Categories
Biscuits Breakfast Dessert Healthy Vegetarian

Healthy Anise Cookies without Butter or Biscotti all’Anice

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Anise Cookies or “Biscotti all’Anice”

These super easy cookies remind us of our childhood, playing in the kitchen with our mum and grandmother when we used to spend the Sunday afternoons to make them, they are light, without butter, sweet, really delicious. Anise, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae popular in the eastern Mediterranean region and Southwest Asia. Its flavor is very similar to other spices, such as fennel, and licorice. This easy to make cookie gets it’s flavoring from the anise flavor. Perfect for a healthy children’s snack or even as an after dinner treat…

Ingredients

  • 250 grams of Sugar
  • 250 grams of Flour
  • 5 Egg yolks
  • 5 Egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon of  Baking Powder
  • 2 tablespoons Anise

Preparation

  1. It’s a one bowl easy to make cookie. That means 1 bowl only from recipe to oven. Beat the eggs with the sugar using an electric whisk until frothy, add the flour and stir for 2 minutes. Combine the anise and egg whites, and in the end, include the yeast dissolved in a little bit of milk.
  2. Pre-heat oven to 180°(350F). Spread the mixture on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 180° for 20 minutes.
  3. Once baked, bring it out from the oven and cut it into strips 2 cm wide and 6 cm long.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

anise cookies

Categories
Biscuits Dessert Vegetarian

Walnut Chocolate Cookies or Delizia al Cioccolato e Noci

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Walnut Chocolate Cookies or “Delizia al cioccolato e noci”

Chewy fudgy homemade cookies made completely from scratch. Those glorious Italian Chocolate Cookies with walnuts are great biscuits for an amazing indulgent breakfast on Sunday morning or after dinner for absolute perfection we suggest to add cream or vanilla ice cream: don’t forget it…

The health-benefits of chocolate have been known for long time. Did you know that chocolate and cacao are not the same? True, there is a clear distinction between commercial chocolate which has no health benefits and organic dark chocolate, ideally with no added sugar. Yet if you’re a chocolate lover, consider small amounts of raw cacao as a better option. The reason why raw cacao is the best choice for healthy benefits is because raw cacao contains the very popular antioxidants – anti-aging – that make raw cacao an absolute superfood. Another very good reason not to feel guilty when eating chocolate! If you’re looking for an indulgent chocolate cookies recipe, this is the recipe for you.

Ingredients

  • 100 grams of Margarine
  • 250 grams of Sugar
  • 125 grams of Flour
  • 2 Eggs
  • 200 grams of Walnuts
  • 75 grams of Cocoa Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder

Preparation

  1. Beat the eggs with sugar for about 5 minutes, add the sifted flour, cocoa and baking powder dissolved in a little milk, then add the chopped nuts.
  2. Spread the mixture on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake 180° for 15 minutes.
  3. Bake until a toothpick plunged into the center emerges slightly moist with batter, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely on a rack. Take out from the oven and let it cool, then cut it into squares.  OMG: A true pleasure to try it, before serving sprinkle with powdered sugar .

TIP: Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream.

 Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

chocolate cookie

 

Categories
Biscuits Breakfast Dessert

Twice-Baked Almond Cookies or Cantucci, Cantuccini and Tozzetti

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Cantuccini Biscuits or”Cantucci or Tozzetti”

This recipe is very ancient. Cantucci, or Cantuccini, are twice-baked biscuits. The biscuits are oblong-shaped almond biscuits traditionally, made dry and crunchy through cutting the loaf of dough while still hot and fresh from baking in the oven. Cantuccini were born as bread flavored with aniseed and rehearsed in the oven, hence the classical name of bis-cooked, which means cooked twice. Then there is the “Tozzetti” variation, so called in Lazio region, with hazelnuts instead of almonds. Great after dinner with a dessert wine like “Vinsanto” or a good “Passito” from Pantelleria or a Malvasia from Lipari.

Ingredients

  • 200 grams of Sugar
  • 500 grams of Flour
  • 3 Eggs +1 for brushing
  • 2 knobs of Butter (about 60 grams)
  • 300 grams of Almond or Hazelnuts (of which a handful minced in food processor)
  • 1 tablespoon of Baking Vanilla
  • 1 shot of Liquor

Preparation of Cantuccini

  1. Place the flour on a large bowl, add the sugar, eggs, and baking powder, then knead with your hands adding the butter and some of almonds or hazelnuts. Ideally excluding the nuts left whole to be added separately.
  2. Divide the dough into loaves of the length of the baking tray on which to align the nuts (very near) that are then pushed inside, to work well to give a diameter of about 3 cm and a length of about 30 cm. Put them well spaced on a baking sheet.
  3. Cook them in the oven already hot at 180° for about 20 minutes and till gold colored. Once cooked cut the little loaves transversely into slices of 1 cm with an oblique cut to give the biscuits their characteristic shape. And for a final touch to have more crunchy biscuits just put them back again in the oven for 5 minutes. Enjoy cold.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana.

