Each region makes it his own way.
Every family does it in his own way.
Even my mom did. She wanted to be more "Tuscan" and try the recipes of the region, but I do not appreciated because of the very particular taste. We're talking about chestnut flour, intense, sweetish, who loves her, who hates her. Now that I'm an adult, or who are aged (!) I appreciate the 100% and I tried to go back to a balance of doses that would satisfy me. I made at least a dozen, segnandomi every time corrections until you get to what I propose.
For my taste, the chestnut should not be dry and crisp but dry on the surface, well cracked and morbidino inside. I eliminated the raisins and pine nuts and open the door to Rosemary who, I swear, it gives you a perfume dream.
Then everyone has their own taste, of course, but where you do not compromise on the flour and height.
The best meal in my opinion is that of Mount Amiata (GR), sweet, light-colored and with regard to the height, to me, should not exceed one centimeter.

Ingredients

Use a pan 21 cm

250 g chestnut flour of excellent quality
200 ml milk
200 ml water
1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon oil
rosemary pine nuts

1 pinch of salt


Preparation

Sift the chestnut flour with the salt in a large bowl. Pour in the milk and water, stirring with a whisk. Oil a piece of paper towel and wipe it several times in the pan without forgetting the edges.

Pour the mixture and once the oven has reached the temperature, sprinkle with pine nuts and a few leaves of rosemary. Bake for about 30 min at 180 °. I rule with cracks: as soon as they were formed very obvious is ready.

Italian tart with citrus cream recipe

For early spring then a tart soft and fragrant citrus is what it takes, with a slight crust without butter and no eggs (the eggs I used for the cream).

Although it is made ​​with wholemeal flour the pastry remains rather soft and crumbly. What kind of pastry will you say?
This Italian recipe, with some modifications made ​​by me (I reduced the sugar), I found the recipe on a book of Montersino.

Do not expect the usual pastry buttery and very tasty, this is good but to me falls in those recipes a bit 'health-conscious. However, the overall

Salame di cioccolato - Chocolate Salami Recipe

INGREDIENTS

100 g of butter
250 g of dry biscuits type Gold Saiwa
2 chicken eggs
100 g of sugar
1 tablespoon rum
50 g of cocoa powder
Powdered sugar

INFORMATION

6 people
420 kcal per serving
easy fix
ready in 2 ½ hours
vegetarian recipe
you can prepare in advance
you can eat outside


PREPARATION

Soften the butter at room temperature and knead well with a fork until it becomes a paste.
Wrap the cookies in a clean cloth and beat them with a meat mallet to crumble coarsely.
In a bowl beat the eggs with a whisk and add the sugar. Whisk until mixture is smooth , then add the rum and embed it. Finally, add the softened butter .
Once the dough is soft and smooth , add the cocoa powder and mix thoroughly. Finally add the biscuits .
Turn the dough on a work surface and shape into a sausage .
Cut a sheet of aluminum foil large enough to wrap , sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar and lock yourself salami .
Put it in the freezer for at least 1 hour and then store it in the fridge for at least another hour or until ready to serve.


Taken from: http://www.lospicchiodaglio.it/ricetta/salame-cioccolato # ixzz2uFD2QKuX

PAN CO'SANTI (walnut, raisin & cinnamon bread) : Original Italian Recipe

If you are in Siena around this period you will find almost everywhere a cake called “Pan co’ Santi”. The translation could be “Bread with Saints” and its name is due to All Saint’s Day, the 1st of November, the festive day in occasion of which it is prepared. In Tuscan dialect the saints are walnuts and raisins that you can find inside this fluffy and sweet bread. People from Siena use to serve “Pan co’ Santi” with new wine or “vin santo”, a sweet fortified wine typical from Tuscany.

