Italian Brioche (Breakfast Rolls)

 These sweet rolls are perfect for an authentic Italian breakfast. Just spread on some Nutella or fruit preserves and add some fruit and a cappuccino and you’ve got a true Italian breakfast!

Ingredients 

4 - 4 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour

2 teaspoons yeast 

1 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons sugar

Zest of 1 orange or lemon or half of each

3 eggs beaten

1/3 cup butter melted and cooled to lukewarm

1/2 cup warm milk

1/3 cup warm water 

Egg wash: 1 egg splash of milk beaten

Directions 

Mix dry ingredients in bowl set aside

In a stand mixer mix water, milk and yeast, then add the rest of the liquids, sugar and zest and mix until combined 

Add in dry ingredients starting with 4 cups of flour and mix for 7-9 minutes. You may need the 1/2 cup but maybe not.  It may be sticky at first but should eventually form a smooth ball, if not add more flour.  

Cover with plastic and set in warm place until doubled in size 1 1/2-2 hours

Deflate dough and make 12 even balls by tucking under pinching and squeezing to form smooth balls.

Cover with a light towel and rise in a warm place until almost double, about 30 minutes. I use my microwave to do this.  

Brush with egg wash and bake 20 minutes.

Set on rack to cool. 

Taralli (Southern Italian Crackers)

 These crunchy and addictive crackers are found all over southern Italy and often eaten at breakfast with un cafe or after dinner dipped in wine! I was first introduced to these addictive little crackers as a small child at My Mother's Father's table, Grandpa Pasquale  DeMaria, whose parents were from Calabria & Napoli. He would dip them in his espresso (plain or anise versions) in the morning and wine in the evening. My father, Andrea Casolaro, who was from Napoli used to dip them in his wine in the evening and then give me a taste. 

My Grandpa Demaria with My Mom in the front & her siblings.

I can still remember those rich grown up flavors swirling around in my mouth and feeling guilty that it very much reminded me of Communion at church, which I secretly enjoyed the taste of. When I make these with the seeds, the oils release a smell in my kitchen that reminds me of being a child sitting on my dad's lap and enjoying our snack together : )

I always was a Daddy's girl : )

They can be made plain, with cracked black pepper, with fennel seeds or my favorite, with anise seeds!

Ingredients

7 cups all purpose flour

2 1/4 teaspoons yeast

1  1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup hot water mixed with 1 cup cold white wine making it lukewarm to the wrist (That's where I always check the temp)

3/4 cup olive oil added to the water wine mixture

1 1/2 - 2 heaping tablespoons anise seed or fennel seed or 1-2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper

In the mixer mix dry together then add wet and seeds or pepper.

At this point you may need to add more luke warm water, once it forms a nice smooth dough is then knead 8 minutes.

Cover and rest 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375

Separate in to 4 pieces and and cover 3 of them.

Cut this piece in to 16 pieces. 

Roll each piece into a pencil thin rope around  8"

Join the ends together to form a ring and seal by twisting and pressing ends.

Bring a very large pot of water to boil, add in 1/4 cup olive oil (this makes them shiny)

Now boil 8 at a time for 15 seconds, using a slotted spoon remove & place on kitchen towel or paper towels to dry for a few seconds, remove quickly or they will stick, ask me how I know lol!

Bake on parchment lined sheet pan for 10 minutes, then lower to 350 for 25-30 more minutes (rotating pans half way if doing 2 pans at once, or until golden brown. They must be golden brown and crispy!

These must be left out for a few hours to completely cool and dry out slightly. 

You can store these at room temp in a tin for 1 month but I remember my Grandmother keeping these uncovered or loosely covered with a cloth in a basket on her table. Just don't use anything that is airtight or else they will get soft and the refrigerator will make them too dry.

