If you want to make a gourmet looking dessert that is easy to do, definitely give these Blueberry and Oreo Mini Cheesecakes a whirl. It’s a perfect dessert for your upcoming Super Bowl party.
I made these about a month :: mese ago for Mr. Italicano’s birthday :: compleanno and I’m now craving to make them again…they were ridiculously delicious. Mr. Italicano doesn’t have a big sweet tooth so my options for his birthday cake were: gelato, cheesecake, gelato, or cheesecake. This time cheesecake was the winner.
Although, we really do love gelato too so it was quite a hard decision. For our wedding :: matrimonio we “scooped the gelato” instead of “cut the cake,” that’s how much we love it….in other words, we’re pretty much obsessed. Good thing we live in Italy where there are 5 gelato shops around our house :: casa in less than a 1 mile radius.
The blended Oreos make the perfect crust :: base for these mini cheesecakes. I am a big fan of combining fruit with chocolate, then if you add a silky rich middle layer to the dessert, well, you’ve got yourself a bite of heaven :: paradiso.
Mini desserts rock. Somehow you just don’t feel as guilty by eating one…or two *cough*. These Blueberry and Oreo Mini Cheesecakes are also easier to serve at a party :: festa or BBQ than a regular sized cheesecake. Just set them out and people start snagging them up. No dirty plates. No dirty silverware. No cleanup. You can eat them with your hands :: le mani. *Love.*
You can continually vary this recipe in many ways: use strawberries, raspberries, huckleberries or other fruit :: frutta. Or, of course if you want something more rich, top with caramel or chocolate. The options are truly endless. You can also skip the extra step of making a blueberry purée and just make a plain cheesecake filling :: ripieno.
You can use regular graham crackers for the crust, although, I’m telling you, this oreo-cheesecake-blueberry combination is to die for.
If you want to make a gourmet looking dessert that is easy to do, definitely give these Blueberry and Oreo Mini Cheesecakes a whirl. It’s the perfect dessert for any party or BBQ.
Serves: 16 mini cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Oreo crust:
2 cups blended Oreos (approximately 27 cookies)
2 tablespoons butter (28g), melted
1 teaspoon (2g) ground nutmeg
For the cheesecake filling:
¼ cup (48g) blueberries
2- 8oz (about 500g) light cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (125g) plain yogurt
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice (1/4 medium sized lemon)
Zest of half a lemon
Dash of salt
Seeds from ½ vanilla bean or ½ teaspoon (2g) vanilla extract
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ tsp (1.5g) flour
For the Blueberry Sauce:
1 cup (190g) blueberries, divided ¾ cup (142g) ¼ cup (48g)
½ teaspoon (2.5g) cornstarch
1 tablespoon (15ml) water
2 tablespoons (22g) blueberry jam (optional)
Instructions
For the Oreo crust:
Preheat the oven to 325°F then line cupcake pans with liners.
In a blender, pulse the Oreos until they are ground together. Pour the blended Oreos in a small bowl and add the melted butter and nutmeg. Mix until well combined.
Divide the Oreo mixture among the cupcake liners and press down with the back of the spoon. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from the oven and set aside.
For the cheesecake filling:
In a blender, pulse the blueberries until they are a purée. Set aside
In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and vanilla with a spatula.
Stir the blueberry purée into the cream cheese mixture and stir until combined.
Stir in 1 egg at a time, then the flour and mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Divide the batter among the cupcake liners.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the filling is set.
Cool completely on a wire rack before chilling in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours (can also be made ahead and chilled overnight.)
For the blueberry sauce:
With the back of a fork, smash ¼ cup of blueberries.
Transfer the blueberries to a small saucepan and add the cornstarch, water, blueberry jam and the rest of the blueberries. Heat on low and stir occasionally.
Continue to cook until the sauce starts to thicken and simmers for a few minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a glass jar. Let the mixture cool at room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator.
To serve:
Take the mini cheesecakes out of the refrigerator and keep them at room temperature for 5 minutes before serving.
