Fourth of July is just a few days away and that means you all are getting ready to gear up on easy recipes that can feed large crowds. For those of you in charge of dessert for this festive day, this list is for you.
Growing up in Eastern Washington, my family took advantage of spending the hot summer day at the lake with 7-8 other families. We took over a big section of the beach with our boats, jet skies, umbrellas and lawn chairs. We spent hours in the sun playing in the water, wakeboarding or tubing, playing nerf football while zipping along the water on the jet skiis and having endless water gun fights before heading back to the cabin for a enormous pot luck dinner. Even though I had always over-snacked the entire day, I could never resist the mountain of food that lined the red, white and blue tablecloths. When the sun set we would head back out on the water, dressed in sweatshirts and long pants and cuddle together under blankets to watch the giant fireworks show that filled the night sky.
What are your Fourth of July traditions? Is it a BBQ with family or a picnic with friends?
These one bowl chocolate cupcakes with Nutella and cream cheese frosting are 80% healthy and 20% sinful. Unlike traditional cupcakes, I’ve used soy milk, yogurt, coconut oil and a blend of flours (all purpose and kamut) to create a lip-smacking cupcake that doesn’t leave you feeling guilty about piling it high with a luscious Nutella and cream cheese frosting. Since these cupcakes are for a 12-year-old’s birthday party, I’ve decided to use granulated sugar, although I do plan to experiment with brown sugars and natural sweeteners in the future so stay tuned for an update on this post with an optional sugar substitute that will make these cupcakes even healthier.
My unofficially adopted Italian niece, or Sweet Pea as I call her, is 12 years old today. What a great age. Do you remember that year of freedom when you were still a child but on the verge of being an adolescent? Do you recall when you still looked for a hand to hold or an evening cuddle, but felt independent for the first time and knew you could do without? What a great moment when you had a taste of responsibility but didn’t have the weight of the world on your shoulders. Your parents’ trusted you to ride your bike to a friends or stay an afternoon alone at the house, but your weren’t expected to act like an adult. You could still be goofy and weren’t criticized for your playfulness.
My Sweet Pea is far wiser than she knows. Only this morning she was telling me how she was so excited to hang out with her friends tonight and be “stupid”, not in the unintellectual sense, she confirmed, just silly. Good for you, Sweet Pea. Even she understands that every now and then she should enjoy some frivolous and carefree moments, without exclusively thinking of the future and how to achieve her grand goals. My advice to you throughout this year and those to follow is to never lose that adorable silliness of yours. This morning I reminded you to enjoy your life to its fullest, citing the phrase by Oscar Wilde, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Work hard for the dreams you want to achieve, yet don’t forget that the world is a giant playground ready to be explored. Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea. I love you!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Nutella and Cream Cheese Frosting
These salted dark chocolate, white chocolate and almond biscotti are perfect to dunk in your morning cup of coffee or just to snack on throughout the day :: giorno.
My brother and sister-in-law sent me two cookbooks :: libri di cucina for my birthday. I instantly read through them both while gawking at the food porn splashed on each glossy page, drooling like an adolescent boy with his first Playboy in hand. The pictures weren’t enough to satisfy me though, I had the urge to bake. I decided to adapt one of the recipes from David Lebovitz’s book Ready for Dessert.
If you have never heard of David Lebovitz, he is to the food blogging world what Michael Jordan is to basketball, and is one of my figures of inspiration as he too leads a bi-cultural life; born in America but lives in Paris :: Parigi. He started out as a traditional chef working at the Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California for 13 years before becoming a cookbook author and blogger. If you like witty humor, his books and blog posts are a good read. What a shame that I missed his book tour in the states with one of his stopovers being in Seattle. I guess I’ll have to go to Paris…oh, shucks. 🙂
I imagine that David Lebovitz’s original recipe is absolutely divine, but I decided to play with the ingredients I had on hand instead of heading to the store. Am I lazy…frugal…or resourceful? I suppose all of the above. I therefore used a mix of all-purpose flour and kamut flour :: farina al kamut, lowered the amount of eggs from 3 to 1 (substituting apple sauce in its place) and chopped up both salted dark chocolate and white chocolate that was inside my cookie jar screaming to be used up.
