A Life, Lived

Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Crunch Glaze

Last spring the Sunday Slow Bakers worked their way through some recipes in Dolce Italiano by fellow slow traveler Gina De Palma. Paul and I were in Italy at the time so we missed the zucchini olive oil cake. We finally got around to correcting that a few weeks back. Dear lord - why, oh why, did we wait?

This cake cake is made with olive oil, a very healthy fat. It is  moist with lots of fresh squash and an amazing crunchy lemony glaze on top.  It mixes together in a snap. I generally don't like nuts in cakes but decided to leave the walnuts in - I'm glad that I did because they provided a delicious crunch!

I've whipped it together twice now and it is amazing how quickly it vanishes! LOL

If you still have a glut of zucchini in the garden you'll want to check this out.

Enjoy

Zucchini Olive Oil Cake with Lemon Crunch Glaze

1 cup (75 g) walnut pieces, toasted
2 cups (240 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3 large eggs
1-3/4 cup (306 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (237 mil) extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups (438 g) grated zucchini (about 2 small zucchini)
confectioners sugar, for dusting (optional -I've never tried this)

LEMON GLAZE
1/4 cup (59 mil) fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup (58 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (130 g) confectioners sugar

CAKE: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350º F/175º C.

In the medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Set aside.

In the bowl of the stand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and olive oil together on medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and beat in the vanilla extract.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low speed until thoroughly combined, then increase speed to medium and mix for 30 seconds.

Stir in the zucchini and walnut pieces until completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Rotate the cake halfway through baking to ensure even browning. Tester should come out clean and the cake edges should start to pull away from the sides of the pan.

GLAZE: Make the glaze while the cake is baking. In a medium bowl, whisk the lemon juice and granulated sugar, then whisk in the confectioners sugar until the glaze is smooth. Strain any lumps as necessary.

Remove the baked cake from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Place the wire rack over a piece of wax paper and invert the cake onto the rack. Use a pastry brush to brush the glaze all over the hot cake. It will stick to the cake and set as the cake cools, leaving a nice crunchy surface. Allow the cake to cool completely and the glaze to dry completely. OPTIONAL: You may dust the cake with confections sugar before serving.

Wrap cake in plastic to store and use within 2 days.

The BEST Pound Cake . . .

Now the snarky of you out there will likely be saying one of two things . . . 'there he goes, exaggerating about food again' or 'pound cake is so horrendous that making the 'best' pound cake wouldn't be a challenge - anything that didn't taste as if it were baked in 1938 would fit the bill' . . .

I recognize that many pound cakes are dry, heavy and tasteless. They don't call them pound cakes for nothing - they are generally heavy and bad ones sit in your gut like a pound of lead. This is likely the reason that the greatest use of pound cake is in some other recipe - anything to try and make it taste better.

Then the wonderful chef Gina de Palma published Dolce Italiano and the pound cake suddenly became tasty. Apparently all that was required was the addition of ricotta cheese . . .

You may recall that last year a group of talented slowtravel cooks worked there way through Gina's cook book. No one attempted the recipe for ricotta pound cake - a shame really because it is brilliant.

I have made this pound cake a few times and can guarantee that the folks you serve it to will be impressed. I have proof. I brought my assistant and a colleague a piece today - both of them raved about it. If that isn't scientific proof of the most stringent caliber I am not sure what is.

I like to play with the recipe - I've added fruit (dry of fresh), I've added other flavourings - lemon zest, lemoncello - and it has all been good.

If you a re ready to give the much maligned pound cake another test this is the way to go . . .

Enjoy!

Ricotta Pound Cake

1 1/2 c cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3/4 c unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 c fresh whole-milk ricotta
1 1/2 c granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 vanilla bean
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) and place rack in center.

Grease and flour 9-inch loaf pan.

In medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream together butter, ricotta, and sugar until smooth and light.

Beat in eggs one at a time, scraping sides of bowl after each addition.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the blunt side of a small knife, then beat them into the batter along with the vanilla extract.

On low speed, beat in dry ingredients to combine them, scrape down sides of the bowl, and beat the batter for 30 seconds on medium.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula. Tap pan on counter a few times to remove air pockets.