The Super Bowl is only a week away and while you’re getting your menu ready for the big day, don’t forget about this quick and delicious guacamole–it’s the ultimate game time snack. If you want to spice up this classic version try some of the alternate recipes listed below like pomegranate guacamole or roasted tomato and garlic guacamole, they are sure to be an instant crowd pleaser. And, for all you Washington State friends and family back home, Go Seahawks!
Guacamole originated from the Aztecs :: Azetechi in Mexico around the 16th century, and has long become a staple in the American cuisine. No super bowl party or Mexican-themed dinner would be complete without a bowl of Guacamole, tortilla chips and a Corona with a lime wedge. In Italy, that’s not the case. Even though avocados, the main component in guacamole, can be found in just about every supermarket, many of my friends have never tasted this delicious green fruit that is packed with nutrients, vitamins :: vitamine, fiber and proteins making it one of the healthiest foods in the world :: mondo. Man, talk about are missing out on some avocado love.
Guacamole dip is simple and quick to make; the hard part (at least in Italy) is finding ripe avocados. You can test if a avocado is mature by pressing on the avocado skin with your thumb :: pollice. It should still be firm but soft enough to leave a slight indent; quite similar to when you press on one of your finger tips. If the avocado is hard as a rock, there are ways to ripen the the avocado more quickly; simply put it into a brown paper bag with a banana and close it. With this method you can ripen an avocado usually within a two to three days :: giorni, but unfortunately not immediately; therefore, I highly recommend that you plan to purchase your avocados a few days in advance if you are planning a big dinner party as it’s imperative to have mature avocados to make guacamole.
Guacamole Variations:
-Use roasted :: arrostiti or sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes.
-Mix in pomegranate seeds :: semi di melograno, sounds weird but the sweet burst of flavor is really good!
-Try roasted garlic :: aglio instead of fresh.
-Add lime zest :: scorza di lime
5 Avocado Tips:
1. Using lime in the guacamole is essential to slow down :: rallentare the oxidation and consequently the browning of the avocado.
2. To store guacamole, cover with plastic wrap so that it is touching the guacamole and there are no air :: aria pockets.
3. If you only use half of an avocado, store the other half with the pit inside, spritz lemon or lime on top, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap :: pellicola. If it does turn brown on the outer layer, simply scrape the layer off with a knife.
4. If you have a lot of ripe avocados that you aren’t able to use up, blend the flesh in a food processor and add 1 tablespoon of lime juice for every avocado. Store in the freezer in an airtight container and use later for guacamole, sandwich or hamburger spread, baked potato topping, quick pasta sauce or mix the pureè into a grain salad :: insalata.
5. I haven’t tried the trick to store guacamole with water on top as recommended in the kitchn. However, I am definitely curious to try it the next time I make this recipe!
The Super Bowl is only a week away and while you're getting your menu ready for the big day, don't forget about this quick and delicious guacamole--it's the ultimate game time snack. If you want to spice up this classic version try some of the alternate recipes listed below like pomegranate guacamole or roasted tomato and garlic guacamole, they are sure to be an instant crowd pleaser. And, for all you Washington State friends and family back home, Go Seahawks!
Serves: 4
Ingredients
2 avocados
½ red onion, finely chopped, about ¼ cup
½ chili pepper, deseeded, minced
1 small clove garlic, minced
½ lime, juiced
¼ tsp chili flakes
⅛ tsp paprika
½ teaspoon salt
Dash of fresh ground black pepper
½ cup cilantro, chopped
6 small vine ripe tomatoes (like datterini) or ½ tomato, diced
Instructions
Cut the avocados in half and remove the seeds. Scoop out the inside of the avocado, place it in a bowl and discard the skin.
Add the red onions, chili pepper, garlic, lime, chili flakes, paprika, salt, pepper and cilantro. Mash the ingredients together with a fork. I like my salsa chunky instead of a purée so I just barely mash.
If you are serving the guacamole right away, add the tomato. Otherwise, wait until you are ready to serve as tomatoes lose there flavor if stored in the fridge.