Bacci a tutti xxx

Food Processor Danish

Food Processor Danish
This Danish recipe does take some time, allowing a lot of resting time in between, but really not much technique, yay for that! This recipe is adapted from Nigella's: How To Be A Domestic Goddess. It does require a Food Processor  and I would recommend that you make the dough the night before and have it ready and waiting the next morning.
Ingredients
Dough:
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk , room temp
1 large egg, room temp
2 1/4 cups bread flour
2 1/2 teaspoons (1 pack) yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup butter- unsalted- cold- and cut into thin slices
Cheese Filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
6 tablespoons sugar
1 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
pinch of salt
zest of 1 lemon
Combine all of the cheese filling ingredients and mix togther. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Egg Wash:
1 egg & 2 tablespoons milk beaten together
Sugar Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar & 2 1/2 tablespoons warm water whisked together

Directions
Dough:
Place the dry ingredients in the processor with the dough blade and pulse a few times.
Mix the milk & water together with the beaten egg and set aside.
Add the butter and pulse until you see small chunks of butter.
Add the liquid and mix until incorporated but not over mixed. 
It will be very goopey and liquidy, that's okay.
Using a rubber spatula scrape this into a bowl cover and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours or better yet over night or up to 4 days.
The next morning cover your counter with flour and dump the dough out onto it. Form it into a ball and roll out into a 20 inch square.

Fold it in thirds like a business letter.

Now fold over in half.

Now repeat this process: rolling, folding into thirds, and folding in half 3 more times.
Cut it into 2 pieces.

Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.OR you can freeze these at this point if you want to make these at a later date.
Roll each ball into a large rectangle and cut in half. Now cut each half into thirds.

Lay these squares out on a pan and fill each with 1 tablespoon of filling. Gather opposite ends and pinch closed. Now gather the other two ends and do the same. (I found that they did not stay pinched so I added a dot of egg glaze to help.) The photo is of some jelly filling I had tried but it ran too much so I am sticking with the cheese filling for now.

Brush the egg wash on each danish and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Allow them to cool slightly and then drizzle on the sugar glaze.

Andrea's Omelet for Two!

Andrea's Omelet for Two!

 Making an omelet  is more about technique than it is an actual recipe and this is my father's technique for an omelet. My Father, Andrea Casolaro an immigrant from Naples, Italy, taught me his "technique" for a perfect omelet when I was about 8 years old. I remember how he whipped up the eggs using a fork, never a whisk, and stressing to me the importance of the motion having to come from the wrist not the hand! He also told me that an omelet should never take more than 2 1/2 minutes or else it was overcooked and inedible. He also liked to add a finishing touch of some fresh herbs that he would pinch off from the ever present plants my Mom had in little pots near  the kitchen window. And the best part: sitting alone with my Daddy all to myself and sharing an omelet from one plate. Simple good food shared with loved ones, that's what makes this life a little sweeter.
Ingredients (for 1 large omelet to feed 2 people)
3 eggs (not fresh- use fresh eggs for poached and older eggs for omelet)
olive oil and butter (1/2 tablespoon each)
2 tablespoons fresh grated Parmesan cheese (See other *fillings below)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon  fresh herbs (parsley)
Directions
Whip up the eggs with the salt until light but not foamy!

Heat a 10-inch nonstick saute pan with the oil & butter over medium heat until it melts.

Pour in eggs and cook as you shake the pan and use the back of the fork to evenly distribute the egg making sure to spread the eggs out over the whole pan, it will no longer be runny and the bottom will begin to set, as soon as this happens set the timer for 2 minutes.

As the timer goes off quickly sprinkle the cheese and some herbs all over the egg.

Remove from the heat (immediately) and shake the pan to loosen, once you are sure it is loose on all edges flip 1/3 on to itself and then the other 1/3 over that (Kind of like folding a letter in thirds to fit into a business size envelope.) Place it on the plate folded sides down and slice in two.  

Serve with fresh herbs sprinkled on top and share with a loved one!

*Fillings
  I like one or any combo of these: minced and sauteed onions, chopped ham, chopped and sauteed bell pepper, goat cheese, chopped and sauteed mushrooms, minced salami, cheddar cheese...........

 My Father, Andrea, with my 3 sisters and me (I'm the little gypsy).

