Category: Breakfast

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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 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!

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Categories
Basic Preparations or How To Breakfast Drinks Vegetarian

Anyone for a great Coffee? How to make Coffee with a Moka in easy steps

How to prepare the real Italian Coffee with Moka or “Caffè Espresso con la Moka”

What are the secrets of preparing the best coffee with a classic Moka? The Neapolitans are the best when it comes to coffee and there is so much to learn about the different ways to prepare it. The classic “na tazzulella e café” (literally: a little cup of coffee) is an important part of the inalienable Neapolitan lifestyle, typical food and drinking habits. A great Coffee is always the perfect fit: a waking up MUST HAVE in the morning, the classic excuse for a work break, an after lunch essential, the first drink offered to welcome a guest or to family and friends, anyone loved. Italian coffee simply represents – in Italy and abroad – a symbol at the root of our Italian culture. Neapolitans do it better!!!! 🙂

Ingredients for a 3-cup of Coffee maker /small size

  • 3 teaspoons of Grounded Coffee (we like Vergnano or Illy Coffee)
  • Natural Water, we use bottled natural water if in doubt of the tap water quality

Preparation

  1. One rule: You can’t make a good coffee if you don’t have the best quality of the key ingredient: coffee. So the first step is to buy a great mix of grounded coffee. You will have 3 pieces in a Moka machine: base, filter, top.
  2. Fill the base of the Moka with cold water up to the level of the valve and not beyond. Water will affect the taste of your coffee, we often avoid tap water.
  3. Insert the filter on top,  should be just above the water level, add the coffee on top with a teaspoon, coffee is flattened with the teaspoon (do not compress it) being sure to make a few small furrows in the mixture. The coffee should be fully covering the 2 cm above the filter, do not press it in too much or the water will not pass through.
  4. Now you can add the top part of the Moka. Tightly screw the two parts together and put the coffee maker on the stove. Important Step: Keep the heat low.
  5. Once the coffee starts coming out, open the lid to avoid condensed water to drop in.  If you wish, you can take a coffee cup and place it on top of the spout imprisoning the aroma and fragrance of coffee in the cup.
  6. When the coffee level is at about 3/4 of the top part of the Moka turn off the fire completely and wait until it stops dropping. Enjoy super hot.

TIPS:

  • If you want a perfect coffee,  you can pre-heat the coffee cups for 1 minute in the microwave and then pour the coffee in, it will keep it extra hot!
  • COFFEE CREAM: for the perfectionists only, when the coffee starts to come out take the first drops and put them in a separate cup, add 3-4 teaspoons of sugar and blend them until you have a homogeneous creamy mix, add it on top of the coffee in each cup before serving instead of sugar. TOP!
  • Never wash the coffee maker Moka in a washing machine or with soap, just wash it with hot water!

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

caffe 3

Categories
Breakfast Dessert Gluten free Healthy

Gluten Free Crèpes with Mascarpone and Strawberries

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of Crêpes Gluten-Free with Mascarpone and Strawberries

Crêpes are very popular in Italy. We propose here a gluten free variation which is very tasty and nicely balanced. We all know that crêpes come from France. But the word crêpe actually originates from the Latin word, crispus, which means curled. These Crêpes Gluten-Free are great for breakfast or any meal. Takes only 10 minutes to make. No gluten. No problem. They are just as good as crepes made with all-purpose flour! Enjoy.

Ingredients for the Dry Flour Mix (it can be stored)

  • 1 cup gluten-free sweet Rice Flour
  • 1 cup ground Hazelnuts
  • 1 cup sweet white Sorghum Flour
  • 1 cup Teff Flour
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp Xantham Gum

Ingredients for the Crèpe Batter

  • 3 eggs1 cup Milk
  • 1/3 cup Sugar
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup GF crêpe Flour Mix (done above)
  • Butter for the Crêpe Pan

Ingredients for the Sauces

  • Nutella, few spoons. Banana, in slices
  • Mascarpone, milk and sugar, mixed into a creamy delicious sauce. Fresh Strawberries in pieces
  • Honey and Lemon

Preparation

1. In a container or a bowl, add the teff flour, sweet white sorghum flour, gluten-free sweet rice flour, ground hazelnuts, and lastly add in the xantham gum. Shake it in a container, or mix it well if in a bowl.

2. Preheat a large flat pan to medium-high heat. Crack 3 eggs in a bowl and then add in some milk, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk this mixture for a few minutes.

3. Measure out 3/4 cup of your crêpe mixture and add it into the egg mixture. Whisk the batter together and you have your crêpe batter! It will look runny but that is right.

