natale

This recipe is traditional to the Campania region of Italy and it is usually made during Christmas. Although you can make it whenever you can!

Easy Struffoli Recipe

flour

lemon (zest)

orange (zest)

sugar

tsp salt

tsp baking powder

unsalted butter

eggs (medium)

vanilla extract

tbsp rum

Vegetable or canola oil (for frying)

honey

lemon juice

sprinkles

candied fruits

confectioner's sugar

Mix the flour, lemon and orange zest, sugar, salt, and baking powder.

In a food processor, mix the dry ingredients with butter. Blend until all the lumps of butter are almost gone. The mixture should resemble a coarse meal.

Slowly add the eggs and vanilla extract. Blend until the dough becomes something that resembles a big ball.

Cover the dough with a saran wrap and keep in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

Next, roll the dough into thick cords of about a quarter of inch thick. Cut the dough into portions of about half an inch and roll each into small balls. Each dough ball should be about the size of a regular hazelnut.

Lightly dust the dough balls with flour. Make sure to cover every one but make sure not to put too much flour.

Mixing the dough

In a saucepan, put some oil over medium heat. Keep track of the temperature using a thermometer. Heat it up until it reaches 375° Fahrenheit.

Fry the dough balls in batches. It should take around two to three minutes per batch.  Dough balls should be a light golden brown.

Meanwhile, line a serving plate with paper towels.

Once the dough balls are done, place them on the plate and let the paper towels absorb the excess oil.

Frying the dough balls

Combine honey, lemon juice, rum (or brandy), and sugar in a saucepan. Cook the mixture under medium heat.

Continuously stir the honey mixture with a spatula, and cook until all the sugar is completely dissolved.

Once it’s done, turn off the heat and add the fried dough balls carefully into the mixture. Stir the mixture carefully, making sure not to damage the dough.

Once all the dough balls are covered with the honey mixture, transfer them to a serving plate. Set the remaining mixture aside.

Meanwhile, arrange the dough balls around the serving platter, leaving a hole at the center. You may place a glass in the middle so that you can estimate the hole you are creating. You can also simply make a mound of dough balls at the center, if you want an easier assembly.

After you’ve assembled the dough balls on the serving plate, carefully pour some of the remaining honey mixture on top. Put as much as you prefer.

Next, cover the dough balls immediately with sprinkles, confectioner’s sugar, or any other edible decorations on top.

Serve immediately!

Glazing the dough balls

Per la ricetta del salmone marinato sui crostini, rifilate il filetto di salmone e pulitelo, senza eliminare la pelle. Togliete le spine con l’aiuto di una pinzetta. Miscelate lo zucchero semolato, lo zucchero di canna e i due tipi di sale con 2-3 grani di pepe e 2-3 bacche di ginepro schiacciati. Distribuite uno strato di questa miscela in una pirofila, posatevi sopra il salmone, ricopritelo con la miscela rimasta e aggiungete qualche rametto di aneto; coprite con la pellicola e mettete a marinare in frigorifero per 36 ore. Mescolate la panna con il succo di limone filtrato.Sciacquate il salmone dalla marinata e tamponatelo con carta da cucina. Disponetelo su un piatto di portata, conditelo con ciuffetti di aneto, altre erbe fresche e qualche fiocchetto di sale a piacere. Affettatelo e servitelo sulle fette di pane leggermente tostate, completando con la panna acida e uova di salmone.

Salmone marinato sui crostini

500 g filetto di salmone fresco

150 g panna fresca

g sale fino

g sale grosso

g zucchero di canna

g zucchero semolato

g succo di limone

pz fette di pane di segale

bacche di ginepro

aneto

uova di salmone

Aromatic and earthy sage leaves are battered, stuffed with creamy fresh cheese and fried; the perfect cocktail party appetizer to serve with bubbles. 

Stuffed Fried Sage

cow's cheese

3/4CUP pecorino cheese, grated

sage leaves

eggs

all-purpose flour

bread crumbs

chives

peanut oil

salt

pepper

Select sage leaves that are as similar in size as possible.

Heat the oil in a large pan to 350°F.&nbsp;

Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl. Place flour in a second shallow bowl, and the bread crumbs in a third bowl.

