Sfinge di San Giuseppe
Ingredients:
Pastry
1 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1 Tablespoon sugar
4 eggs
grated orange peel
grated lemon peel
Filling
1 pound ricotta (Italian pot cheese)
2 Tablespoons chocolate
2 Tablespoons sugar
orange peel
crème de cacao
Method:
Combine flour, butter, water, salt, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Cook and stir until the mass leaves the side of the pan. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a little grated orange and lemon peel. Drop by tablespoon on a baking sheet; bake at 400° F. for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 350° F. for another 25 minutes.
Stir until smooth the ricotta, chocolate, sugar, a little grated orange peel, and a generous dash of crème de cacao and use this to fill your puffs when they have cooled.
Sunday, March 19, 2006
Thursday, March 02, 2006
Cannoli and Cannoli Filling
Cannoli Filling Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract (for the cherry filling) or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for the chocolate chip filling)
3/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted
candied cherries, chopped (to taste)
cannoli shells
Method:
In a saucepan, slowly whisk 1 cup of the milk into the cornstarch. Whisk until smooth. Let stand about 20 minutes. Whisk again. Add the remaining milk and sugar to the milk-cornstarch mixture and stir over a low heat. A stick blender works well for this at the beginning but you will want to switch to a flat-bladed wooded spatula to keep it from sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. If using a stick blender be careful not to beat in too much air.
Continue stirring until it is thick and smooth like pudding. Remove from heat. If you scorch it, throw it out now and start over before you add the expensive ingredients because the scorched taste will not be covered by the additions (trust me on this!)
Divide pudding in to two portions. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to one portion and almond extract to the other. You may choose to add cinnamon to the portion with the almond extract but we find it to be too much cinnamon. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surfaces of the fillings to keep "skins" from forming. Cool completely.
Divide ricotta cheese in half and fold into each pudding mixture gently. In one half sitr in chocolate chips, in the other half stir in the pistachios and candied cherries. Pipe the filling into cannoli shells.
Dust the cherry-filled cannolis with powedered sugar. Dip the ends the chocolate chip cannoli into melted chocolate and then dust with powdered sugar when the chocolate has set.
Cannoli Shells
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup white wine (keeps them tender, or so I have been told.)
1 egg yolk, beaten
oil for frying
Method:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Using a fork, blend in the white wine. When dough forms a ball, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/3 of the dough out into a big circle as thinly as possible. Cut into 8 (5-inch) circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli form, and seal with egg yolk. You can use the pasta roller for this but the circles are a bit smaller.
If you choose to re-roll the cuttings, you will find that they are not as light, but they are still good. Or, you can fry them up as little pieces and dust them with cinnamon sugar and they will disappear quickly as a sweet snack. Maybe before they reach the table.
Fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown. Remove with tongs and drain on rack turned upside down on paper towels to wick oil away. Turning the wire rack upside down gives the shells just enough room to drain without laying on the surface of the towelling where they could re-absorb the oil and get soggy. (An Alton Brown trick!) Carefully remove shells from forms while they are still hot or they stick.
Maria Rose's silcone glove would be good for removing the shells! Keep a bottle of aloe vera gel on the counter if you tend to burn yourself frequently like I do.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup cornstarch
4 cups milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons almond extract (for the cherry filling) or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for the chocolate chip filling)
3/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 pounds ricotta cheese
1/2 cup pistachios, toasted
candied cherries, chopped (to taste)
cannoli shells
Method:
In a saucepan, slowly whisk 1 cup of the milk into the cornstarch. Whisk until smooth. Let stand about 20 minutes. Whisk again. Add the remaining milk and sugar to the milk-cornstarch mixture and stir over a low heat. A stick blender works well for this at the beginning but you will want to switch to a flat-bladed wooded spatula to keep it from sticking to the bottom and sides of the pan. If using a stick blender be careful not to beat in too much air.
Continue stirring until it is thick and smooth like pudding. Remove from heat. If you scorch it, throw it out now and start over before you add the expensive ingredients because the scorched taste will not be covered by the additions (trust me on this!)
Divide pudding in to two portions. Add vanilla extract and 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon to one portion and almond extract to the other. You may choose to add cinnamon to the portion with the almond extract but we find it to be too much cinnamon. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surfaces of the fillings to keep "skins" from forming. Cool completely.
Divide ricotta cheese in half and fold into each pudding mixture gently. In one half sitr in chocolate chips, in the other half stir in the pistachios and candied cherries. Pipe the filling into cannoli shells.
Dust the cherry-filled cannolis with powedered sugar. Dip the ends the chocolate chip cannoli into melted chocolate and then dust with powdered sugar when the chocolate has set.
Cannoli Shells
Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon white sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup white wine (keeps them tender, or so I have been told.)
