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‘Pastries’ Category

  1. Not only butter, pt. 2 – Lady’s little kisses, kisses and big kisses (Baci di dama)

    April 17, 2012 by Giulietta

    Here it is, my traditional buttery recipe… it's not a family tradition, but about a regional one, aka little treats made with hazelnut (a classic ​in Piedmontese cuisine). There's also an almond version, but in this case I vote for hazelnut.

    And, in line with the spirit of Burro Occelli's contest on the Burro Occelli and in line with Piedmontese spirit, I chose a very buttery traditional recipe (I live in a Northern region, and this means butter).

    I'm talking about (but maybe you've already recognised them in the picture) baci di dama (lady's kisses in Italian), a traditional and very easy recipe, since the ingredients are in a 1:1 proportion and since you can prepare the dough using a food processor.

    The hardest part is to resist these stuffed cookies, in which the buttery aroma goes perfectly with the toasted flavour of hazelnuts and dark chocolate.

    (more…)

    Category Chocolate, Cookies, Dessert and Sweets, Dried fruit, Pastries, Piedmont, Regional Italian cooking | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | 14 Comments

  2. Neapolitan masterpieces: sfogliatella riccia and Ricciardi (alliteration… is it random?)

    August 22, 2011 by Giulietta

    "The waiter returned, bringing the order: the doctor beat down on the sfogliatella, hungry. The graying mustache turned white for the icing sugar sprinkled on the soft dough; he accompanied every bite with moans of pleasure.

    "Hmmm … ask me what I love about this city, and I'll tell you: the sfogliatella! Not the sea, not the sun, but the sfogliatella."

    from "Il senso del dolore" (The meaning of pain) by Maurizio de Giovanni (p. 101)

    [my translation]

     

    If you hadn't realized it yet, reading between the lines of my posts, I'm a fierce reader, and among my favorite genres are crime, noir and thriller, although I can call myself an "omnivore" reader, 'cause I never disdain a good book, whatever genre it belongs.

    But I have a weakness for crime, in its broadest sense. Sure, I hang behind with this genre knowledge, but I struggle to be after an increasing amount of books and time, which is always a hard master. But when I find an author who catches me with his plot, his characters and his settings, time somehow carves himself out, so I can savor every page, every line, every word.

    I discovered that author last year, but since then I foretaste every book release as I wait for something that is baking in my oven: in reverent waiting, mouth-watering and with a hint of anxiety, which accompanies any discovery or confirmation.

    (more…)

    Category Books and reading, Campania, Contest, Dessert and Sweets, Pastries, Regional Italian cooking | Tags: ,,,,,,,,,, | 38 Comments