Mix the fresh cheese with the grated pecorino cheese, some freshly ground pepper and a few chopped chives. Place the mixture in a pastry bag and squeeze it onto half of the sage leaves. Place the remaining leaves on top to create parcels. Pass each parcel in the flour, the beaten eggs and the bread crumbs; then again in the eggs and bread crumbs.

Fry a few of the parcels at a time in very hot oil until they are golden. Drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and serve immediately.

Brown the pork shank in a pan with the butter, 2 cloves of crushed garlic with the skin on, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of marjoram, and 1 sprig of t...

Pork Shank with Pumpkin Purée

pork shank

1LB. pumpkin flesh

1/3C. honey

2TBSP. butter

ginger

2HEADS endive

Shallot

Marjoram

Rosemary

Thyme

olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Brown the pork shank in a pan with the butter, 2 cloves of crushed garlic with the skin on, 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of marjoram, and 1 sprig of thyme. Turn it over to brown it well (it will take about 8-10 minutes).|Then transfer it to a baking dish with 2 more cloves of crushed garlic with the skin on, along with 1 sprig of rosemary, 1 sprig of marjoram, and 1 sprig of thyme. Bake at 250°F for about 3 hours. Brush the meat about every 20 minutes with the honey diluted in 2 tablespoons of water.|Chop the pumpkin into cubes.|Sauté 1/2 chopped shallot in a saucepan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 sprig of marjoram. After 2 minutes, add in the pumpkin and let it absorb the flavors.|Add 1/2 quart water along with the peeled and chopped ginger, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. In a food processor, blend it together to obtain a smooth purée. Make sure the tough ginger pieces are fully blended.|Cut the endives lengthwise and brown in a pan with a little olive oil and 1 clove of garlic for 2 minutes on each side. Then moisten with a dash of water and cook covered for 2-3 more minutes, until the hardest stem has softened. Serve the pork shank with the endive and pumpkin purée.

Porcini mushrooms, cannellini beans, and shrimp make a rich base for tagliatelle in this recipe fit for a party. 

Cannellini Bean Purée With Pasta

cannellini beans

3OZ. frozen porcini mushrooms

shrimp

shallots

garlic

rosemary

Grana Padano cheese, grated

Slice the shallots and sauté with an unpeeled garlic clove of garlic in a drizzle of oil. Add rosemary and sage, then the cannellini beans with their liquid and 1 cup water. Cook for 5 minutes. Blend the cannellini beans to obtain a purée.

Slice the porcini mushrooms while still partially frozen. In a pan, melt 1 Tbsp. butter with a piece of garlic; add sage and parsley, cook for 2 minutes, then add the porcini mushrooms. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then season with salt and pepper. Remove the garlic.&nbsp;

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente.

Make small nests of the tagliatelle by placing the pasta in small round disposable aluminum tins. Place in the puree and top with the shrimp and parsley.

Perfette per ogni occasione, le Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno Fatte in Casa sono semplici da preparare con uova, farina e spinaci. Ecco come!

Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno Fatte in Casa

200 g di Farina 00

Uova

cucchiaio di Olio Extravergine d'Oliva

240 g di Farina 00

g di Spinaci

Mezza cucchiaio di Olio Extravergine d'Oliva

Per preparare le Tagliatelle Paglia e Fieno Fatte in Casa cominciate dagli spinaci. Dopo averli lessati, pesatene la quantità indicata in ricetta e frullatela con il mixer a immersione fino a ottenere una crema.

In una ciotola mettete la farina indicata per la preparazione della pasta verde, formate una fontana e al centro rompete le uova. Unite la pure di spinaci, l&#8217;olio e iniziate a mescolare dapprima con una forchetta quindi a mano, sulla spianatoia, fino a ottenere un panetto liscio e omogeneo.

Trasferitelo sotto una ciotola rovesciata e lasciatelo riposare 30 minuti prima di procedere con la preparazione.

Nel frattempo preparate anche la pasta normale, impastando sempre farina, uova e olio, prima con una forchetta poi a mano. Una volta ottenuto un panetto, mettete anch&#8217;esso sotto una ciotola a riposare per mezz&#8217;ora.