I can’t compare the two recipes, but I can say that these beautiful long thick biscotti :: cookies that came out of the oven were absolutely heavenly. Full of salted dark chocolate and white chocolate chunks, but not overly sweet and sugary. And, there is no butter. Hip hip hooray for a baked good without butter when you want a dessert that’s a bit lighter.
Salted Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Almond Biscotti
These salted dark chocolate, white chocolate and almond biscotti are perfect to dunk in your morning cup of coffee or just to snack on throughout the day.
Serves: About 34 biscotti
Ingredients
1 cup (130g) all purpose flour
1½ cups (230g) kamut flour
1 teaspoon (4g) baking powder
1 egg
⅔ cup (200g) apple sauce
1 cup (200g) sugar
½ teaspoon (2ml) vanilla extract
¾ cup (90g) almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped
3.5 ounces (100g) salted dark chocolate, chopped
3.5 ounces (100g) white chocolate, chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together the flours and baking powder.
In a large bowl, beat the egg, apple sauce, sugar and vanilla on medium speed for about 5 minutes. Stir the flour mixtures into the larger bowl then add the almonds and chocolate. Stir until combined.
On a lightly floured work surface, divide the dough in half. With moist hands, shape the pieces into two 9 by-3-inch (22x7cm) logs. Set them on the already prepared baking sheet, leaving enough space between them as they will flatten out when cooking.
Bake for 20 minutes. At this point the logs should be slightly browned, remove them from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300°F (150°C). Allow the logs to cool on the baking sheet for at least 15 minutes.
Transfer the logs to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the logs into ½ inch thick diagonal slices. Place the biscotti cut side down in a single layer on the same baking sheet. Use an additional baking sheet if necessary. Bake until the biscotti are pale golden and firm, about 20-25 minutes. Let the biscotti cool completely; they will keep in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
I’m a picky :: esigente dessert eater. I usually don’t like cake-y textures, sugary frosting or most custard style desserts. There is one kind of sweet, though, that I simple can’t resist: white chocolate chip brownies.
Something truly glorious :: glorioso happens when you combine rich milk chocolate with smooth white chocolate: the flavors harmonize and dance to a sweet melody in your mouth.
I can’t get enough of this dessert. In fact, I only make these white chocolate chip brownies when I am cooking for a dinner party and know that they will be eaten by my guests; otherwise, I will find myself eating these brownies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not kidding; they’re quite addicting, especially with a big scoop :: pallina of ice cream on top.
Although some brownies have a cake-y texture which I absolutely despise, these instead are compact. No pillows of air are getting in your way of great dense consistency and rich flavor :: sapore.
Mr. Italicano and I had gelato sundaes in lieu of a wedding cake :: torta nuziale, although two of my runners up were either brownies or mini cheesecakes served in mason jars.
What are your favorite desserts besides brownies? Do you like every sweet or do you have texture issues like me?
This easy recipe for white chocolate chip brownies is an instant crowd pleaser. Delicious eaten alone or topped with a scoop of ice cream.
Serves: 12
Ingredients
⅔ cups (120g) chocolate chips
10 tbsp (141g) butter
⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (38g) unsweetened cocao powder
1 cup (200g) sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla
1 cup flour minus 2 tablespoons taken out (125g)
2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
¾ tsp (3g) baking powder
½ tsp (2g) sea salt
For the frosting:
⅓ cup (60g) white chocolate chips
Instructions
For the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C) then butter a 8-inch square baking pan.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double broiler then transfer it to a large bowl. (Or, melt in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.) Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar. Mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and sea salt.
Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and transfer the batter to the baking pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until when the toothpick you insert in the middle comes out clean.