Put cake in oven and let bake for 15 minutes, then turn 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Lower the temperature to 325°F (160°C) and let bake until cake springs back when lightly touched, the sides of the cake have pulled away from the sides of the pan, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes more. NOTE - my cakes have ALWAYs taken longer to bake (likely because of the ricotta I use) - just watch them and test until they are done.

Allow cake to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert it on wire rack to cool completely.

Dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

Sunday Slow Baking # 16 - Taralli with Red Pepper and Oregano

Another Sunday and another great recipe by Gina De Palma. This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe is a savoury one for a change and was selected by Cindy, sadly she wasn't thrilled with the results she achieved.

Today's recipe is a favourite of Gina's - in fact she wrote about it on the Babbo website. Taralli are snack food, a type of bread common throughout the southern half of the Italian peninsula: they're doughnut shaped, about 3 inches across, and are moderately crunchy; they can be either somewhat sweet or slightly salty, and some people sprinkle their surfaces with anise seed, pepper, or whatever. Gina suggests that they are like a pretzel but the ones I have tried are more bagel-like.

I really enjoyed these - they are a little more effort than some recipes to make but the result is well worth it. They will be perfect tonight with a bottle of wine! Next time I make them I will try different herb/cheese combinations.

Taralli with Red Pepper and Oregano
Taralli al Peperoncino e Herbe  

4 1/2 cups “00” Flour 
2 Tablespoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh oregano 
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes 
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine 
1 cup extra virgin olive oil

Place the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, sugar, oregano and red pepper flakes in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the wine and oil and mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment to form a wet dough. Beat fro three minutes. Transfer the dough to a plastic container that has been oiled and well dusted with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest for at least 2 hours. You can also refrigerate the dough overnight in an airtight container; bring it to room temperature before proceeding with the recipe. 

Preheat the oven to 375 and position the rack in the centre.

In a stock pot or dutch oven bring approximately 4 quarts of water to a boil. Season the water with the remaining 1 T. salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot to prevent the water from evaporating.

Prepare two baking sheets by lightly brudhing them with olive oil.

Have ready some paper towels to drain the tarilli on as they come out of the water.

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead lightly. Divide the dough into four pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the rest in the bowl until ready to use. Roll portions of the dough into long ropes, about ¾ inch in diameter and 18 inches long. Cut the rope into about 4 or 5 pieces and shape them into rings, making a small knot at the top. As you finish each ring, place it on a cookie sheet dusted with flour, repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.

Drop the rings in to the simmering water, about 4-5 at a time; the water should remain at a simmer. The taralli will sink and then float when they are done. Increase the heat as necassary to keep the water at a simmer. Gently scoop them out of the water with a slotted spoon or a Chinese skimmer, allowing them to drain for a moment in the spoon, place on paper towels for a few moments to remove any excess water. Place them on a cookie sheet greased with a bit of olive oil. You do not have to space the taralli too far apart, as they will not grow while they bake.

Bake the taralli should bake for about 25 minutes or so, or until they are a nice even, golden brown. When they are evenly golden brown, remove them from the oven and transfer to a rack to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container. They will last only as long as you can keep from eating them!

Be sure and check in on the other sunday slow bakers to see how their taralli turned out:

Baked Alaska
Destination Anywhere
Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog
Keep your Feet in the Street
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Sunday Slow Baking # 15 - Citrus Glazed Polenta Cake

Another Sunday and another great recipe by Gina De Palma. This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe was selected by Ida.

Of course the biggest challenge for us all was to figure out what fine polenta was. I googled and discovered posts from folks who used regular polenta by mistake and were not happy at all with the texture. We debated whether or not fine polenta was the same as instant polenta was the same as fine corn meal . . . ARGH In the end we decided that fine corn meal = instant polenta and just went with it.

The texture was great - score one for the fine corn meal. However, the finished cake wasn't as cooked in the middle as I would have like - in fact the cake sunk a bit. Now my oven tends to be on the cool side so I baked the cake at a higher temperature and for longer than called for but I think another 5 or 10 minutes might have been helpful. It tasted fine but the centre wasn't completely cooked. Another thing that may have contributed to this . . . I used at 8 inch pan instead of a 10 inch - I never adjusted the baking time for that - opps

Instead of regular olive oil I used the tangerine olive oil we bought in Paso Robles in February - it sure helped make this cake a citrus delight. We ended up slicing into it at breakfast this morning - Paul gave it 2 thumbs up and didn't even noticed that it wasn't fully baked in the centre - bless his heart. The cake isn't sweet and is redolent of lovely citrus flavour. This really was a treat and at some point I will recover from the fact that I didn't bake it for as long as I should have.