A questo punto non vi resta che tirare l&#8217;impasto con la Macchinetta per la Pasta, nota anche come Nonna Papera. Dividete ciascun panetto in quattro parti e stendetelo partendo dallo spessore maggiore fino ad arrivare all&#8217;ultimo, aiutandovi con della semola rimacinata se dovesse attaccarsi.

Passate quindi le sfoglie nella trafila apposita per tagliatelle, infarinatele con la semola, e lasciatele seccare per un&#8217;altra mezz&#8217;ora prima di procedere con la cottura che, indipendentemente dal condimento, dovrà avvenire in acqua bollente salata per un paio di minuti.

Lo Zabaione, chiamato spesso anche Zabajone o Zabaglione, è una gustosa crema natalizia realizzata con Tuorli d'Uovo, Zucchero e Marsala. 

Zabaione, la Ricetta Originale

83 g di Tuorli

83 g di Zucchero

83 g di Marsala

Per preparare lo Zabaione rompete i tuorli in una ciotola ampia, aggiungete lo zucchero e montate con le fruste fino ad ottenere un composto chiaro, leggero e spumoso.

Aggiungete il Marsala, mescolate e versate il tutto in un pentolino. Mettete sul fuoco e cuocete fino a raggiungere una temperatura di 80°C, che dovrete misurare utilizzando un termometro da cucina.

Spegnete il fuoco e lavorate nuovamente con le fruste fino a quando il composto non si sarà completamente raffreddato. Ora il vostro Zabaione è pronto per essere servito!

Galette con pere e uva

150 g farina tipo 00

g di burro

pizzichi di sale

g di acqua

60 g di confettura

pere Kaiser

acini di uva

g di zucchero di canna

Mettere nel boccale la farina 00, il burro, il sale e l'acqua, impastare: 20 sec./vel. 4. Trasferire l'impasto sul piano di lavoro, compattarlo e appiattirlo in un panetto. Avvolgere il panetto nella pellicola trasparente e lasciare riposare in frigorifero per 30 minuti.

Pasta brisée

Sistemare un foglio di carta forno (40x40 cm) sul piano di lavoro e spolverizzarlo leggermente con della farina. Riprendere la pasta brisèe, togliere la pellicola e sistemarla sulla carta forno preparata. Con un matterello, stendere l'impasto in un disco (Ø 35 cm, 5 mm di spessore). Mantenendo la carta forno, sistemare l'impasto steso sulla placca del forno.

Distribuire sulla base la confettura di pere, lasciando un bordo di 4 cm e disporvi le fette di pera e gli acini di uva. Spolverizzare la superficie con lo zucchero di canna e ripiegare il bordo su se stesso. Cuocere in forno caldo per circa 30-40 minuti (180°C) o fino a doratura. Togliere con attenzione dal forno e lasciare raffreddare.

Terminare la preparazione

In a small saucepan, heat the honey with a dash of cinnamon and 1 clove ground to a powder, then add a little grated mandarin, orange or lemon zest. I...

Mostaccioli Cookies from Molise

dark chocolate

3 1/2CUPS flour

7OZ. honey

almonds

hazelnuts

must

cocoa powder

orange

tangerine

lemon

Coffee

cinnamon

Cloves

Baker’s ammonia

sunflower seed oil

In a small saucepan, heat the honey with a dash of cinnamon and 1 clove ground to a powder, then add a little grated mandarin, orange or lemon zest. In a blender or food processor, chop the almonds and hazelnuts to produce a coarse meal. Mix it with the flour, cocoa and sugar.

Then add the honey, spices, eggs, coffee, 2 tablespoons of oil, the cooked must and 1/2 packet (about 1 3/4 teaspoons) of baker’s ammonia or baking powder. Mix to form a dough and let it rest, covered, for 2 hours. Roll it out to 2 3/4 - 3 inches thick and cut it into diamond shapes, combining the scraps and rolling them out again until the dough is gone. Set the cookies on baking sheets covered with parchment paper, brush them with water and bake them at 340°F for 18-20 minutes.

For chocolate coating: In a double boiler, melt the chopped chocolate. Put the cookies, one at a time, on the tines of a fork and dip them into the melted chocolate, then let the excess drip off

and let them dry on a rack. To vary the coating, melt gianduja chocolate and mix in chopped hazelnuts.

