True Taste of Italy » Desserts

Zabaglione (Italian Egg Custard)

admin — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 21:38:11 +0000

Zabaglione (Italian Egg Custard) is classic Italian custard flavored with sweet wine and served warm or cold. It is often served over a slice of Ciambellone or fresh fruit fruit such as fragole (strawberries) or pesche (peaches).

Ingredients for Zabaglione:

4 egg yolks
4 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons marsala wine
Pinch of orange zest

Directions for Zabaglione:

Fill bottom half of double boiler with enough water so that top pan does not touch water (otherwise, custard will become lumpy when cooked.) Place on stove and simmer.
Combine egg yolks, sugar, and marsala wine in top saucepan. Whisk until ingredients blend well and texture is smooth.
Place top pan in bottom pan of simmering water. Continue whisking until custard is light and foamy, about 7 minutes. Stir in orange zest and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Espresso Float

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:24:00 +0000

This Espress Float (Affogato) is not for the faint of heart as it packs a powerful punch. Affogato means “drowned” in Italian and that is exactly what happens to the vanilla ice cream. A generous scoop of vanilla ice cream drowns in 1 or 2 shots of espresso topped with a dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients for Espresso Float:

4 cups hot Italian espresso coffee, divided
8 scoops vanilla ice cream
4 tablespoons brandy, optional
Whipped cream

Directions for Espresso Float:

In 4 individual serving bowls, place 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Pour 1 cup hot espresso coffee, 1 tablespoon brandy, and a dollop of whipped cream to garnish. Serve and enjoy.

Serves 4.

Italian Fruit Salad

admin — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:37:38 +0000

This recipe is a typical Italian Fruit Salad (Macedonia) that combines the fresh fruits of the season to produce a sweet, but healthy after-dinner treat. In Italy, fruit alone is considered a dessert. It is common to find a bowl of fruit present at every meal in a home or a restaurant. Of course, this recipe can be modified since certain fruits are only available during certain times of the year. Feel free to add or omit any fruits you desire.

Ingredients for Italian Fruit Salad:

2 small apples
1 banana
1 small pear
½ cup black seedless grapes
½ cup green grapes
1 peach
1 nectarine
2 apricots
½ cup strawberries
½ cup raspberries
Juice of 2 lemons
Juice of 4 oranges
Sugar, optional
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional

Directions for Italian Fruit Salad:

Wash, peel and slice fruit into bite-size pieces. Leave washed raspberries whole.
Combine all fruit in a bowl and add lemon juice, orange juice and stir to mix well.
Add sugar sugar and Grand Marnier, if desired, and stir thoroughly.
Cover bowl and refrigerate about 30 minutes to 1 hour. Serve chilled.

Serves 6.

Apple Cake

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 19:22:41 +0000

Apple Cake (Torta di Mele) is a family favorite and is usually whipped up by mamma several nights a week when she comes to visit. It is usually gobbled up immediately after dinner with only a few crumbs left behind. We often like to enjoy it with a side of whipped cream either homemade or store bought.

Ingredients for Apple Cake:

1¾ cups flour
½ cup milk
3 eggs
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
¼ teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon cake yeast
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced
Powdered sugar

Directions for Apple Cake:

Combine flour, milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add butter and stir to mix well.
Add lemon rind and cake yeast. Mix until all ingredients blend well.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Prepare round cake pan or bundt cake pan with non-stick spray. Pour in cake batter and spread evenly in pan. Place apple slices over batter and push some slices into batter.
Place in oven and bake about 40 minutes. Insert toothpick into center of cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If not, continue to bake until cooked completely.
Remove from oven and cool before removing from pan. To enhance presentation, sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

Cinnamon Pear Tart

admin — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 19:08:58 +0000

This Cinnamon Pear Tart (Torta di Pere alla Cannella) uses a key ingredient, cinnamon, that was treasured in ancient times. It was used for medicinal purposes and flavoring for beverages and was considered to be more precious than gold. In medieval Europe, cinnamon was a staple ingredient and the demand for it drove many explorers to travel to distant lands in search of it.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Pear Tart:

½ cup flour
¼ cup unsweetened apple juice
2 tablespoons corn oil
4 Bartlett pears
4 sticks cinnamon
3 tablespoons brown sugar, divided

Directions for Cinnamon Pear Tart:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Combine flour, a little salt, apple juice, and oil in a mixing bowl. Stir to mix well until smooth, elastic texture appears. Pour mixture onto parchment paper. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Remove from refrigerator and roll out on lightly floured surface. Place in buttered 9-inch tart pan. Work dough so it covers bottom and sides evenly.
Place in oven about 15 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Peel and slice pears. Place slices from 2 of the pears in small pan with cinnamon sticks and sprinkle half of brown sugar.
Cook and stir over medium heat for 10 minutes or until pureed. Remove cinnamon sticks and discard.
Fill crust with pear puree. Arrange remaining sliced pears on top of puree. Sprinkle with remaining brown sugar.
Place back in oven about 20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Serves 4 to 6.

Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon

admin — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:41:51 +0000

Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon (Fragole Dolci) is delightfully sweet and can be prepared ahead of time and kept chilled in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Another variation enjoyed by Italians is to use balsamic vinegar instead of freshly squeezed lemon and orange juice.

Ingredients for Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon:

1 pound fresh strawberries, sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed
1/2 orange, freshly squeezed

Directions for Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon:

Wash strawberries thoroughly and slice strawberries in medium bowl.
Sprinkle sugar, lemon juice, and orange juice over strawberries and mix well. Serve chilled.

This Strawberries with Sugar and Lemon recipe serves 4 to 6.

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