I decorated the cake with simple candied peel. I used a special zester which takes long threads from the fruit. I tossed the threads of lime, orange, and lemon peel in granulated sugar, let it dry and tossed again. I repeated this about 5 times before the peel was nicely crusted with sugar. It made for a nice presentation (but not as nice as if I had baked the damn cake long enough - I will get over this at some time!)

Citrus Glazed Polenta Cake

1 1/2 cups plus 1 Tbsp unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan
1 lemon
1 lime
1 orange
3/4 cup instant or fine polenta
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
4 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat over to 325 degrees and position a rack in the center. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray, dust the pan with flour, and tap to knock out the excess. Grate the zest from the lemon, lime, and orange, setting the zests aside for the cake batter and reserving the fruit for the glaze.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, polenta, baking powder, and salt and set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and granulated sugar together on med-high speed until they are pale yellow and have tripled in volume, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in reserved citrus zests.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the olive oil to the egg mixture; begin with one third of the dry ingredients, then add half the oil, followed by another third of the dry ingredients, beating only until each addition is incorporated. Stop the mixer and briefly scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the remaining olive oil, followed by the last third of the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, rotating it 180 degrees halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. The cake is down when it springs back lightly when touched and pulls away from the sides of the pan, and when a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 12 to 15 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, make the glaze: Sift 2 cups confectioners' sugar into a large bowl. Squeeze 1 tablespoon of juice from each of the reserved citrus fruits. Add the citrus juices to the bowl and whisk until smooth. If the glaze seems too thick, add a few drops and whisk until smooth. If the glaze seems too thick, add a few drops of water until it falls easily from a spoon. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake and allow it to set until it is completely dry.

Carefully remove the bottom of the springform pan with an offset spatula and tranfer the cake to a serving plate. If desired, dust the cake with additional confectioner's sugar before serving. Any leftover cake may be wrapped in plastic and served the following the day.

Be sure and check in on the other sunday slow bakers to see how their cakes turned out:

Baked Alaska
Destination Anywhere
Happy Trails for Us: My Reluctant Blog
Keep your Feet in the Street
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking

Bits and Pieces

Some random thoughts today (which I have lost twice already when my PC froze! ARGH) some of which are happy, some sad, some funny, some odd . . . y'all can decided which is which.

Many of you will recall me writing about a group of slow travelers who have been working our way through Dolce Italiano by Gina DePalma. Not only Gina is the pastry chef at Babbo in New York, she is also a member of slow travel. It was fitting that the slow bakers should enjoy her collection of recipes first.

Imagine our shock when Diana, another member of the slow travel community (and owner of the BEST B and B in Piemonte) wrote about Gina last week. We knew that Gina had been in Italy for an extended time researching her new book. Apparently she had popped back home to NY for a short visit to take care of some business and while there was diagnosed with cancer. As most of us know, this diagnosis changes time-lines, plans and immediately she was in a round of surgery and chemo.

A group from slow trav wanted to know what we could do to help out. The first order of business was to bring Gina's cats back home. Gina had taken her beloved pets to Rome but hadn't brought them back for what was planned to be a short visit. When she didn't return to Rome the cats were stranded in her rented apartment being taken care of by the owners. Gina was worried about her kitties and they were no doubt missing their mom.

Diana did her research and discovered that it would take $ 4000 to fly someone to Rome to retrieve the kitties and to fly them back in the cabin to NY where they would be united with their mom. She issued a challenge to help out. Help poured in. In fact, as if this morning $ 2800 had been raised. We're almost there.

If you want to help bring Gina's kitties home you can e-mail Diana at [email protected].

Not only is Diana the world's greatest B and B owner she is also the world greatest friend.

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Switching gears a bit.

I am always curious about the way in which folks arrive at my blog. I get close to 300 visitors a day, most of whom arrive by way of a google search. Because I have no life I track this every now and then. Some of the google searches are just plain odd.