Cassata is a Sicilian cake made from sweetened ricotta, layered with slices of liqueur soaked sponge cake covered in green almond paste and decorated with candied fruit. To say it is decadent is an understatement. 

Cassata

25OZ. sheep's milk ricotta

1 3/4CUPS sugar

10OZ. sponge cake

10OZ. pistachio marzipan

10OZ. fondant cake icing

candied fruit cubes

4OZ. dark chocolate, chopped

pistachio nuts

candied fruit pieces (orange, citron and cherries)

vanilla pod

lemon liqueur

orange blossom water

For the filling, mix the ricotta with 1 1/2 cups sugar, the seeds from half a vanilla bean pod, and a few drops of orange blossom water until creamy. Incorporate the chopped chocolate, 1/3 cup coarsely chopped pistachios, and the assorted candied fruit cubes.&nbsp;

Line a cake pan with plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin, roll out the marzipan between two sheets of parchment paper dusted with powdered sugar until it is around 1/8" thick. Cut out strips as long as the cake pan is high. Use these strips to line the inside of the cake pan (you’ll have some scraps left over).

Cut the sponge cake into 1/2" thick slices and line the bottom of the cake pan with them.&nbsp;

Bring 1/3 cup water to a boil with 1/4 cup sugar and, if desired, a lemon peel or a piece of a vanilla bean pod and 2 Tbsp. lemon liqueur. Let cool, then lightly brush the sponge cake with this mixture. Pour the filling into the cake pan, cover with other sponge cake slices. Press down gently, and brush with the liqueur mixture. Fold the plastic wrap over the cassata and chill in the fridge for 4-8 hours.

Melt the fondant sugar over low heat, then remove from the heat; stir continuously until you obtain a fluid mixture that drizzles off the spoon. Remove the cassata from the fridge; and turn it out onto a serving dish; pour the cooled fondant sugar on the center. Using a spatula, spread it evenly over the entire surface. Place it back in the fridge for another hour to set. Decorate the top with candied cherries, orange slices, and citron.

Blend the almonds with a quart of water; filter everything through a strainer lined with a cheesecloth to obtain an almond milk. Heat this almond milk...

Endive Tarte Tatin with Almond “Goat Cheese”

1C. flour

1 1/2STICK butter

1/2C. sugar

Belgian endive

Dry white wine

Sage

Bay leaves

2/3LB. almonds, blanched

Lemon juice

Pink peppercorns

Parsley

Blend the almonds with a quart of water; filter everything through a strainer lined with a cheesecloth to obtain an almond milk. Heat this almond milk in a saucepan; once it comes to a boil, remove it from the heat, add in 1/3 cup of filtered lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of salt; stir gently, cover with a cloth, and and let it rest for 20 minutes. Filter once again through a strainer lined with a cheesecloth, place a weight on top, and let it drain for 2 hours.

Finally, season with a drizzle of oil, salt, crushed pink peppercorns, and some finely chopped parsley to obtain a creamy plant-based cheese.

Mix the flour with 3/4 stick of butter to obtain a crumbly mixture; add in 2 tablespoons of water

and a pinch of salt. Form a ball of dough, wrap it in parchment paper, and let it chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

Remove the outer leaves of the endive heads, if necessary; then cook them in a saucepan over high heat with oil, 1 bay leaf, and 1 sprig of sage. After 3-4 minutes, add in a cup of white wine and let it come to a boil, then reduce the heat to the minimum, cover, and cook for 40 minutes.

Remove the lid, raise the heat again, and continue cooking for another 10-12 minutes. Cut the endive into small pieces. Prepare a light caramel with 1/2 cup of sugar, then add in the remaining butter and carefully stir over the heat until it is completely combined; then remove it from the heat. Pour the caramel into the baking dish (8-inch diameter); place the endive pieces upright, cover with the dough (rolled out to 1/8-inch thick); perforate the surface with a fork and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and wait a few minutes; turn the tarte over onto a serving dish and serve with the almond “goat cheese.”

Boil the broccoli florets in salted water for 4-5 minutes, then drain, cool in cold water and chop. Cut the guanciale into strips, fry in a dry pan on...

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