Basic Biscuits & Shortcake

This is a biscuit recipe that can be simply tweaked to make *shortcake. If you use butter it will have a much richer taste but if you use 1/2 shortening they will be lighter and fluffier it's really just a matter of personal preference. You have probably noticed by the photo that they are not your typical round shape. I got this idea from a cooking magazine and love it! Not only is it easier but the biscuits come out lighter due to less handling and there are no left over scraps.
Ingredients
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
*5 tablespoons butter/shortening very cold (I cut it up and then place it in the freezer for a minute)Plus a few more tablespoons melted to rub on to the biscuits before baking
*3/4 cup half & half
Directions
Preheat oven to 450
Line a sheet pan with parchment
In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients
Cut up the butter into small cubes
Mix the butter in the flour mixture with your fingertips until the mixture resembles course crumbs (You need to still see the butter chunks in it, this is what makes the biscuits light & fluffy)
Pour in the half & half and stir just until it starts to come together (do not over stir) and form into a ball
Dump this onto the parchment lined pan
Pat & form it into a circle about the size of the bottom of a pie plate
Cut it into 8 even wedges (I use a bench scraper for this)
Melt some more butter or margarine and spread this on the biscuits
Bake until golden and fluffy for about 14 minutes

*Sweet Shortcake: Increase the sugar to 2 tablespoons, reduce the flour to 1 3/4 cups and replace the half&half with heavy cream. Before baking, brush the tops with the melted butter and sprinkle with additional sugar.

BISCUIT TIPS:
*Make sure these ingredients are ice cold: milk & butter

For soft fluffy biscuits place close together on the baking sheet but for crispy biscuits place further apart, about an inch apart!

Try replacing buttermilk for the half&half this will make a tender tart biscuit!

Cinnamon Rolls

Roll Ingredients
3-4 cups all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons yeast
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup warm milk
1/8 cup melted butter
1 egg beaten

Cinnamon mixture Ingredients
1 stick of butter soft
1/2 - 1 cup brown sugar
several tablespoons cinnamon
Optional: toasted pecans and or raisins

Frosting recipe (2 Choices)
#1 Cream Cheese Frosting:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

With a mixer, beat together cream cheese & butter until smooth, add suagr, milk, and vanilla and blend. If it is not smooth enough add more milk. You want it to be at room temp and the rolls to be hot when you slather it on so that it will melt into the rolls!

#2 Regular Frosting:
2 cups powdered sugar
1-3 tablespoons half&half or cream
1 dash salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix sugar & cream to a spreading consistency, add salt & vanilla and mix, keep at room temp & spread over hot rolls allowing it to melt into the rolls!

MIx milk and yeast in machine until foamy
Add flour, salt, sugar, butter (slightly cooled)and egg
Knead for 8 minutes in machine adding flour if needed making a soft dough (like bread dough)
Cover and rest until double (30 minutes or so)
Roll out the dough to approximately the size 12 X 18 inches

Spread the soft butter all over with your hands
sprinkle on as much sugar as you like 1/2 - 1 cup
Sprinkle on as much cinnamon as you like and nuts and raisins if you like
Now roll up tightly from the the short end
cut in half and the half again and now cut each quarter into threes creating 12 rolls

Sprinkle some more brown sugar on a parchment lined pan (jelly roll or even a lasagna pan) and place each roll on top of sugar tucking the little flap of dough underneath, it's okay if the rolls touch as you will pull them apart when they come out
Preheat the oven to 350 and cover the rolls allowing them to rise (about 20-25
minutes)
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes
This what they look like before the frosting

Pull out and immediately add the frosting of your choice allowing it to melt all over the tops and sides of the rolls!