For example, last night someone searched for spell to force someone to obay Hmmmm NO, there are no spells on my blog. I did post about an ad campaign sponsored by the Ontario Community Colleges that featured a mysterious wonder drug called Obay. Ironically it was designed to encourage adolescents to think for themselves and to not make the decisions that others wanted them to make.

Anyway, the end result was that someone searching for a spell left unhappy.

I suspect the intended victim is quite happy (even if they do not know it).

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In our modern world information is created and shared so quickly it never ceases to make me dizzy. Last night I was at the Toronto Star web site and saw some breaking news about the lead singer for the group the Barenaked Ladies. (have fun with that one google searchers) It seems he was arrested for drug possession in Syracuse, NY. I was surprised by this because I thought he lived in Toronto. I popped over to wikipedia and discovered that someone had updated his wikipedia page already with information about the drug bust not 27 minutes after it was released to the media.

Remember when the only news you got was the news reel of week old news at the start of a movie at the theatre? Actually, I don't recall this at all. Mom has told me about this from her childhood - some of you might remember though *smile*

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Speaking of 'news'.

What does it say about our world when so much ink and newsprint (to say nothing of bits and bytes) are devoted to the birth of twins in a french hospital. We live in a world where millions of folks do not have access to food, medical care, drinking water, security, housing, education, or the means to better their existence. We are facing an economic crisis. What to talk about? The Jolie-Pitt twins.

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And finally (actually there is more but after having typed this three times my wrists are getting sore) there is an election south of the border. Now anyone who knows me knows that I love politics. It has been fascinating watching the twists and turns in the seemingly never-ending US (AKA the nation that LOST the war of 1812) election campaign.

Last night jib jab posted a very funny video that satires the campaign without being offensive (New Yorker magazine take note!). It is hilarious and you should pop over and have a look.

SSB # 14 - Sweet Apple Omlette

Another Sunday and another great recipe by Gina De Palma. This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe was selected by Maria.

We had this for brunch today. I admit I was apprehensive - I'm not a huge fan of sweet things in the am unless the sweetness comes from maple syrup drizzled over somehting. Had Maria not selected it for the sunday slow bakers to make I doubt that I would have ever made this. The concept is unusual for our North American palattes (such as they are) - we're used to our omlettes full of cheese, herbs, and savoury things like that. One blogger has called this apple pie for breakfast and I agree that the similarities are there.

To be honest I was taken aback at how good it was! I didn't find it overly sweet which surprised me given the amount of sugar and honey. Paul's comment - 'it tastes like something you could get at Cora's' - a fancy breakfast restaurant nearby. That was quite a compliment to Angie!

In the book Angie explains that this type of omlette is common in the northernmost regions of Italy. Here at the base of the alps the local cuisines have bene influenced by the Slavic, Austrian, and Swiss neighbours.

Sweet Apple Omlette

omlet con mele

2 medium Golden Delicious, Rome, or Empire apples
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon grappa
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey
4-5 large eggs
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Peel and core the apples, cut them into quarters, then cut the quarters into slices. Heat a large saute pan over medium heat and add the olive oil, followed by the apples. Saute the apples until they just begin to turn soft, translucent, and tender, about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and the cinnamon to the pan, shaking to coat the apples. Remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the grappa, then return the pan to low heat and let the apple mixture simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to cook off the alcohol and tenderize the apples.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat; do not allow it to bubble. Add the honey and swirl the pan to combine the butter and honey thouroughly (I did this in the microwave). Set the pan aside, off the heat. Have ready a serving plate dusted with confectioner's sugar.

Crack the eggs into a medium bowl and whisk them until the yolks and whites are combined. In a nonstick 10" omelet pan, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter over med heat, swirling it around to coat the bottom completely. When the butter begins to bubble, add the eggs. Use a spatula to pull the cooked egg toward the center of the pan while tilting the pan to move uncooked egg to the edges. Continue moving the eggs around gently until all the eggs are cooked, 2 to 3 minutes. Very quickly, spoon some of the cooked apples into the center of the omelette in a straight line spanning the diameter of the omelette. Shake the pan to loosen the omelette completely, then fold one side of the omelette over the apples.

