In a perfect world, I would have posted this recipe last month when I created it and apricots :: albicocche were in season. In reality, I’m posting it now because I finally have the time to sit down to write an article! ’Tis life. But, no harm done. This recipe is fantastic made with Continue Reading
I created these delicious strawberry parfaits with greek yogurt mousse and caramelized almonds for a cooking show I held at the new Smeg store in Milan in July. The theme was “last minute meals.” It was so lovely to be able to spend time cooking and chatting with a group of passionate foodies. A big thank you to all of you who participated.
For those of you who will be in the Milan area in September, I am giving another cooking show at the Smeg store onthe 10th. It’s free of charge, but it is recommended to sign up on the Smeg events page.The online world is incredible for meeting new friends :: amici, yet, I would love to also meet you in person!
Not only is this dessert :: dolce great for unexpected guests or last minute meals, I also like to group it into the category of “quick desserts I can make when it’s too hot to cook.” Here in Italy, we’ve had a terrible heat wave. It’s been unbearable. Hot, humid, sweat-as-soon-as-you-walk-outside kind of unbearable. Has it been the same for you?
That’s why this 15 minute dessert has been my little life savour for summer dinner parties. They are so simple and quick to make. I can even make the parfaits a few hours ahead of time, just adding the already prepared caramelized almonds right before serving so they stay crunchy :: croccanti.
When I made this recipe in July, strawberries :: fragole were in full swing. Now they are winding down here in Italy. However, you can easily substitute them with any fruit of choice. The vanilla bean greek yogurt mousse really goes well with all fruit, and especially berries. I would recommend making a double batch because it’s also fantastic on a bowl of homemade muesli, granola or strawberry crisp in the morning! Enjoy!
Strawberry Parfaits with Greek Yogurt Mousse and Caramelized Almonds
The 15 minute summer dessert you've always wanted.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
For the Parfait:
20 whole almonds
1 tablespoon light cane sugar (or regular sugar)
14oz strawberries, washed, hulled and cut in small pieces
1 tablespoon honey (I like runny acacia)
For the Greek yogurt mousse:
9 oz Greek yogurt
4 oz fresh heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon honey (like runny acacia)
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean pod (or ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract)
Instructions
Pulse the almonds in a blender or food processor so that they are roughly chopped. Put them in a small skillet and add the sugar. Toast over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has melted and the almonds are golden; stir often. Lay them out on a piece of parchment paper to cool.
In the meantime, put the Greek yogurt, whipped cream, honey and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the splash guard. With the beater attachment, whip the mixture on the beater setting for 3-4 minutes until firm peaks form. You can also use a hand mixer.
Mix the strawberries with the honey. In four glasses, alternate two times a layer of strawberries followed by a layer of the mousse. Top with the caramelized almonds.
I am so behind! I made these delicious mini cherry pies a few weeks ago and have yet to write about them. Where does the time go? Before too long cherries will be out of season and I’ll have to update the recipe with mini apple pies. Speaking of which, that’s not a bad idea. I’ll have to add it to my list. Although I haven’t tested their baking times, you could experiment with any kind of fruit filling :: ripieno di frutta like blueberries, apples, peaches or rhubarb. If you do use another filling, let me know how they turn out and if you needed to adjust the baking time.
I’ve seen a lot of markets and grocery stores :: supermercati slashing prices on cherries. If you’ve taken advantage of a good deal but now are staring at a box (or boxes) of cherries and don’t know what to do with them all, these mini cherry pies are a great solution. Of course, you could could easily make a regular pie and call it a day; but, there is something about “mini” things that just are more appealing. Take my little Fiat 500, for example. It’s cuteness factor increases just for being so small. (Although, I’m sure if I drove this in the states a lot of truck drivers would laugh at the lego car on the road! I should have really taken the photo with me next to the car so you can get a feel for how tiny it is.)
