Amaretti Cookies

When I was a little kid, my dad would go to Domino's bakery every Saturday morning. It was a small Italian pastry shop near my house, and every trip was the highlight of my week. Even the dog loved the trip in the car. Every Saturday, Joe Dad would put on his blue jeans and she would go wild, leaping in circles, and tackling my sister and I until we made our way out to the car.
My sister, Andrea, would always get either a chocolate eclair or a cream napoleon, my mom always got a Danish (I still don't understand this) and my dad and I would mix up our orders every week. I always gravitated toward the petits fours, with either a mini cheesecake, carrot cake, almond cream puff, or cannoli--the only thing more appealing than mini cakes. My dad seemed to get a different thing each time, though if there were almond croissants, he'd get at least one.
He always got a box of amaretti.

Well, he almost always got a box of amaretti. Each time we'd visit, he would ask the little old lady behind the counter whether the cookies were crisp or chewy, and would only buy them if they were chewy (lucky for us, the pastry chef who preferred chewy usually had the morning shift on Saturday)
These cookies are still my dad's favorite and though he has a new favorite bakery, every time he goes, he still picks up a box of amaretti and I get to relive those great Saturday mornings filled with delicious cookies, almond scented pastry cream, and adorable petits fours with my family.
I decided to leave each member of my family with a little gift of food when I leave for school, and thought these would be perfect for Dad. My mom's getting pretzel rolls, and Andrea's getting meringue cupcakes, but of the 3, these are my favorite, and the most sentimental.

I've tried several recipes and though they always come out tasting great (except the one batch that was crunchy shudders) I have never ben able to perfectly recreate the cookies from the bakery. This batch comes closest as it's pretty dense and has a stronger almond flavor from the almond extract. In all honesty, most people probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference between these and the cookies from my childhood, but I've had plenty of experience with amaretti, and the memory of the flavor of these cookies stands out in my mind because it's surrounded with so many other great memories.

Soft Amaretti Cookies
(Gluten Free)
Makes about 20 cookies

7 oz crumbled almond paste
1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 egg white
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 Tbs honey
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment.
In a stand mixer, beat the almond paste on high speed, until thoroughly broken up, somewhere between crumbs and a spreadable paste. Slowly add the powdered sugar, continuing to stir on low speed.
Add the egg white, extract, honey and salt and beat on medium, until thick and well mixed. This should take about 5 minutes.
Put the dough in a pastry bag with a plain tip and pipe 1 inch circles onto the cookie sheets and bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until crisp on the outside but still soft and slightly gummy on the inside.

Yeasted Honey Biscotti di Miele

There's nothing better than the smell of baking bread,
Unless it's mixed with the smell of baking cookies.

I made bread on Monday and my family devoured the honey wheat loaf, so I figured it was time to make these biscotti di miele.
They're essentially honey wheat bread in cookie form, made with whole wheat flour, just a ad of honey, and then rolled in coarse raw sugar before baking.
These remind me of something I would have eaten as a little kid after one of my Dad's Saturday Domino's runs. I've always been partial to the hardly sweet Italian cookies, and these are no exception.
They're so old world tasting, it's hard to believe Nonna didn't make them for you.

If you're afraid of yeast, this is a great practice recipe for you because it has a yeast in comparison to flour (pretty much guarantees that it will rise) and the second rise is in the fridge, over night. You can even leave it for up to 24 hours, so there's no need to worry about leaving it for set times, like most bread recipes.

The Perfect Little Cookie to Snack on While Blogging

These biscotti are not overly sweet, beautifully caramelized on the outside, and have a unique texture that you are guaranteed to crave after you make these for the first time.
They're like a soft breadstick, with a a caramel-honey flavor, and a bit of yeast on your tongue after you swallow.