Quickly slide the omelette onto the sugar-dusted serving plate, folding it over on top of itself with the edge of the pan or spatula. Immediately drizzle the warm honey-butter mixture evenly over the surface of the omelet, then dust it with confectioner's sugar.

Serve immediately, cutting the omelette into 2 large halves or 4 smaller quarters.

You can check out what the other Sunday slow baker bloggers have been up to by clicking through to their blogs (although some are traveling this week and not in the kitchen (lucky them!):

Destination Anywhere
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking
Baked Alaska

SSB # 13 Almond Fingers (ditti di mandorle)

First, an update on the photo contest.

As I mentioned here, easycar.com is running another photo contest. Last year my picture of Venice came in 12th of 467 photos. It is early days in the contest, for awhile I was in first, now my three pics have slipped to 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. hmmm - that really won't do! So, if you haven't voted yet, click on through and vote for Chicago Bean, Tuscany Poppies, and Siena Tower. Remember, the best vote is a 10. There is no need to be shy, feel free to vote for all three! *smile*

My fourth picture was declined! Sadly it was the best of the lot I thought! Apparently it was too large so I am reformatting it and hopefully ballooning in Tuscany will be posted shortly.

And now back to baking with the Sunday Slow Bakers and their blogs . . .

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Another Sunday and another great recipe by Gina De Palma. This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe was selected by Terry.

I wasn't sure if I would be making these or not for two reasons - it has just been too warm to turn the oven on and second, one of the main ingredients is almond flour which I have been unable to find in the past. This morning at 6 am it was cool so turning the oven wasn't a disaster. The almond flour worked out as well - I found some at Whole Foods. Almond flour isn't a real flour, it is finely pulverized almonds. It wasn't cheap, now I have to think about what I can do with the rest of a $ 20 bag of pulverized almonds.

These cookies are simple to make - the dough comes together quickly (it was done by the time my coffee had dripped through the coffee maker). It chills for an hour, you then roll it into logs, slice off a cookie-sized piece, dip it in egg white, and sliced almonds. After 16 minutes in the oven (during which your kitchen will be filled with wonderful aromas) you take them out and cool 'em.

I really enjoyed the flavour and texture of these cookies. The centre was almost cake-like with a vary fine crumb. The flavour was a wonderful - lemon and almond with a subtle hint of vanilla. The almonds on the outside had crisped up which provided a great texture variation between the interior and the exterior.

Almond Fingers (ditti di mandorle)

Makes approx. 4 dozen cookies

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, separated
Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups sliced blanched almonds
Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.

Using an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolk, followed by the lemon zest and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed to make a stiff dough. Remove the dough from the bowl, flatten it into a disk, wrap it in plastic, and chill until firm enough to roll, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 325. Lightly grease two baking sheets with nonstick cooking spray or butter or line them with parchment paper.

Place the almonds in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, lightly beat the egg white with a fork until frothy.

Divide the dough into 3 equal pieces. Work with 1 piece at a time, keeping the other portions wrapped and refrigerated. Roll the piece of dough into a narrow log 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut the log into cylinders about 1 1/2 inches long. Roll each cylinder in the beaten egg white, then in the sliced almonds to coat it completely. Place the cookies on the prepared sheets, spacing them evenly, about 1/2" apart. Repeat with the remaining portions of dough.

Bake the cookies until they are firm and the almonds are lightly golden brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating the sheet 180 degrees halfway through the baking time to ensure even browning. Allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 1 or 2 minutes, then use a spatula to remove them gently to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust the cookies generously with confectioners' sugar.

The cookies can be stored in an airtight container, layered between sheets of parchment paper, in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days.

You can check out what the other Sunday slow baker bloggers have been up to by clicking through to their blogs (although some are traveling this week or dealing with 115 degree weather and NOT baking . . perhaps we'll have to take on the trailer trash jellied salad cookbook for our next round):

Destination Anywhere
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking
Baked Alaska

SSB # 12 - Chocolate Tangerine Semifreddo

Another Sunday and another great recipe by Gina De Palma. This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe was selected by Nancy who though that it would be a good selection for when the temperatures rose to the point that turing on the oven was painful!