Recipe Source

INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE 

350 g of whole almonds, hazelnuts 350 g, 150 g flour, 450 g sugar, 450 g honey, 450 g of candied melon (melon), 500 g of candied orange, 350 g of candied citron, a mixture of powdered spices: nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, coriander, ½ teaspoon vanilla powder, wafers, powdered sugar


PREPARATION OF "THE PANFORTE" 

In a copper pot, boil the honey mixed with sugar. When the honey begins to boil, allow 5 minutes of cooking. Remove from heat and pour the candied fruit cut into small pieces, stir and add the flour, vanilla and spices, mixing well.
At this point, add the almonds and hazelnuts, mix again and pour into a mold lined with wafers. Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees.
Serve cold, dusted with icing sugar.

Traditional St. Joseph's Ricotta Cream Puffs Recipe

In its current version, the donut as sweet convent of St. Joseph was born, according to some in the convent of San Gregorio Armeno, according to others in that of St. Patrick. But there is also those who attribute the "invention" to the nuns of the Cross of Lucca, or those of Splendor. 

The first zeppole di San Giuseppe, who has been put on paper, however, dates back to 1837, by the famous gastronome Neapolitan Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino.

Recipe Source

Cannoli Siciliani recipe : Sicilian Cannoli best recipe

Cannoli Siciliani recipe : Sicilian Cannoli best recipe

According to legend, the birth of cannoli would take place in Caltanissetta, "Kalt El Nissa" phrase which in Arabic means "Castle of women", at that time home to numerous harem Saracen emirs. 

The cannolo would therefore have ancient origins, although it has undergone several transformations over the centuries, and its ancestor may have been a cake shaped like a banana, stuffed with ricotta, almonds and honey. 

The hypothesis would be that the emir's favorite, to pass the time, were engaged in the preparation of delicious dishes, especially desserts and one of the many culinary experiments have "invented" the cannoli, obvious allusion to the "skills "the sultan.

Recipe Source

Rum Babà Recipe : Original Italian Babà recipe

The babà is a derivation of a sweet sourdough originating in Poland ( babka ponczowa ) . Used by French chefs took the name of " baba" , while the Neapolitans have doubled consonant and the emphasis on the final syllable " babbà ."

The inventor of the baba was King Stanislaus Leszczyński , being -in-law of Louis XV , was delighted to invent new dishes. The sovereign , edentulous , apparently could not eat Kugelhupf , a typical pastry of France that he was too dry. It was then soaked in syrup Tokaje .

The typical mushroom shape is due to the famous confectioner Nicolas Stohrer , who arrived in Paris with Mary Leszczyńska , girlfriend of the French king . At number 51, rue Montorgueil still the fashion house offers some delicious sweet flavor. Another version of the origins of the King reminded them of the bell-shaped skirt (round ) of older women who are called babka . Another story tells that the king, bad-tempered , sweet flung against a cupboard , smashing a bottle of rum. This went to soak the cake Stanislaus and then tasted it and found it very good .

In the nineteenth century the master Brillat -Savarin invented a liquor , which was matched to fruit salads . The French pastry of the "brothers Julien " had the idea to close the salad in a baba properly brushed with apricot jam , thus was born the baba " Savarin ". The earliest sources on the Neapolitan sweet al1836 date when the cook culinary Angeletti wrote a manual that describes the recipe with raisins and saffron , these ingredients lost over the years because of the " vulgarization " of commercial bakeries that have new types baked with cream and cherry or maybe mignon served with ice cream parfait.

INGREDIENTS

200 g of flour
100 g of butter
3 eggs
1 cup of milk
30 g of sugar
10 g of yeast
apricot jelly
salt
For the syrup
100 g of water
30 g of sugar
1 glass of rum


Preparation

In a cup , dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm milk . Place the flour in the center , pour the diluted yeast , eggs , a pinch of salt. Mix . Add the butter and sugar together , work the mixture for ten minutes or until you have achieved a smooth and elastic. Cover with a towel and let rise until almost doubled in volume. Butter a ring mold 30 inches in diameter and fill with the mixture up to half , let rise again until doubled in volume. Bake in preheated oven at 190 degrees for forty minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the syrup by pouring the water into a saucepan , rum and sugar. Put on the stove, bring to a boil and set aside after about fifteen minutes, or when the sugar is dissolved. Pick up the baba , let rest five minutes, sformatelo on a platter , punzecchiatelo with a long stick and let them absorb the syrup poured on spoons. In a pan put five or six tablespoons of apricot jelly and let it melt over very low heat . With this brush all the baba and serve.

