Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Serves: 12   Because Gianni can’t have chocolate and our traditional Italian tiramisu, I’m coming up with different options. I’ve been on a coconut kick lately and decided to try to make a tiramisu incorporating this ingredient and of course we can’t have raw eggs therefore there are none in this recipe.   I can’t find roasted coconut flakes; therefore, our first step is to make some.  I used 2/3 rd of the coconut to make a lighter roasted coc

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 36 ornaments depending on size   My friend Karen made dough ornaments with her grandkids therefore I asked for her recipe.  I made this batch for Weston, Jameson and Ariana to decorate for our outdoor Christmas tree, when the boys come to Italy Christmas.   I made the ornaments and froze them as I want them ready for when the boys come from Canada. You can paint with acrylic or washable paint and let dry Once dried seal with Mod Pod

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Serves: 2   This was a small meatloaf I had in the freezer from when I made my Spaghetti e Polpette  which the meat mixture allowed for 12 meatballs, some baby meatballs and this meatloaf for two.  The meat mixture freezes well and all you have to do is thaw it out and put whatever you want in it to make it a stuffed meatloaf.  Today I filled mine with thin slices of roast beef and scamorza cheese.  Truly delicious!    Ingredients 450 gr potato

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Serves: 24 - 42 depending on how much people like ice cream 😊  IT'S EASY TO MAKE YOUR OWN ICE CREAM!  My kids and grandkids love gelato or Italian ice cream and with the holidays here I decided to make a big ice cream cake full of Biscoff and chocolate.  Super simple to make and delicious as a snack or a dessert after dinner.    Ingredients 86 whole Biscoff cookies 8 crushed Biscoff cookies 1500 ml whip cream 3 tsp salt 1200 gr condensed milk

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Makes: 12 polpette, baby meatballs & enough meat for a small meatloaf Spaghetti dinner for 2   I’ve been making spaghetti and polpette (meatballs) since I was seven years old, when my mom would be working long days.  The great thing about meatballs is that you can make them with anything in them.  Today, I made a big batch so I could have some for this spaghetti and meatballs recipe, and for the freezer; six meatballs, baby meatballs for soup a

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Serves: 6, plus rice for next day   I love stuffed peppers and this recipe with sausage, veggies and rice then infused with scamorza cheese is absolutely delicious.  Served with some sautéed green beans and cheesy garlic bread makes this a complete meal.    Note: I purposely made twice as much as I needed for the peppers as I put the rice with some mozzarella cheese in the oven and we had a new meal the next day.    Ingredients 350 gr basmati

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 40 cookies depending on size of cookies   These cookies are very light and fragile therefore don’t make a good give-away cookie, but they are a great addition to any Christmas platter, and everyone will love them.   These can be frozen in airtight container for up to three months.  Just take them out and once thawed, sprinkle them with icing sugar.   Ingredients 120 gr pecans 90 gr icing sugar 240 gr unsalted cold butter, cut into sm

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 40 pralines   Pralines are nuts covered in a caramelized sugar coating.  They are candy and usually very sweet.  The French mastered these tasty morsels which used to be made with almonds.  But today it can be made with whichever nut you love.    Storing is key for pralines as exposure to air and humidity will spoil them.  Therefore, the best way to store them is, make sure they are completely cooled before putting them in an airtigh

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 12 mini cheesecakes   Mini cheesecakes are always loved by everyone, and I made this one for a special friend who loves cheesecake and can’t get it here in Italy.  Simple to make and absolutely delicious.   These are best made the day before you need to serve as they will set and absorb all the wonderful flavours.   Ingredients 250 gr ground Biscoff cookies 95 gr melted butter 1 tbsp sugar 450 gr softened cream cheese 135 gr Greek yogurt

Scorri a basso per l'Italiano   Makes: 45 - 70 cookies depending on size you make them   Lemon, pistachios and coconut make this cookie delicious and very soft.  I promise once you start eating them, you can’t stop.  They make a great addition to any cookie platter.   Ingredients 225 gr butter 300 gr sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla Zest from 2 lemons Juice from 1 lemon 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 440 gr flour 80 gr shredded coconut 50 gr finely chopped pis