Although these mini cherry pies :: tortine di ciliegie require a bit more time in the kitchen due to their cute little lattice tops, it’s definitely worth it—especially if you have guests you want to impress. I mean, who doesn’t want a pie all to themselves? You get that same rush of happiness you do on your birthday when you know that someone made something special just for you. I served these mini cherry pies with fior di latte gelato, which is basically a neutral white gelato.
The classic vanilla would of course accompany these perfectly, and for an extra splash of flavor add a dash of aged balsamic vinegar or sprinkle a bit of cinnamon :: cannella on top. Buon appetito!
These mini cherry pies are perfect for BBQ's and potluck dinners. You don't even need silverware or plates to serve them. Just pick one up and take a bite!
Measure out the soy milk and add the vinegar to create homemade buttermilk. Store in the refrigerator.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, sugar and cinnamon.
Cut up the butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl. Mix. (Easiest if using a pastry cutter, but I just used a rubber spatula.)
Add the buttermilk and vodka. Mix until the dough starts to stick together. Add water by the tablespoon, if necessary. Divide the dough into 2 balls, wrap each ball in plastic and flatten slightly to form a disc. Refrigerator at least 1 hour or up to two days.
In the meantime, make the filling. In a medium bowl, combine the cherries, lemon juice, sugar, salt, cornstarch, vanilla extract, almond extract and cinnamon.
When the dough is ready, preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).
Take out one disc of dough and place on a floured workspace. Roll out the dough until it is around ¼-inch thick. Flour a round cutter or top of a glass/jar (about 3½ inches round) and punch out 6 circles. Place the circles in the in an ungreased muffin tin and slightly press down the sides. Gather the scraps and wrap in plastic wrap and store in the freezer. Take out the other disc and repeat the process so that the muffin tin is full. Cut the remaining dough into 48 narrow strips, use the chilled dough in the freezer if necessary.
Divide the filling among the 12 muffin cups. Put four strips on each muffin and weave together in a lattice pattern. Trim and press the edges together to seal each cup.
In a small bowl, whisk egg white and water together and brush over the lattice tops. Sprinkle with raw sugar.
Bake for 30-32 minutes. Cool mini pies on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before sliding them out of the muffin pan. (I used a knife to prop them up and they easily came out).
Note: If you have extra dough, you can make cinnamon and sugar sticks. Simply cut it into strips, twist into a spiral and lay on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Combine a bit of sugar and cinnamon, sprinkle on top and bake at 400°F (204°C) until the top is golden brown and the inside well cooked.
Avocado in a cookie. Sounds strange, right? Yet, for those who want a healthier substitution for butter, avocados are your best friend. Masked by cocoa you can’t taste the avocado in these healthy chocolate, avocado and cherry cookies; you just get to reap the health benefit of avocados and their silky texture. Did you know that avocados are among the healthiest foods on the planet? I think this news calls for another cookie:-)
I slightly adapted this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod. Since I always try to substitute wheat for white flour in recipes,I decided to give it a go with these. If you are looking for a super sweet indulgent cookie, these are not for you. If you are looking for a not-so-sweet but flavorful cookie that you can feel good about eating, then this may just be your new favorite recipe.
These are great breakfast cookies, hiking cookies and make the perfect mid-day snack. You can also transform them into vegan cookies, simply by using vegan chocolate chips.
Substitute butter with avocado, one of the healthiest foods on the planet, to create a delicious and moist chocolaty cookie that is vegan friendly.
Serves: 1 dozen
Ingredients
1¼ cup (235g) whole wheat flour
1 tsp (2g) cornstarch
1 tsp (5g) baking powder
½ (2g) tsp sea salt
⅔ cup (56g) unsweetened cocoa
¼ cup (59ml) melted coconut oil
¼ cup (51g) mashed avocado
¼ cup (50g) white sugar
½ cup (100g) brown sugar
½ tsp (2.5ml) vanilla extract
⅓ cup (78ml) soy milk
¼ cup (40g) dark chocolate chips*
¼ cup (41g) dried cherries
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C) and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Stir together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and cocoa in a medium bowl.
In a separate bowl, beat the following ingredients together with an electric hand mixer: coconut oil, avocado, sugars, vanilla extract and soy milk.
Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and dried cherries.
Divide the cookie dough into 12 balls and place them on the prepared cookie sheet. Slightly press down to flatten the cookies with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
*Note—For the vegan version, simply use vegan chocolate chips.
In a perfect world, I would have posted this recipe last month when I created it and apricots :: albicocche were in season. In reality, I’m posting it now because I finally have the time to sit down to write an article! ’Tis life. But, no harm done. This recipe is fantastic made with Continue Reading
I created these delicious strawberry parfaits with greek yogurt mousse and caramelized almonds for a cooking show I held at the new Smeg store in Milan in July. The theme was “last minute meals.” It was so lovely to be able to spend time cooking and chatting with a group of passionate foodies. A big thank you to all of you who participated.
For those of you who will be in the Milan area in September, I am giving another cooking show at the Smeg store on the 10th. It’s free of charge, but it is recommended to sign up on the Smeg events page. The online world is incredible for meeting new friends :: amici, yet, I would love to also meet you in person!
That’s why this 15 minute dessert has been my little life savour for summer dinner parties. They are so simple and quick to make. I can even make the parfaits a few hours ahead of time, just adding the already prepared caramelized almonds right before serving so they stay crunchy :: croccanti. 
When I made this recipe in July, strawberries :: fragole were in full swing. Now they are winding down here in Italy. However, you can easily substitute them with any fruit of choice. The vanilla bean greek yogurt mousse really goes well with all fruit, and especially berries. I would recommend making a double batch because it’s also fantastic on a bowl of homemade muesli, granola or strawberry crisp in the morning! Enjoy!
I am so behind! I made these delicious mini cherry pies a few weeks ago and have yet to write about them. Where does the time go? Before too long cherries will be out of season and I’ll have to update the recipe with mini apple pies. Speaking of which, that’s not a bad idea. I’ll have to add it to my list. Although I haven’t tested their baking times, you could experiment with any kind of fruit filling :: ripieno di frutta like blueberries, apples, peaches or rhubarb. If you do use another filling, let me know how they turn out and if you needed to adjust the baking time.
I’ve seen a lot of markets and grocery stores :: supermercati slashing prices on cherries. If you’ve taken advantage of a good deal but now are staring at a box (or boxes) of cherries and don’t know what to do with them all, these mini cherry pies are a great solution. Of course, you could could easily make a regular pie and call it a day; but, there is something about “mini” things that just are more appealing. Take my little Fiat 500, for example. It’s cuteness factor increases just for being so small. (Although, I’m sure if I drove this in the states a lot of truck drivers would laugh at the lego car on the road! I should have really taken the photo with me next to the car so you can get a feel for how tiny it is.)
Although these mini cherry pies :: tortine di ciliegie require a bit more time in the kitchen due to their cute little lattice tops, it’s definitely worth it—especially if you have guests you want to impress. I mean, who doesn’t want a pie all to themselves? You get that same rush of happiness you do on your birthday when you know that someone made something special just for you. I served these mini cherry pies with fior di latte gelato, which is basically a neutral white gelato.
The classic vanilla would of course accompany these perfectly, and for an extra splash of flavor add a dash of aged balsamic vinegar or sprinkle a bit of cinnamon :: cannella on top. Buon appetito!
Avocado in a cookie. Sounds strange, right? Yet, for those who want a healthier substitution for butter, avocados are your best friend. Masked by cocoa you can’t taste the avocado in these healthy chocolate, avocado and cherry cookies; you just get to reap the health benefit of avocados and their silky texture. Did you know that avocados are among the healthiest foods on the planet? I think this news calls for another cookie:-)
I slightly adapted this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod. Since I always try to substitute wheat for white flour in recipes, I decided to give it a go with these. If you are looking for a super sweet indulgent cookie, these are not for you. If you are looking for a not-so-sweet but flavorful cookie that you can feel good about eating, then this may just be your new favorite recipe.
These are great breakfast cookies, hiking cookies and make the perfect mid-day snack. You can also transform them into vegan cookies, simply by using vegan chocolate chips.