Taste and add more spices and peppers if desired until you reach the right level of spiciness for your tastebuds. Guacamole is very subjective so play with the ingredients. Serve with tortilla chips.
*If you are making the guacamole in advance, cover it tightly with plastic wrap so that the plastic wrap touches the guacamole and there are no air pockets then store it in the fridge.
Canned San Marzano and freshly roasted Datterini tomatoes are the secret ingredients for making a delicious tomato soup all year round.
Italians are serious about alimentation :: alimentazione. I mean serious. They grow up with mothers and grandmothers who make pastas and breads by hand, have the tradition to buy their fruit and vegetables in season from their local markets and spend top price for high quality food; for example, while an Italian may spend $25 for a good chunk of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese that lasts about a week, many of us Americans grow up with the green cylinder already grated parmesean-but-not-really-parmesean-fluffy-powder bought at a whopping price of $2 which is then stored in the side door of the fridge for a year. This is unheard of in Italy. I would like to see the look on an old Italian grandmother’s face :: faccia if I presented her with grated cheese in a cylinder tube….she might just slap me. Or worse, what if I gave her cheese whiz in a can? At that point, I’m sure the wooden cane would come out and I would have to make a dead sprint before she beat me over the head unconscious. It would not be a pretty sight; Italian grandmothers are fierce…
So when I say Italians are serious about their food, I mean it. Italy and the rest of the European Union uphold some of the strictest regulations regarding the typicality of certain foods in order to protect these specialties from imitation :: imitazione. If you’ve ever been to Italy or have bought imported goods, you are probably quite familiar with seeing DOC, DOCG, DOP or IGP on labels; yet, do you know what these acronyms stand for?
WHAT DOES DOC AND DOCG MEAN?
DOC and DOCG are two labels to classify high quality wine. DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) means Controlled Designation of Origin and is a way to demonstrate that the wine has been produced within a specific region, used defined traditional methods of production and packaging :: imballaggio and satisfies a certain quality standard. DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) stands for Controlled Designation of Origin Guaranteed and is an even stricter classification that requires wines to adhere to the above mentioned criteria and further more be analysed and tasted by licensed personnel before being bottled :: imbottigliato .
WHAT DOES DOP AND IGP MEAN?
While wine is classified with DOC and DOCG labels, high quality foods are classified as DOP or IGP. DOP (Denominazione di Origine Protetta) stands for Protected Designation of Origin. As the name suggests, the DOP certification guarentees consumers that the alimentary products are produced from the area where the product originated :: originati and follow traditional methods throughout all stages—from production to packaging. IGP (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) means Indication of Geographical Protection. These labels :: etichette are still noteworthy as they trace food back to their geographical origin for at least one phase in production, but they do not cover all phases like DOP products.
WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST FAMOUS DOP PRODUCTS?
The most famous DOP products are: buffalo mozzarella, balsamic vinegar ::aceto balsamico, olive oil,basil, pesto, parmigiano reggiano (parmesan cheese), prosciutto (ham) and San Marzano Tomatoes. I’ll cover the other products in future articles, but for now let’s talk about San Marzano tomatoes as they are the base for this recipe. What makes these succulent heirloom tomatoes :: pomodori so special?
San Marzano tomatoes are grown in the volcanic soil of Mount Vesuvius, picked by hand, have a low seed count and a bittersweet :: agrodolce flavor. They are optimal tomatoes for sauce and they preserve amazingly well as a canned product; perfect for making tomato soup out of season when fresh tomatoes usually taste like a bland :: insipidi, juiceless ball.
San Marzano tomatoes do cost :: costano quite a bit more than regular canned tomatoes, but I promise you this little indulgence is worth every penny. Try it for yourself and let me know what you think :: pensi!
Canned San Marzano and freshly roasted Datterini tomatoes are the secret ingredients for making a delicious tomato soup all year round.