1 egg yolk, beaten
oil for frying
Method:
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Using a fork, blend in the white wine. When dough forms a ball, turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth, about 15 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep heavy skillet to 365 degrees. On a lightly floured surface, roll 1/3 of the dough out into a big circle as thinly as possible. Cut into 8 (5-inch) circles. Wrap each circle around a cannoli form, and seal with egg yolk. You can use the pasta roller for this but the circles are a bit smaller.
If you choose to re-roll the cuttings, you will find that they are not as light, but they are still good. Or, you can fry them up as little pieces and dust them with cinnamon sugar and they will disappear quickly as a sweet snack. Maybe before they reach the table.
Fry 2 or 3 at a time until golden brown. Remove with tongs and drain on rack turned upside down on paper towels to wick oil away. Turning the wire rack upside down gives the shells just enough room to drain without laying on the surface of the towelling where they could re-absorb the oil and get soggy. (An Alton Brown trick!) Carefully remove shells from forms while they are still hot or they stick.
Maria Rose's silcone glove would be good for removing the shells! Keep a bottle of aloe vera gel on the counter if you tend to burn yourself frequently like I do.
Chicken Merlot
Chicken Merlot
Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 pound Cipolline Onions onions, peeled
2 cups Merlot
2 cups organic or homemade fresh chicken stock, defatted
3/4 lb. fresh button mushrooms, stems trimmed
Method:
Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Dredge pieces in flour. In heavy, large skillet, heat oil; brown chicken pieces on all sides. Reduce heat. Season with pepper; add bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Arrange onions around chicken, cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes, turning chicken halfway through.
Stir in Merlot and enough of the chicken stock to almost cover chicken. Cover, simmer slowly 1/2 hour. Test chicken for doneness and remove those pieces that are done. Continue cooking rest until chicken and onions test done.
Return all chicken to the pan, add the mushrooms and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat chicken and vegetables. If you prefer a cream sauce, add a bit of fresh cream to the sauce at the end and heat through but do not boil. Serve with Parmesano Reggiano cheese.
Ingredients:
4 pounds chicken breasts, skinned and boned
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive
freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 sprigs fresh parsley
1 pound Cipolline Onions onions, peeled
2 cups Merlot
2 cups organic or homemade fresh chicken stock, defatted
3/4 lb. fresh button mushrooms, stems trimmed
Method:
Rinse chicken; pat dry with paper towels. Dredge pieces in flour. In heavy, large skillet, heat oil; brown chicken pieces on all sides. Reduce heat. Season with pepper; add bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Arrange onions around chicken, cover and cook over low heat about 10 minutes, turning chicken halfway through.
Stir in Merlot and enough of the chicken stock to almost cover chicken. Cover, simmer slowly 1/2 hour. Test chicken for doneness and remove those pieces that are done. Continue cooking rest until chicken and onions test done.
Return all chicken to the pan, add the mushrooms and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Sauce should be thick enough to lightly coat chicken and vegetables. If you prefer a cream sauce, add a bit of fresh cream to the sauce at the end and heat through but do not boil. Serve with Parmesano Reggiano cheese.
Prsciutto Chicken with Rosemary
Prosciutto Chicken with Rosemary
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (or 8 split breasts) boned and skinned
8 slices of prosciutto ham
8 slices Parmesan Reggiano
1 pint of half and half
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
1 cup of brandy
1 quart of organic chicken broth
rosemary
nutmeg
Method:
Open the split breasts and lightly pound flat. Place a slice of proscuitto and a slice of Parmesan Reggiano cheese on each breast. Roll up as a roulades and tie with cotton kitchen string.
In a deep cast iron skillet like a chicken fryer, sweat the onion in the butter and olive oil and add the chicken roulade lightly browning on allsides.
Pour the brandy over the chicken and let it evaporate. Add the cream, a sprig of rosemary, a pinch of nutmeg and the broth.
Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes turning often. Remove the roulads and let sit for 15 minutes, tented, for juices to 'settle.' Slice the roulades.
Remove the spent rosemary and thicken the sauce with a roue and serve with pasta. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.
This recipe does not freeze well as the sauce loses it's velvety smoothness.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts (or 8 split breasts) boned and skinned
8 slices of prosciutto ham
8 slices Parmesan Reggiano
1 pint of half and half
4 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
1 cup of brandy
1 quart of organic chicken broth
rosemary
nutmeg
Method:
Open the split breasts and lightly pound flat. Place a slice of proscuitto and a slice of Parmesan Reggiano cheese on each breast. Roll up as a roulades and tie with cotton kitchen string.
In a deep cast iron skillet like a chicken fryer, sweat the onion in the butter and olive oil and add the chicken roulade lightly browning on allsides.
Pour the brandy over the chicken and let it evaporate. Add the cream, a sprig of rosemary, a pinch of nutmeg and the broth.
Cook over a low heat for about 45 minutes turning often. Remove the roulads and let sit for 15 minutes, tented, for juices to 'settle.' Slice the roulades.
Remove the spent rosemary and thicken the sauce with a roue and serve with pasta. Garnish with sprigs of rosemary.
This recipe does not freeze well as the sauce loses it's velvety smoothness.
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