Semifreddo is an Italian word that refers to a class of semi-frozen desserts, typically ice-cream cakes, semi-frozen custards, and certain fruit tarts. It also refers to an ice cream sandwich, in which the bread may be a lightly toasted croissant. The word means "half cold" in Italian. It has the texture of frozen mousse. Such a dessert's Spanish counterpart is called semifrío. In Italian cuisine, the Semifreddo is commonly made with gelato as a primary ingredient.

While the recipe calls for tangerines it was impossible for me to find them so I used oranges and the results were very good. The one thing I would do differently next time would be to bring the marscapone cheese to room temperature and beat it first. I found that whipping the cream and marscapone cheese together never incorporated the marscapone completely leaving small bits of white in the otherwise dark chocolately semifreddo.

CHOCOLATE TANGERINE SEMIFREDDO
(semifreddo di cioccolato e mandarino)

Makes 6-8 servings

For the Semifreddo:
2 tangerines
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 tablespoon Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons amaretto
4 large egg yolks
4 ounces chocolate wafer cookies, ground (such as Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers)
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup mascarpone
Chopped pistachios, for garnish

For the Chocolate Tangerine Sauce:
1 tangerine
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons Triple Sec or other orange-flavored liqueur

To make the semifreddo: Zest the tangerines and squeeze them. Reserve 3/4 cup juice and set the zest aside.

Place the chocolate, cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons sugar, and tangerine juice in small saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. The mixture will bubble and then begin to thicken; continue cooking until it is almost the consistency of pudding, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the tangerine zest and amaretto. Allow the mixture to cool for 15 minutes and transfer it to a large mixing bowl.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, use the whisk attachment to beat together the egg yolks and the remaining 3/4 cup sugar on medium speed until light-colored and thick, about 2 minutes. Fold the egg yolk mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in the chocolate wafer crumbs.

Clean the bowl and the whisk attachment and whip the heavy cream with the mascarpone at high speed until it is thick and softly peaking. Gently fold the cream mixture into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the semifreddo into a loaf pan or another freezable container and press plastic wrap on the surface. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or until firm.

Before serving, make the chocolate tangerine sauce: Zest the tangerine and squeeze it until you have 1 teaspoon zest and 2 tablespoons juice.

Place the chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Pour in the boiling water and allow the ingredients to sit for 30 seconds, then whisk them together until smooth. Whisk in the heavy cream, corn syrup, tangerine zest, Triple Sec, and tangerine juice.

To Serve: Scoop the semifreddo into individual bowls, or unmold then whole semifreddo by dipping the pan in hot water and inverting it over a plate and then slice it into portions with a hot thin-bladed knife. Drizzle each serving with some of the warm sauce and sprinkle with chopped pistacios.

The sauce can be made ahead of time and kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 days. Before serving, heat in the microwave or the top of a double boiler.

You can check out what the other slow bakers have come up with at their blogs (although I do believe some are travelling this week):

Destination Anywhere
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking
Baked Alaska

SSB Week 11--Strawberries in Chianti with Black Pepper Ricotta Cream

This is the latest stage in the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe was selected by Amy who though that it would be a good selection for when the local strawberries hit the market and the temperatures rose to the point that turing on the oven was painful!

We loved this recipe. In fact, it might be one of our favourite from the book to date. It is easy to make - no fuss, little mess, and the reward is in the taste. I actually caught Paul licking out his bowl when he thought I wasn't watching! We played a bit - I had some pink peppercorns in the pantry and used those instead of black peppercorns they aren't as strong but still managed to impart a nice peppery warmth. This is a sophisticated dish to serve on a summer's night to friends you adore.

Strawberries in Chianta with Black Pepper Ricotta Cream
(fragole al vino con ricotta e pepe)

Makes 6 servings

2 pints ripe, fragrant strawberries(about 1 pound)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup Chianti Classico
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/4 cups fresh whole-milk ricotta
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, cracked

About 2 hours before serving the dessert, lightly rinse the strawberries if they are sandy and place them in a single layer on a clean dish towel to dry. Remove the hulls, then cut the berries in quarters or in half lengthwise, according to size, and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the berries and toss them to distribute. Pour the Chianti Classico over them. Using a large spoon, gently turn the berries to coat them wtih the wine. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill, giving them a gentle toss every so often.