4. Take a little bit of butter and coat the heated pan. Pour approximately 1/3 cup of batter into the center of the crêpe pan and swivel it around with a back and forth shaking motion until you have a thin, round crêpe. Allow crêpe to cook until edges become golden brown, then flip and briefly allow the other side to cook. (10-15 seconds) Slide it right off the pan to a plate.

5. Dress with a small amount of Nutella and bananas cut into slices, jam or maple syrup down the middle, roll up, cut into two pieces and serve warm. Or you can simply add honey and lemon juice.

6. Alternatively, you can fold the crepes with a wonderful Mascarpone cream inside and fresh strawberries. Mix together mascarpone, a little bit of milk, and powdered sugar on high with a hand mixer until stiff peak forms (do not over beat). Place desired amount of filling to half of the crepe and top with fresh strawberries. Fold into fourths and add extra dollop of filling on top with fresh strawberries.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

gluten free crepe mascarpone

 

 

Categories
Breakfast Cake Dessert

Soft Heaven Cake or Torta Paradiso

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of the Soft Heaven Cake or “Torta Paradiso”

The Soft Heaven Cake or Torta Paradiso is one of the most loved by children for its simplicity and taste. The cake is similar to a chiffon cake, as it is light and airy. Soft and delicate, it is ideal for a snack or a tasty breakfast Sunday. This is originally a traditional dessert from Genova, a very delicate, light and soft sponge cake that everyone loves.

Ingredients

  • 6 Eggs
  • 3 Egg Whites
  • 200 grams of Sugar
  • 200 grams of Butter
  • 1 grated Lemon
  • 100 grams of Potato Flour
  • 100 grams of Flour
  • 1 tablespoon of Vanilla Sugar
  • a dose of Baking Powder

Preparation

1. Separate the egg whites from the yolks and put everything aside. Add the butter to a bowl, at room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it becomes all fluffy, creamy. Include gradually the sugar and continue beating. Stir the softened butter with the sugar for a creamy mixture. Combine the 6 egg yolks one by one gradually and continue beating the mixture until it becomes light and still fluffy.

2. Add the 2 flours, the vanilla sugar and the baking powder slowly continuing to beat. Mix everything well. Beat all the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Combine the egg whites into the mixture, stirring gently. Add the egg whites, previously whites stiff and grated lemon rind. Butter and flour a cake pan of 20 cm of diameter and pour the mixture into the cake pan, bake at 180° for 50 minutes.

3. Let it cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Fluffy, soft and delicious. Powdered sugar on this cake will not absorb into the cake and get gummy. So when the cake is cool, sift the sugar all over the top of the cake. For a special twist cut the cake in the middle and add Nutella covering all the bottom surface like a sweet sandwich. Enjoy.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

 

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Categories
Breakfast Cake Dessert

Baked Ring Cake or Ciambellone Tradizionale

How to prepare the real Italian recipe of the traditional “Ciambellone” for a children party or for a nice breakfast during the weekend

Wonderful Classic recipe of a cake often baked at home in Italy, the Baked Ring Cake. “Ciambellone” (chahm-bell-ohn-eh) Plain, vanilla-scented cake, is a classic Italian cake, dense and crumbly and perfect with a cappuccino or a cold glass of milk and, of course, a nice espresso. It’s tender and fragrant, has a good, sensible crumb, lasts for a few days on the kitchen counter, it is not too sweet, healthy, easy to make, and very nice for breakfast. The traditional Italian “Ciambellone” is also good at teatime and as a snack for little children. In other words, it’s a perfect everyday cake. A glorious cake. The classic good old Italian family recipe.

Ingredients

  • 200g/7oz Butter softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 300g/10½oz Sugar
  • 4 free-range Eggs, yolk separated
  • 300g/10½oz plain Flour
  • 100g/3½oz Potato Flour or Cornflour
  • 1 Lemon, zest only
  • 4-6 tbsp Milk
  • 1 sachet of Baking Powder like “Pane Angeli” or use 1 tsp baking powder mixed with 2 to 3 drops of vanilla or powder

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Lightly grease a baking ring mould.

2. Mix and cream together the butter and sugar in a bowl until the mixture is pale and creamy. Stir in the egg yolks, plain flour, potato flour or cornflour and lemon zest together with four tablespoons of milk. Stir in 1-2 more tablespoons of milk if the mixture is very thick. It should be creamy, light and stand in soft peaks in the bowl. Zest citrus fruit. Stir in the Pane Angeli, or the baking powder and vanilla essence mix. Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Then fold the egg whites into the mixture.

3. Pour the mixture into the greased baking ring mould and bake it in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown and springy to the touch. Serve.

Posted by Nicoletta and Tiziana

The Real Italian Food. Buon Appetito!

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