Biscotti di Miele
Makes about 24 cookies, depending on the size of your cutter

1 1/2 cups whole wheat white flour
2.5 tbs cold butter, cut into cubes
2 tsp dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water (105º)
1/4 cup honey, 1 tsp set aside
pinch of salt
about 1/3 cup turbinado sugar for rolling

In a small bowl of cup, dissolve the yeast in the water with 1 tsp of honey. Let the mixture it for 5 minutes, until foamy. Add the rest of the honey and mix well.
In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt with a fork. Add the cubed butter and cut into the flour with a fork or pastry cutter, until the mix is crumbly.
Add all of the yeast mixture to the flour and mix until the dough starts to form a ball.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow it to sit and rise in a warm place for an hour, or until doubled in size.
After an hour, punch the dough down and transfer to the refrigerator, covered with plastic, to rise over night.
The next morning, roll the dough to about 1/4" thick, on a floured surface. Cut the cookies into circles, then cut the circles into 1/2 circles. You can re-roll the dough 2 times (3 times maximum)
Roll the half circles in turbinado sugar, twist into a stand and pinch the edges together to form a twisted ring.
Lay the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet. Allow to rise, uncovered for 5 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350ºF.
Twist the cookies one more time before baking for 10-15 minutes, until golden and crisp on the outside.
They should develop a crust that resembles a vey thin bread crust.

Heirloom Tomato and Peach Jam

Ketchup has to be one of my favorite things. Not just one of my favorite foods, but one of my favorite things.
It's right up there with sweaters, lipstick, and puppies.
I put it on everything from fried potatoes, to baked potatoes, to mashed potatoes, to freezer waffles.
Bet you weren't expecting that last one.

I've made berry ketchup, I've made berry jam.
And now, I've made tomato peach jam. It's essentially a way grown up version of ketchup and is amazing on everything from toast to meatloaf.
It's sweet and tart and as spicy as you want it to be.
Its healthy, with only herbs, tomatoes, peaches, vinegar, salt, pepper, chilie flakes, and 2 tbs of honey. Yep, "ketchup" with only 2 tbs of sweetener. That's what the peaches are for, kids.
This jam literally tastes like summer: ripe peaches, garden fresh tomatoes, it doesn't get any better.
It's the perfect way to use up all the weird looking tomatoes from the garden, or the ones that split in the summer heat,  because it cooks for about an hour.

Tomato and Peach Jam
Makes 1 quart of jam

1 Pound tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 large peaches, chopped slightly smaller than the tomatoes
2 Tbs honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 Tbs chopped basil
1/2-1 tsp chili flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop your peaches and tomatoes and toss in a medium, high sided pot. Add the vinegar, honey, and a small pinch each of salt and fresh ground pepper.
Heat the mixture on medium, stirring, until it comes to a boil.
Cover and turn down to a simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring every so often to make sure all the fruit is breaking down evenly.
After 25 minutes, mix in half of the basil and chili flakes. Taste the mixture and add more salt and pepper.
Simmer, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, or until the liquid has dissolved by half, and the fruit is broken down. Stir the mixture every 4 minutes.
Mix in the rest of the basil, cover the pot, and remove from the heat.
Allow the jam to come down to room temperature before pouring into an air tight container or jar.
The mixture will keep in the fridge for a week or so.
Enjoy!

Vegan Caprese Salad

Salads are boring.
I'm sure you've heard that said about a million times, but it's not true. It's simply a lie. Who over told you that does not really know anything about salad.
I'm on a bit of a giant salad kick at the moment, due to a little thing called a diet (check out my other blog below) and I'm actually really enjoying it!

Exhibit A, because the bag technique is very hard to explain without visuals

I'm not allowed much dairy on this diet, so I save it for the important things, like Greek yogurt and have been using my usual substitute Almond milk quite a bit. When I was craving the classic tomato, basil and cheese salad, though, I ran into a little bit of a problem. That's where tofu and vinegar come in, though.

Brown Baggin' it!

