place three small cuts on the surface and place one end on one almond. Cook i cookies in the oven and serve them next to a jar of jam of berries, to simulate blood. Do you want to make jam at home? Follow this recipe!

Ingredients:
– 500 g Forest fruits
– 100 g Sugar
– 6 g Pectin powder
– 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Method:
Cook the berries together with the pectin and sugar; count 6 minutes from when it reaches a boil. When they are completely wilted, add the lemon juice and mix.

Sweet ghosts

To make some funny ghosts, take some meringues dried with the classic sprig shape; let it melt chocolate in a bain-marie or directly in the microwave oven and draw the eyes and the mouth of ghosts. Alternatively, you can use a food marker. Your Halloween treats will be good and scary at the same time!
Don't you know how to make meringues properly? Here is the recipe!

Ingredients:
– 200 g Egg whites
– 400 g Sugar

Method:
Pour the egg whites into the planetary tank; mount them, making them foam, and add the sugar several times. Continue to whisk until you get a firm meringue. Insert the mixture into a pastry bag with the spout of at least 1 cm. On a baking sheet make many small tufts, respecting the classic cone shape of the meringues. Bake in a static oven at 90 ° C for at least 2 hours / 2 hours and a half based on the size of the meringues. Allow to cool and decorate to taste.

Do you like cooking with your children? Come to La Scuola de la Cucina Italiana! We have many laboratories dedicated to families: look here!

Texts by Caterina Limido