Place the heavy cream and the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and use the whisk attachment on medium speed to beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add the ricotta and black pepper and briefly beat until the mixture is combined and makes firm peaks.

To serve, place a generous spoonful of the ricotta cream in each of six dessert glasses and spoon some of the berries and their juices alongside and over the top.

You can check out what the other slow bakers have come up with at their blogs (although I do believe some are travelling this week):

Destination Anywhere
In and Out of the Garden
My Place in the Sun
Palmabella's Passions
Postcards From the Trail
Whistlestop Cafe Cooking
Baked Alaska

Sunday Slow Baking # 10 - Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake

This is the tenth week of the Sunday Slow Bakers' exploration of Dolce Italiano by Gina De Palma. Krista came up with the notion that it might be interesting to get a group of folks together to bake and blog each week. This week's recipe was selected by Sandi who felt it would be the perfect dessert to take to celebrate Father's Day with her in-laws; lord knows nothing says I love you like a big ol' cheesecake.

We have had torta di ricotta before both in Italy and here in Canada. This post has a great recipe for one that we made last Labour Day weekend. Ricotta cheesecake is rich, but light at the same time due to the ever-so-slight texture that the cheese gives the cake. Of course, it's not "light" in the sense that it is low in fat or calories, but you'll certainly never mistake it for the super smooth and super dense New York-style cake. If you make this recipe expecting a smooth yet dense 'North American cheesecake' you'll be disappointed with the results.

Torta di Ricotta has quite a different texture than typical cheesecake. Ricotta is more granular than the usual brick of Philadelphia cream cheese, so.. the cheesecake retains much of that textural difference. I must say though, it is still quite creamy, and the flavour is so smooth and light. Also, unlike typical cheesecake, this cake is lighter and fluffier, and no where near as dense. I didn't feel laid out after taking a few bites.

Also, you will find that the top of the cake will crack. This is fine. When the cake cools, the top of the cake will shrink more than the base, so the sides of the cake will sort of angle inward. That's normal too. In the end it will taste so good that you won't worry about appearances.

This recipe calls for candied orange and lemon peel, but if you don't like that, you can just use grated zest. I used orange zest in mine. After it was in the oven I recognized that there was a disconnect between the orange zest nd the almond flavoured Amaretto called for in the recipe. Grand Marnier would have been a better addition.Better yet, lemon zest and lemoncello. YUM

If you're wondering about the title of the recipe . . . De Pamla admits to being obsessed over ricotta cheesecake. She samples it whenever she can and begs friends and family for their recipes, After many tries she perfected a recipe of her own.

Obsessive Ricotta Cheesecake

For the crust-
3/4 cup sliced blanched almonds, toasted and cooled
1/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Pinch of kosher salt
1 large egg yolk
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the filling-
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups(30 ounces) fresh whole-milk ricotta
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon amaretto
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons finely chopped candied orange rind(optional)
2 tablespoons finely chopped candied lemon rind or candied citron(optional)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and position a rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9" springform pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray, dust it with flour, and tap to knock out the excess.

To make the crust: Place the almonds, flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor and process until the nuts are finely chopped. In a small bowl, lightly whisk together the egg yolk, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Add the liquids to the nut mixture and pulse several times to moisten and combine the ingredients thoroughly. The mixture should come together easily between your fingers when pinched.

To form the crust, press the mixture onto the bottom and about an inch up the sides of the springform pan. Place the pan in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 minutes to firm up the crust, then bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the crust is light golden brown. Remove the pan for the oven and allow the crust to cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the filling-In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the sugar and salt on medium speed until soft and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the ricotta and beat until the mixture is smooth and light, another 2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Beat in the vanilla extract, amaretto, and cornstarch. Fold in the candied fruits, if desired, with the spatula

Pour the filling into the cooled crust, smoothing the top with the spatula. Bake the cheesecake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the center is set; it should be jiggly but not liquid. Remove the cheesecake from the oven and allow it to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

Chill the cooled cheesecake for at least 4 hours before serving; it is best served fully chilled on the following day. To serve, remove the sides of the springform pan and cut the cheesecake into wedges with a long, thin-bladed knife. Any leftover cake should be wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.