The tofu absorbs the flavor of the marinade and really tastes similar to cheese. The texture's not too far off, either. So, whether you're vegan, on a diet, or just out of cheese, you can always enjoy a Caprese.
I used my favorite lunch time salad making technique-make it in a big zip top bag, put that in a tupperware, and you know all the dressing is sealed securely inside. So, if you want to make this salad in a bowl, just follow the directions but put the ingredients in a bowl, not bag, and toss, don't shake.

Vegan Caprese Salad
(serves 1)

1 medium roma tomato, sliced
8-10 basil leaves, ripped
2 oz firm tofu, thoroughly drained
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Put tomato, basil, shallot, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper ina large zip top bag, and shake gently to combine.
Cut the tofu into 1/4 inch squares and squeeze the liquid out, by wrapping it in paper towels and squeezing until dry.
Crumple the tofu into the salad and skake it up again again.
Allow the salad to marinate for 2 hours or overnight. This step is really important because it allows the tofu to absorb the other flavors, and make a more convincing cheese substitute.
Put the bag in a tall sealable container so you can eat it bowl style without any clean up or possible spillage.
Enjoy!
And remember to check out my Other Blog

An Italian Dessert For Spanish Final

My Spanish final was to cook something. Well, the whole assignment was to make a dish that meant something to you, make a photo presentation, translate the recipe into Spanish, and talk about the recipe is made and why it is important to you. I made a list that was almost a whole page long with possible ideas. Most of the recipes I make, including the brownies I made earlier this week, have a great memory or important person attached to them.

After a couple days of reviewing my list, I realized what waswrong with my list and why the decision was so hard. I hadn't written down the obvious first choice: Cannoli cake!
Every family birthday party is centered around two things. Yep, the cake is just as important as the birthday boy or girl.

Crackly Circles of Spongy Goodness 

Cannoli cakes, and cannoli in general, make me think of my dad and twin sister. I never see either of them eating cakes or really any other desserts (other than ice cream. My dad's ice cream crazed) but as soon as a cannoli enters the picture, they're fighting over the last cheesy, almond scented crumb. Slices of cannoli cake go missing from the fridge night after night during birthday week, and we never manage to leave a cousin, aunt, or uncle's party without a hefty slice of ricotta filled cake. Cannoli cake makes me happy because it reminds me of when the whole group of us is happy. And they taste pretty darned fantastic.

The cakes at these parties, though, are from our favorite bakery here in Chicago, Ferrara Bakery. So, I was going to have to combine some of my go to recipes for this cake. I had a standby recipe for whipped  cannoli filling, and sponge cake. All was well. Then there was the matter of making the cake portable and easy to serve to 25 people with just a few napkins and a plastic butter knife. Mini cakes, or if we're still going with the fancy names: Petits Fours. They're the answer to almost every cake serving problem becausethey can be eaten with fingers and are precut into adorable mini cakes. For some added interest, I added a layer of pistachio cake to the center and topped it with marzipan, because, really, what's a cannoli without some nuts?

Slightly Chunky Pistachio Batter

When you cut out the little mini cakes from the sponge, you're going to end up with a lot of delicious scraps that should be saved. Even if you're not the "waste not want not" type, you absolutely must save these scraps. I added them to cups of coffee and topped it with vanilla yogurt mixed with a tiny splash of almond extract, and a dash of cinnamon and cocoa. The mix of the cake and coffee brings out a surprising combination of flavors that I had no idea were hiding on the cake. It was like magic. We feasted on 30 second tiramisu. Or, if you want to mak it sound more impressive tiramisu crudo. I find that if you give things fancy names, people think they're very fancy and that your slaved over them for hours.

I'm not sure how well I was able to translate this fairly long recipe into Spanish, and Petit Quatros de Cannoli doesn't sound quite as chic as the Italian name, Tortine de Cannoli, but they taste amazing, the perfect balance between sweet, savory, nutty, and fruity, travel well, and taste like little mini family birthday celebrations. They give a whole new meaning to, "It's like a party in your mouth."

Mini Cannoli Cake "Petit Fours"
Makes 1 sheet cake of each flavor (number of servings depends on size of petit fours)


Sponge Cake:
1 cup unbleached cake flour
5 extra large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt.