For the frosting:
Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler or in a microwave stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle over the prepared brownies. Try not to eat them all!
This easy recipe for white chocolate chip brownies is an instant crowd pleaser. Delicious eaten alone or topped with a scoop of ice cream.
Serves: 12
Ingredients
⅔ cups (120g) chocolate chips
10 tbsp (141g) butter
⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp (38g) unsweetened cocao powder
1 cup (200g) sugar
3 eggs
1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla
1 cup flour minus 2 tablespoons taken out (125g)
2 tablespoons (20g) cornstarch
¾ tsp (3g) baking powder
½ tsp (2g) sea salt
For the frosting:
⅓ cup (60g) white chocolate chips
Instructions
For the brownies:
Preheat the oven to 325°F (162°C) then butter a 9? x 13? baking pan.
Melt the chocolate and butter in a double broiler then transfer it to a large bowl. (Or, melt in a microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.) Add the unsweetened cocoa powder and sugar. Mix well. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
In another bowl, combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and sea salt.
Add the dry mixture to the wet and mix until just combined. Stir in the white chocolate chips and transfer the batter to the baking pan.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until when the toothpick you insert in the middle comes out clean.
For the frosting:
Melt the white chocolate in a double broiler or in a microwave stirring every 30 seconds. Drizzle over the prepared brownies. Try not to eat them all!
Spring has finally arrived and there is no better way to celebrate than with a cake. Corn is not the first ingredient that comes to mind when thinking about cake; however, I can promise you that this corn cake is so good it’s almost impossibile to stop eating it.
Mr. Italicano and I tried this cake :: torta for the first time at a dinner party and we both went back for seconds…then thirds…then fourths…then fifths…after that, I lost count—good thing they were cut in bite size squares so I suppose it was like 1 or 2 slices total, I hope.
The two winning components of this dessert are the texture and flavor. The center is moist, yet compact with a slightly crisp :: croccante surface layer while the flavor is perfect for those who like desserts that aren’t overly sweet. With a half a shot of Sassolino, an Italian anise liquor, you can taste subtle notes of fennel and liquorice. If you really want to make these flavors shine you can misread the Italian recipe and add a “half cup” instead of “half shot of Sassolino liquor.” Oops, so apparently I’m not a 100% fluent in Italian, good thing it still tasted good!
This delicious corn cake is perfect for those who prefer desserts that aren't overly sweet.
Serves: 12
Ingredients
1 cup +1½ tablespoons (250g) softened butter
1½ cups (300g) sugar
Zest of 1 organic lemon
4 egg yolks
1 cup (150g) corn flour
1 cup (150g) potato starch
2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder
3 egg whites
½ shot Sassolino liqueur (or another similar liqueur)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) on conventional oven mode. Butter a round 9½ inch (24 cm) spring form pan.
Using an electric mixer, whip together the butter and sugar in a medium bowl then add the lemon zest and egg yolks.
In a small bowl combine the corn flour, potato starch and baking powder. Once mixed, add a portion of it at a time to the wet mixture. Add the liqueur and mix well.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form then add it to the mixture, stirring it in by hand. Stir until just combined then pour into the buttered pan. Depending on your oven, bake for about 35-45 minutes or until it is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserting it into the center of the cake.
Who would have thought that making homemade coffee ice cream would be so easy. This recipe is awesome. There is no ice cream machine needed, it calls for just 4 ingredients and the prep time is around 5 minutes. After which, just pop it into the freezer. I love simplicity.
I grew up in a family where soda was drunk on special occasions, yet ice cream was eaten every evening after dinner like it was going out of style. We always got our ice cream from the “Schwan’s man” as we called him, the driver of the Schwan’s distinctive yellow trunk that delivered frozen goods; I think his name was Carl. He rang our door bell every 2 weeks and was always dressed in a blue jacket and some kind of crazy hat :: cappello. My two older brother’s and I would race to the door to let him in as our dad trailed behind. Carl would hand us a brochure of the flavors but we usually always got the same kinds: 1 gallon of strawberry, 1 gallon of chocolate, 1 gallon of vanilla, one 1/2 gallon of cookies n’cream, one 1/2 gallon of chocolate chip cookie dough and one 1/2 gallon of mint chip. A small amount, huh? That usually lasted us 2 weeks, and sometimes we ran out before then. Like I said, we loved ice cream.