Homemade Yogurt

For centuries, eating yogurt has been associated with longevity and health. The creamy dairy food has been a staple of Mediterranean, Indian, and French diets for many years. A Russian born biologist, Elie Metchnikoff wrote about the life-extending benefits of eating cultured foods, especially yogurt. Metchnikoff wrote a book called The Prolongation of Life, in this book he noted that a higher percentage of the Bulgarian population was found to live anywhere from 87 to over 100 years old. And according to Mireille Guilliano, author of the best-selling French Women Don't Get Fat, yogurt is one of the French secrets to weight control.
With all of that being said, can I say that I just plain love it and look at not only as a "health" food but as a creamy rich dessert! I eat it plain, with fruit, with chocolate, and I even use it as a dressing. It makes a great breakfast after a night (or weekend) of over indulging.
With my Salton yogurt maker (see photo above) I can make my own homemade yogurt at a fraction of the cost and it is very simple. You just heat up the milk to just below the boiling point (you need to watch this as it will boil quit rapidly) and then allow it to cool to a lukewarm temperature. Then you mix it in with a little of yesterday's left-over yogurt plop in it the machine and turn it on. In the morning it will be ready and waiting for you! It ends up costing me less than $1.00 a quart. But if you don't have a yogurt maker here is recipe to try at home:
French Women Don't Get Fat Homemade Yogurt Recipe

Orange French Toast

4 eggs
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
grated zest of one orange
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
8 slices thick soft bread
1/3 cup butter

With a wire whisk, beat together eggs, orange juice, zest, milk, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla

place the mixture in a shallow dish such as a pie pan

Soak each piece of bread in the mixture on both sides

cook each slice in melted butter on a griddle or skillet until golden brown on each side

Serve with Confectioners' sugar, plain sugar, or syrup.

Apple fritters

2 apples diced
1 egg beaten
1/3 cup milk
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
Oil for frying (375)

Beat egg and milk into dry
Stir in apples
Drop by teaspoons in oil
Fry golden (5 minutes)
Drain and roll in powdered sugar

Yummy……………

Ricotta fritters

These were so delicious! I got the recipe from Gourmet magazine and had some ricotta left over from another recipe so I thought I would give them a try. We loved them. The only things I did different from the original recipe is I made them larger (I got 22 fritters rather than 3 dozen!) I think any smaller would have been all crust and no soft doughnuty inside. I also used orange zest instead of lemon as it seemed more of a breakfast flavor. If you use orange zest you need to double the amount as it is not as flavorful as lemon zest.
Ricotta Fritters
(Gourmet Magazine)
4 - 6 cups canola oil
3/4 cup all purp flour
2 teaspoons bakingpowder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest OR (2 teaspoons orange zest)
1 cup whole milk ricotta
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
confectioners sugar for dusting
Heat oil to 375 (1 1/2 inches high)
Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and zest
In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, ricotta, sugar, and vanilla
Now add both mixtures and lightly mix together
Gently drop in rounded 1 tablespoons (about the size of a small hush puppy)of batter in batches and fry until golden brown (3 minutes)
place on paper towels and drain, add confectioners sugar
Allow the oil to heat up again in between batches

How to Poach an Egg

How to Poach an Egg
If you love fried or sunny side up eggs but hate the rubbery edges than this is for you.
In a large saucepan, bring about 2 inches of lightly salted water along with a teaspoon of white vinegar to a boil; turn down to a slow simmer. One at a time, carefully crack
eggs into a shallow bowl and slide gently into water. Take your spoon and push any whites that "fly" away back onto the egg and poach for 3
minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, blotting well on towel to drain.
You may store them at this point in a covered container in the fridge until ready to serve. Warm them up by placing back into heated water for a few seconds.

Figs Ischia Style

Vigliacco Alla Ischia
(Figs Ischia Style)

This recipe is from my Mom's memory of what she ate every morning while on her honeymoon in Ischia.

Several very ripe figs
Crusty Italian Bread toasted
Butter

Spread the butter on the toasted side of the bread slices. Place the figs on top and mash and spread on to the bread. Enjoy with a cup of cappuccino!

How To Boil an Egg

* 12 large eggs, room temperature

Directions

1. Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.
2. Transfer eggs to a colander; place under cool running water to stop the cooking. Eggs can be peeled and served immediately. Remaining eggs, with shells on, may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.