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

cantuccini-a-modo-nostro-800

Categories
Biscuits Carnival Dessert Fried Vegetarian

Crispy Sweet Fritters or Carnival Frappe

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Carnival Fritters or “Frappe”

Frappe, Chiacchiere or Lies are quite delicious, many names for those simple thin fried dough strips, typical during Carnival time in Italy, over February. Very ancient Roman tradition. Slightly different in every region. In Italy, Frappe are crispy and light as air when you bite into them. Enjoy with family and friends. If you start, you can’t stop eating. Happy Carnival!

Ingredients (40 Frappe)

  • 500 grams Flour (3 full cups)
  • 4 tablespoons (70 grams) Sugar (do not add too much sugar or they burn when you fry)
  • Butter 50 gr.
  • ¾ teaspoon (5 grams) Baking Powder like Pane Angeli
  • 3 Eggs
  • 1 Vanilla bean or “Vanillina” powder
  • 2 tablespoons (25 grams) Butter diced, at room temperature
  • 1 pinch Salt
  • Rhum or Grappa 30 gr
  • Oil to fry
  • TOPPING: powdered sugar for sprinkling

Preparation

  1. In a medium-sized bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and vanilla. Add to a food processor, or mix manually, then add the eggs together with the butter, combine till the dough comes together.
  2. Remove from the food processor and leave on a floured surface and knead until the dough becomes smooth (should not be a sticky dough). Wrap in plastic and let rest at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
  3. Remove from fridge and taking ¼ of the dough at a time roll into a very thin strip. It is weighed and rolled in a pasta machine as you would do with pasta dough. Then cut into strips with a fancy edged pastry cutter, cut into approximately 2-3 inch sizes and fry in a pot of hot vegetable oil for frying (approximately 2 inches of oil, the temperature must reach 170° and stay at this temperature, no higher or dough will burn). Fry until frappe becomes golden turning them over once at the mid-cooking time while frying.
  4. Remove to drain and cool on a plate lined with kitchen paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Consume fresh. Enjoy as soon as ready!

TIP: for a light version you can also bake the Frappe. Will be a very nice healthier option. But traditionally Frappe are the best if fried!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 Frappe-baked

Categories
Biscuits Carnival Dessert Fried Vegetarian

Carnival Sweet Fried Balls or Castagnole

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Carnival Sweet Fried Balls, Fritters, or “Castagnole”

Get this all-star, easy-to-follow recipe. In Italy, we always say: “A Carnevale ogni scherzo vale” it means literally “on Carnival time every kind of joke counts”, but this delicious recipe is definitely not a joke! Between the most popular pastries we use to cook during this very special period, let’s keep up with the celebrations!

Ingredients

  • 400 grams of Flour
  • 2 Eggs
  • 150 grams of Sugar
  • 30 grams of Butter
  • 1/2 zest of Lemon (grated)
  • 1/2 glass of White Wine
  • 16 grams of Baking Powder
  • a pinch of Salt
  • Oil for frying
  • Flour for dusting

Preparation

  1. Knead the flour with 2 eggs,  sugar, butter, zest of lemon, 1/2 glass of white wine, add the baking powder and a pinch of salt.  Work well the dough with your hands until it is firm and elastic, making many small balls.
  2. Set your oil to heating. Fry each “Castagnola” until pretty golden brown, drain them all well on absorbent paper, dust them with powdered sugar. Enjoy it warm or cold!!!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

1421858647379

Categories
Biscuits Cake Christmas Dessert

White Wine Baked Donuts Ciambelline

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of “Baked Donuts or Ciambelline with white wine”

If there is one thing that never fails on a Christmas table, and never fails throughout the year too, it is the White Wine Baked Donuts, dipping those wonderful donuts in a glass of red wine or in a sweet wine like a wonderful Passito from Pantelleria, will be just the perfect combination, unstoppable nibbling!

Ingredients

  • 125 grams of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • 1 grams of White wine or Red Wine
  • 450 grams of Sugar
  • 1 kg ½ of Flour
  • 1 grated Lemon
  • pinch of Salt
  • Sugar for coating

Preparation

1. In a bowl mix well the following ingredients: sugar, oil, wine, then gradually add flour with a pinch of salt and 1 grated lemon, until it all comes together.

2. Transfer to a lightly floured flat surface and knead lightly until the dough becomes smooth, cut off a little piece of dough at a time, roll into a small chubby rope and bring the ends together to form a circle. Dip in sugar and place on greaseproof paper covered, bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until they reach a marvelous golden in color.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

IMG_3439