My ice cream eating habits :: abitudini have definitely decreased since my childhood years (thank you slower metabolism…so not cool). And, although I may now only opt for a scoopful instead of a bowlful it is still one dessert that I could eat anytime of day.
Speaking of bowlfuls, my childhood neighbor and friend, Andy and I use to frequently eat ice cream together while studying. I should clarify, it wasn’t just ice cream. No…no…it was a special decadent concoction :: miscuglio that we invented that consisted of: 4-5 scoopfuls of ice cream (flavor of choice), chocolate syrup, caramel syrup, malt powder, crushed oreos and sprinkles. It was an absolute food bomb. We even coined the term “C-Andy Special” for this unique dessert. Get it? C for Cindy….Andy, for Andy, written together it spells Candy and it was obviously special. How could it not be; it was rich, delicious and anything but healthy. Just perfect for adding more pimples to our adolescent cheeks.
After mine and Mr. Italicano’s wedding last summer, we were home at my parents for a few days. We invited over a few people from the neighborhood to eat up some of the gelato and toppings we had left over from our wedding. For old times sakes, Andy and I decided to recreate the C-Andy special and it turned out to be a complete disaster :: disastro! For one it was WAY too sweet, my refined adult taste buds could not handle all the sugary industrial toppings, and secondly, it was WAY too much! Not even a few spoonfuls into the bowl my stomach was already telling me to stop. I felt sacrilegious dumping the C-Andy special into the sink—it was the first time I’ve ever thrown out ice cream. Just, so wrong.
Luckily for you all, this homemade no-churn coffee ice cream is creamy and rich but just the right level of sweetness :: dolcezza.
I tested this ice cream 3 separate times before coming up with the right mixture of ingredients. As you can see in the photos I added some chocolate coated coffee beans. My third time around, I skipped this step and actually preferred it better because the coffee beans were quite strong. So depending on your taste buds :: papille gustative, you can either add a handful or omit them.
Mix the ingredients together in the order given. Freeze for at least 6 hours.
*To make the chocolate covered coffee beans, melt 2-3 small pieces of dark chocolate in a bain-marie add a small handful of coffee beans and stir to coat. Then spread the chocolate covered coffee beans on a piece of wax paper until dried. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Growing up in Eastern Washington, my family took advantage of spending the hot summer day at the lake with 7-8 other families. We took over a big section of the beach with our boats, jet skies, umbrellas and lawn chairs. We spent hours in the sun playing in the water, wakeboarding or tubing, playing nerf football while zipping along the water on the jet skiis and having endless water gun fights before heading back to the cabin for a enormous pot luck dinner. Even though I had always over-snacked the entire day, I could never resist the mountain of food that lined the red, white and blue tablecloths. When the sun set we would head back out on the water, dressed in sweatshirts and long pants and cuddle together under blankets to watch the giant fireworks show that filled the night sky.
My Sweet Pea is far wiser than she knows. Only this morning she was telling me how she was so excited to hang out with her friends tonight and be “stupid”, not in the unintellectual sense, she confirmed, just silly. Good for you, Sweet Pea. Even she understands that every now and then she should enjoy some frivolous and carefree moments, without exclusively thinking of the future and how to achieve her grand goals. My advice to you throughout this year and those to follow is to never lose that adorable silliness of yours. This morning I reminded you to enjoy your life to its fullest, citing the phrase by Oscar Wilde, “Life is too important to be taken seriously.” Work hard for the dreams you want to achieve, yet don’t forget that the world is a giant playground ready to be explored. Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea. I love you!