Pastiera Napoletana Recipe : Original Italian Pastiera Recipe

Pastiera Napoletana Recipe : Original Italian Pastiera Recipe

Pastiera is a sweet symbol of the Neapolitan tradition where they cross the family traditions and classic pastry school . According to an ancient legend , was born when once on the beach fishermen's wives left on the night of the baskets with ricotta, candied fruit , wheat and eggs and orange flowers as offerings for the "Sea" , so this would leave their husbands come back healthy and safe to land .

In the morning, go back to the beach to accommodate their wives noticed that during the night the waves had mixed the ingredients together and the men to return , there was a cake in their baskets : Pastiera . Surely this sweet , with its classic taste slightly sweet and refreshed by orange blossom, accompanied the ancient pagan festivals to celebrate the return of Spring : the sweetened ricotta is the transfiguration of the votive offerings of milk and honey are also typical of the early Christian ceremonies . in addition to wheat, wish for wealth and fertility and eggs , a symbol of new life .

The water of orange blossom is the announcement of Spring. The modern version was developed in an ancient monastery in Naples remains unknown. Whatever the case , which is still on the table this Easter Neapolitans sweet can not miss. Another well-known story tells of Maria Theresa of Austria , wife of King Ferdinand II of Bourbon, who , yielding to the entreaties of her husband famous for his gluttony, condescended to taste a slice of pastiera smiling for the first time in public . Ferdinand , the Neapolitan Bourbon dece not escape the joke: " To bring a smile to my wife wanted pastiera , now I'll have to wait until next Easter to see her smile again."

So sweet as the pastiera able to wrest a smile even austere Habsburg queen : the secret is perhaps the grain , certainly the use of ricotta in Naples where there is a lot of savings in preparation and that is the secret of absolute softness many of preparation , beginning with pants , fried and baked , and to continue in the tomato paste . The ricotta is in fact a game of bank regarding the consistency which is then the real pleasure when eating pastiera and that makes it different from pizza cream , not surprisingly in inland areas the percentage of grain increases , transforming it into a kind of rural classic cake .

Another element of the pastiera is feeling low sugar , a reference to the palate of a time when you do not preveriva balance the feeling invasive and dominant. This figure does Easter cake something unique, modern and ancient , so classic .

For the combination is necessary to point to something well structured, such as Marsala , too dry, or a raisin Pantelleria. Is also very good sherry.

The classic recipe

Ingredients

For the pastry :

3 whole eggs

500 g of flour

200 g of sugar

200 g of lard

For the filling:

700 g of goat cheese -gr . 600 sugar

400 g of cooked wheat

80 g of candied citron -gr . 80 of candied orange

50 g of candied pumpkin (it's called cucuzzata ) or other mixed candied fruit

a pinch of cinnamon

100 g of milk

30 g of butter or lard

7 whole eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1 tablespoon of water of a thousand flowers

1 lemon

Preparation

First of all, get yourself to the wheat grains , preferably soft , that is fine too hard. Leave it in a bowl for 3 days and remember to change the water in the morning and evening. Then drain and rinse with running water and, when properly cleaned , put it to cook. 500 gr. Wheat is a sufficient pot with 5 liters of water on high heat until boiling. Then lower the heat and continue cooking for about an hour and a half without ever shoot it . When cooked, drain and season with salt to taste .

To prepare sweet corn , of course , the salt does not go aggiunto.Questa cooking is valid for the preparation of all the recipes made ​​with wheat . The cooked grain can be stored in the refrigerator for about a week. At the time of use , in order to prepare the desired recipe , bring the water to a boil, soak the corn and boil for about 5 minutes.

Prepare the pastry by mixing all the ingredients , form a Palletta and let it rest . Pour into a casserole cooked wheat , milk , butter and the grated rind of 1 lemon ; simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often until it becomes creamy .