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
1 lb small vine-ripened tomatoes like Datterini or Grape tomatoes
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
½ cup, chopped fresh basil plus more for garnish
Two 28-ounce cans San Marzano tomatoes
2 cups water
¾ cup heavy cream (optional) + more for garnish
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with wax paper. Place the tomatoes on the lined sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss until covered. Roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat then add the basil and stir for 30 seconds. Add the San Marzano tomatoes along with their juice, water, heavy cream and oregano. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
Gently add the oven-roasted tomatoes into the saucepan and simmer for an additional 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding additional salt and pepper if needed. Ladle into bowls, drizzle with cream and garnish with basil leaves.
This delicious baked sole recipe makes a quick and healthy meal option when you want to eat light and don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
We’ve all been there before: hungry, tired and don’t have the energy to cook :: cucinare. After a long day at work sometimes it seems impossible to come home and slave away in the kitchen (especially if you’ve been wearing high heels all day. Ladies?). If you’re single, it’s not such a big deal. Grab a bag of potato chips, open a can of tuna and a beer and you’re set to go. (Definitely, not the most healthy or complete meal, but I’ve definitely been a culprit of this quick option.) Yet, if you’ve got a family to feed or one hungry husband like my Mr. Italicano, than a can of tuna is just not going to suffice. In fact, you may just get some evil glares ::occhiataccie. That’s where this baked sole recipe comes in to help save your sanity (and feet) when looking for a quick and healthy weeknight dinner that takes 5 minutes to prep, 5 minutes to prepare and 20-25 minutes in the oven leaving you time to kick your feet up and relax (and maybe even convince your man of a foot massage if you’re lucky). This is a picture of the sole :: sogliola before baking. Look at the vibrant colors and fresh ingredients.
The only time consuming task is swinging by the market or supermarket to pick up the fresh sole and herbs :: erbe . I recommend planning this meal when you need to go grocery shopping as usually those nights are the most stressful to get food quickly on the table for a hungry family that is staring at you impatiently. The recipe below is for 2, but simply double or triple it as needed.
I haven’t tested this recipe with frozen :: surgelato fish. If any of you readers do, please let me know how it turns out. I tend to always use fresh fish from the market. Shopping at the market is one of my favorite social activities because the vendors always have such a wealth of knowledge and usually are happy to answer your questions or recommend a recipe. For example, my baked anchovy recipe that I will be publishing soon is from an Italian fish monger (it’s delicious, just wait and see!).
When you buy the sole, have the vendor remove the skin and leave the fishbones intact. Be sure to rinse the sole well and pat dry before using. Now to explain the instructions, they’re so simple it is only going to take two sentences. Here we go. Add the sole to a prepared baking sheet then top with breadcrumbs, blood orange slices, lemons pieces, chili peppers, basil and parsley. Combine the olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper in a bowl and drizzle on top. Ta da! You’re done. Pop the tray into the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the fish flakes away from the bone :: lisca.
Being that this recipe is so easy, it makes for the perfect after work meal—but that’s not all. The gorgeous presentation also marks it as a winning recipe for a special occasion with your loved one shared with a bottle of wine :: vino, or a dinner party among friends. Try the recipe for yourself and let me know how you created a special moment revolved around this delicious meal.
This delicious baked sole recipe makes a quick and healthy meal option when you want to eat light and don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
Serves: 2
Ingredients
2 sole fish, skin removed but fishbones intact, rinsed and patted dry
¼ to ½ cup bread crumbs, enough to lightly cover each filet of sole
1 blood orange, thinly sliced (you can also use regular oranges as well)
½ lemon, rind removed and chopped
½ red or green chili pepper, finely chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
⅛ teaspoon paprika
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175*C).
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set the sole on top.
Cover the sole in the following order: breadcrumbs, orange slices, lemon pieces, chopped chili peppers, basil and parsley.
In a small bowl combine the extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika.
Drizzle the olive oil mixture over the sole.
Bake for 20-25 minutes. When scraped with a fork, the sole should flake away from the bone.