Pistachio Cake:
4 extra large eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup roasted unsalted pistachios
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups cake flour
8 oz butter, melted
1/2 c milk (almond milk will also work)
Pinch of salt

Marzipan:
3 cups slivered skinned almonds
1 2/3 cups sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 Tbs)
2/3 cup water
1/4 tsp almond extract
Pinch of salt
Food coloring of choice (Optional)

Cannoli Cream:
3 cups Ricotta cheese (Drained for at least 24 hours)
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/4 c granulated sugar
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup chopped pistachios
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon or 1/2 a lime
1 cup dried fruit or mini chocolate chips (I like using freeze dried oranges from Trader Joe's)


For the Sponge:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. With an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar until they are pale yellow and form medium peaks when the whisk is removed. In another bowl, beat the egg whites, salt and other 1/2 of sugar until they form stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and fold the egg white mixture into the yolks. Sift the flour into the eggs and fold in gently. Pour into a prepared sheet pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until golden. Cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into small circles.

For the Pistachio Cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine pistachios and sugar in a food processor and pulse until they form a medium grained powder. In a bowl, combine the flour, pistachio mixture, salt, and baking powder. In a different bowl, whisk together the butter, milk, eggs, and almond extract. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, combining thoroughly. Pour the mixture into a prepared sheet pan and bake for about 30-35 minutes, until done. Cool for about 10 minuted before cutting into rounds with a small cookie cutter or other round.

For the Marzipan:
In a spice grinder or food processor, grind the almonds into a fine powder. It is easier to get a finer powder if you work in small batches, about 1/2 cup at a time. Meanwhile, bring the water to a boil and add the sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves. Add the almond powder, salt, and lemon juice. Continue cooking until the mixture forms a paste that stays together when a little bit is rolled into a ball. Remove from the heat and add the almond extract and any desired food coloring, making sure to mix both in thoroughly. The final stirring is a little challenging because of the thickness of the marzipan, but if you really beat it with a wooden spoon, everything should combine. Dust your work surface with powdered sugar and roll the marzipan out to about 1/4" thick. Use a small round cutter to punch out circles that are the same size as your cakes or a little smaller. Set the marzipan circles aside.

For the Cream:
In a food processor, pulse the cheeses and sugar until smooth. Add the lemon zest and pulse until it reaches the texture of cream cheese frosting (10 quick pulses should do the trick). Move to a bowl and fold in fruit, almond extract and pistachios. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or until ready to use. When removed from the fridge, the mixture should have thickened up quite a bit.
*To Drain Ricotta: Set a fine mesh strainer over a medium bowl so that it does NOT rest on the bottom of the bowl. Line the inside of the strainer with cheesecloth or paper coffee filters. Pour your cheese into the strainer, top with more cheesecloth, strainers or paper lunch bags. Top again with a heavy plate or bowl and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days. I like 2 days of straining because processing the cheese later brings out any retained moisture and the drier filling holds up much better with the cake.*

To Construct:
1) Cut the cake circles in half so you have 2 thin circles instead of 1 thick circle.
2) Top 2 pieces of sponge with a small dollop of cannoli cream (I used about 1 tsp but it depends on the size of your cakes)
3) Sandwich a pistachio cake half between the 2 creamed sponge halves.
4) Top the 3 layer mini cake with a marzipan round.
5) Alternate sandwiching pistachio between sponge and sponge between pistachio slices.
6) If you are going to be traveling with the cakes, it helps to put a toothpick through the top, deli style, so the layers do not come apart.

You can also make 1 big cake with this recipe if you bake the cakes in 9" round cake pans, roll the marzipan out to 1 large round, and frost the whole thing with whipped cream frosting. You will have to halve one of the cake recipes, though in order to get a 3 layer cake. If you want a 4 layer cake, just add a little more cheese to the cream recipe to make sure you have enough to fill the whole cake.