Whisk in part the ricotta, sugar, 5 whole eggs plus 2 egg yolks, a teaspoon of vanilla , a tablespoon of orange blossom water and a pinch of cinnamon. Work it all up to make the dough very thin. Add grated rind of one lemon and candied fruit cut into dice. Mix everything with the grain. Take the pastry and relax the dough to a thickness of about 1 /2 inch with a rolling pin and coated the pan (ca 30 cm. Diameter) previously buttered , cut the excess part , ristendetela and cut the strips.

Pour the ricotta mixture into the pan , level , and decorated with stripes forming a lattice that pennellerete with beaten egg yolk . Bake at 180 degrees for an hour and a half finch'è pastiera not have taken an amber color .

Colomba di Pasqua - Easter Dove - Italian Recipe

What You Need

3/4 oz (20 grams) fresh yeast or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) dried yeast 
6 fl oz (175 ml) hot milk 
15 oz (400 grams) plain white or Italian type 00 flour 
4 oz (100 grams) unsalted butter 
3 large eggs and 1 egg yolk 
4 oz (100 grams) superfine sugar 
1/2 teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt 
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract 
Grated zest of 1 orange 
Grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 
2 and 1/2 oz (65 grams) raisins 
2 and 1/2 oz (65 grams) mixed candied peel 
Icing sugar, for dusting 
4 oz (100 grams) whole, blanched almonds

How To Do

Blend the yeast with the warm milk then leave for 15 minutes until frothy.

Stir in 4 oz (100 grams) of the flour, cover and leave for 30 minutes.

Melt the butter and leave to cool.

 

Whisk together the eggs, egg yolk and sugar, then whisk in the butter.

Stir in the salt, vanilla, orange and lemon zests.

 

Add the remaining 11 oz (300 grams) flour and mix together with a wooden spoon.

Beat in the yeast mixture until the mixture is smooth.

 

Mix in the raisins, reserving 2, and the candied peel.

 

Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a clean tea-towel and leave for 1 and 3/4 to two hours until doubled in size.

Draw the outline of a dove shape onto 2 sheets of parchment paper.

 

Line 2 baking trays with the parchment sheets.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 2-3 minutes.

 

Divide in half and shape each piece into a dove and place each dove on a separate baking tray.

 

Use the reserved raisins for the eyes.

Cover with a clean tea-towel and leave to rise again at room temperature for about one hour until double the size.

 

Stud the doves with the almonds.

Pre-heat the oven to 375° F (190° C).

Bake the Easter doves in the oven for about 15-18 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.

 

Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool. Dust with sifted icing sugar before serving. Makes 2, each to serve 6

Mini Profiteroles : Italian Dessert Recipe

Mini Profiteroles : Italian Dessert Recipe

What You Need

2 ounces (60 grams) butter 
5 ounces (150 grams) flour 
3 large eggs 
3 and 1/2 ounces (100 grams) hazelnuts, chopped fairly finely 
2 tbsp sugar 
5 fluid ounces (140 ml) double cream 
1 tbsp Frangelico liqueur (optional) 
3 ounces (90 grams) plain chocolate

How to Do

Preheat the oven to 425° F (220° C).

Heat the butter with 9 fluid ounces (250 ml) water in a small pan.

 

When the water comes to a boil, draw it off the heat, tip all the flour into the pan and beat the mixture until it is smooth and comes away from the edge of the pan.

Let cool for 20 minutes, then beat in the eggs one by one, to make a soft, glossy paste.

Mix in 2 tbsp of hazelnuts.

Drop teaspoonfuls on to a baking sheet lined with non-stick paper (pipe the mixture for perfect puffs) and bake for 10 to 12 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Cool on a rack, poking a hole in the base of each puff to let the steam escape.

In a food processor, grind the remaining hazelnuts finely with the sugar.

Add the cream (and a splash of Frangelico if you have it) and pulse until the cream is thickened and lightly whipped.

 

Spoon into a piping bag and use to fill the puffs.

Drizzle with melted chocolate and keep in the fridge until ready to eat. (Freeze any leftover chocolate-coated bignole for up to two weeks). Makes about 40 small bignole.