Crunchy Rice Krispy Treats topped with pieces of Twix and smothered in a salted caramel sauce makes for one easy and heavenly dessert.
One of the easiest and most delicious American desserts :: dolci loved by both young and old is the Rice Krispy Treat. Created for a fundraiser in 1939 by Mildred Day, Kellogg’s employee and Campfire Girls troop leader, these sweet and crispy bars have been a staple afternoon stack :: merenda in American households for decades.
This dessert is a dream come true for anyone who wants to make something delicious without spending a lot of time in the kitchen.
In under 10 minutes you can whip this up and head out the door. Simply combine Rice Krispy cereal with meltedbutter :: burro fuso and marshmallows. And, voila! It’s as simply as that. Well, if you can find marshmallows, that is.
In the past five years that I’ve been living in Italy, I have never seen these plump white fluffs. As you can imagine ::immaginare not being able to find marshmallows increases my cravings for Rice Krispy Treats and S’mores. I rarely, if ever, ate these in the States, but being that I can’t get them makes me want them more. Also, on this food list are big jars of peanut butter, beef jerky, Mt. Dew, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream pints and Starbucks frappuccinos. A little pathetic since I live in Italy, a country filled with ridiculously good food (and coffee), but every now and then I just want a taste of home. On a recent trip :: viaggio to Vienna, Austria to visit my uncle, he took me to a small specialty store filled with American, British and other international products. Needless to say Mr. Italicano, hauled around a 12 pack of Mt. Dew for an hour until we got back to the apartment. I love that man :: uomo.
Well, good thing that there are no video cameras in grocery store isles because I completely did a full-on happy dance :: danza when I spotted this bag of marshmallows in the candy section the other day. Hilariously funny, there are even three step instructions on how to roast these “Chamallows”, as Haribo, the German confectionery company calls them. Who would have thought.
The following recipe is a slightly adapted version of the classic Rice Krispy recipe. I’ve also decided to take this recipe a step further by topping it off with one of my much loved American candy bars, Twix, as well as gooey salted caramel :: caramello salato. The result? Sweet and salty goodness. So tasty that I need to start giving them away because I don’t think that eating two in a row counts as quality taste control.
12 tablespoons (180g) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut up into chunks
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon course salt
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, optional
Instructions
To Make the Rice Krispy Treats:
Butter a 13 x 9 x 2 inch (33 x 23 x 5 cm cm) square baking pan and set aside.
Butter a large bowl and add 6 cups Rice Krispy cereal
Melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the marshmallows and continue to stir until they are completely melted.
Pour the mixture over the Rice Krispy cereal and stir until the cereal has been well coated.
Press the mixture evenly into the baking pan. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
To Make the Salted Caramel Topping:
Evenly add the sugar to a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat, whisking continually as the sugar begins to melt. The sugar will form clumps but keep whisking as they will eventually melt into a deep amber colored liquid.
Slowly add the butter and be super careful in this step as the liquid will ferociously begin to boil up. Continue to whisk together until the butter is completely melted.
Remove the sauce from the heat and drizzle in the heavy cream. Be careful in this step as well as the mixture will also bubble up. Whisk until well combined.
Stir in the salt and vanilla paste, if desired.
To Assemble:
Place the Rice Krispy treats on a serving dish or cutting board.
Distribute the Twix pieces on top of the Rice Krispy treats.
Allow the caramel sauce to cool down for 10 minutes, so it’s just slightly warm and is able to be drizzled but is a bit thicker than it was just off the stove.
Dip a spoon into the caramel sauce and drizzle over each square.
Notes
The assembled Twix and Salted Caramel Rice Krispy treats are best if eaten immediately but can also be stored in an airtight container for a few days. (To make in advance, make the Rice Krispy and Caramel and assemble the day of serving).
Any left over caramel sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks in an air tight container. Heat up before use and drizzle over pancakes, spread on apple slices, slather on sweet breads, frost cupcakes and cookies or top your next bowl of ice cream. The options are endless!
