Tag: sweets

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Recipes

Belgian Waffles

These waffles are super crisp on the outside and light as a feather inside and so scrumptious! Avoid removing them from the waffle iron too soon; they should be a golden brown. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
  • 1⁄4 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs, separated
  • 1⁄2 cup oil
  • 2 cups milk
  1. Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
  2. Separate the eggs.
  3. In small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.
  4. Mix together the egg yolks, milk and oil and stir slightly.
  5. Add to dry ingredients and mix well.
  6. Fold in beaten egg whites.
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Recipes

Strudel di Mele

Apple Strudel — a dessert of apples, pine nuts, and raisins or currants rolled up in paper-thin pastry — is the defining dish of Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region. This autonomous province borders Austria to the north and is squeezed between the Veneto and Lombardy regions to the south. Knowing this — and that the region was part of Austria until after the first World War– helps explain why this Austrian favorite is also beloved in Italy. Despite the look of the recipe ingredients and method, this is actually a rather simple dessert to prepare and won’t take nearly as long as you might think.

For the pastry:

  • Two 1/2 cups (300 grams) flour
  • 1/2 cup (125 ml) warm water
  • 1 egg
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus more for brushing
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 teaspoon vinegar (white wine or apple cider are best)

For the filling:

  • 4 apples (Golden Delicious preferably), about 750 grams
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 3 tablespoons (50 grams) currants
  • 2 tablespoons (30 grams) pine nuts
  • 1/4 cup (60 grams) turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup (70 grams) breadcrumbs
  • 1/3 cup (80 grams) butter
  • 2 tablespoons rum, optional
  • Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
  1. For the pastry: Place the flour in a bowl and make a well in the center. Place the water, egg, 2 teaspoons olive oil, salt, and vinegar in the center and whisk with a fork to combine, until it begins to get too difficult to whisk. From here, knead the dough until soft, elastic, and well-combined. Brush the dough with olive oil and let rest, covered, in a bowl for 30 minutes.
  2. For the filling: Peel and core the apples, and chop them into thin slices, then place immediately in a bowl with the zest and juice of the lemon and toss. Set aside.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the currants, pine nuts, turbinado sugar, and cinnamon. Set aside
  4. In a small skillet, toast the breadcrumbs in half of the butter over a medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until the breadcrumbs become coated in the butter. Set aside.
  5. For the assembly: Divide the pastry into 2 balls. Roll out 1 ball of pastry on a floured tea towel to a rectangle roughly 12 x 16 inches (30 x 40cm) and thin enough to see your hand through the other side.
  6. Brush melted butter over the whole pastry. Scatter half of the toasted breadcrumbs evenly over the pastry, leaving a border of about 4 inches (10cm). Combine the chopped apples with the currant mixture and the rum (if using), then toss to combine. Place half of the apple mixture over the breadcrumbs and, with the help of the tea towel, gently fold the pastry from the long side, then roll to close the pastry firmly (but not so tight that it stretches and breaks!). Fold the ends underneath. Transfer the pastry to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush with melted butter to cover entirely. Repeat with the rest of the pastry and filling to create the second strudel.
  7. Bake the strudels at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a baking rack. You can serve this warm or cold, with a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar or a dollop of unsweetened, fresh whipped cream or ice cream.
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Recipes

Carnival Fritters

This is a little one-bite cookie that, like many fried cookies in Italy, is typically prepared during the carnival time in February.

Ingredients:

  • Two 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp mixed orange and lemon zest
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/4 cup Marsala
  • Peanut or olive oil for frying, as needed

Directions:

  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, butter, baking powder, and citrus zest. Blend in the eggs and Marsala. Mix until smooth, about 2 minutes.
  2. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into small balls about 1/2 ounce each and about 1/2 inch in diameter.
  3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer or deep pot to 350 degrees F. Cook the castagnole, in batches, until they have a dark color, about 3 minutes.
  4. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.
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Recipes

Popovers in Oven

By adding cheese (such as Parmesan), sugar, or spices to the batter, popovers can be suited to any occasion. For ease of use, a popover pan with a nonstick coating is the ideal baking vessel for popovers, but you can also use six-ounce custard dishes or a muffin tin. This recipe was featured on Martha Stewart Living TV.

Ingredients:

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing tin
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/4 cups milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly grease and flour a popover tin.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour and salt. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and 1 tablespoon melted butter. Pour over flour mixture, and fold until just blended.
  3. Fill the popover cups two-thirds to three-quarters full.
  4. Transfer tin to oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake until well browned and crusty, about 20 minutes. Remove popovers from the oven, and unmold onto a rack. Puncture the sides with a sharp knife to let steam escape, and serve immediately.