Scorri a basso per L’Italiano   Makes 40 – 60 pieces depending on the size you cut the pieces   Salted crackers are the base of this crunchy, chocolate-covered treat that we top with a little bit of nuts and fleur de sel to give this candy extra flavour.  They are a great treat to add to any holiday baking and loved by everyone.   Ingredients Cooking spray 43 saltine crackers to line a 10 x 15-inch (25 x 38 cm) baking tray 225 gr unsalted butter 220 gr brown sugar 1 tsp vanil

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 100 cookies   There is something about the taste of orange and cranberries but add some pecans and these cookies are delicious.  They are a great addition to any Christmas cookie platter.   Plan ahead to make these at they need to chill in the fridge for five hours or in the freezer for 1.25 hours before they can be baked.   Ingredients 300 gr sugar Zest of 4 oranges 450 gr softened butter 120 gr icing sugar 1 tbsp vanilla 4 egg yolks 650

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 60 pieces depending on size of pieces   Toffee is a rich caramel candy that when topped with chocolate, makes it hard to stop eating it when you start.  I use pecan nuts, but you can use whatever nut you like.  Add some Christmas sprinkles and these toffee pieces become festive bites.   I used a candy thermometer to not have to guess when the caramel was ready.  Just dip the thermometer in the pan, making sure the tip is submerged in

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes: 28 Madeleines   I’ve had Madeleine cake in France and have been wanting to make some for Christmas for a while but didn’t have the pan.  Pans in hand I’m ready to make these pretty little cakes.   In Italy I can’t buy eggnog therefore I used the recipe I made.  You can use store bought if you can’t find it, otherwise it is very simple to make. NOTE: To freeze, place the madeleines on a baking sheet and freeze for ½ hour.  Then you can pl

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano Makes: 70 cookies   A butter cookie flavoured with rum, butterscotch, pecans and walnuts is perfect for our taste buds.  Simple to make and are a great addition to any Christmas baking platter.   Ingredients 350gr butter at room temperature 100 gr icing sugar ½ tsp salt 500 gr flour 1 tbsp rum 60 gr finely chopped pecans 60 gr finely chopped walnuts 185 gr butterscotch chips   Rum Glaze Ingredients 100 gr icing sugar 1 tbsp rum 2 tbsp milk 50 gr

Scorri a basso per Italiano   Makes: 100 cookies   Eggnog and chocolate chip cookies are a perfect addition to any holiday cookie platter.  Of course they are really good to dunk in milk too!  Since there is no eggnog in Italy, I used my Eggnog Recipe  for these cookies.    Ingredients 240 gr butter, at room temperature 340 gr sugar 180 ml eggnog (full fat if store bought) 1 tbsp vanilla 3 egg yolks 425 gr flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutm

Scorri a basso per Italiano   Makes: 24 mini loaves     In this recipe I’m making a batch of eggnog mini loaves, which 12 loaves will be plain eggnog and the other 12 I’ve added chocolate chips.  Of course, in Italy there isn’t eggnog therefore I created my own Eggnog Recipe  to use for this one.    These loaves are a great addition to any holiday baking you give away.  Wrap them separately and they are a big hit.  I used cardboard preformed cups which the loaf remains in.  I

Scorri a basso per I ‘Italiano   Makes 90 biscotti   When I was working, I’d make this recipe in “Big” biscotti version as my employees loved them any time of year.  Now I make them to augment the Christmas baking I do for all the special people that have touched our hearts here in Italy.  Big or Mini, they are delicious when topped with chocolate.   You can top them with any chocolate you want, however I used dark chocolate as I’m making the Pistachio and Caramel biscotti ve

Scorri a basso per I’italiano   Serves: 4 Today I let my good friend and neighbour in Arona, Loredana, make this incredible meal. She wanted to learn something new and after we cooked our full meal, our husbands Luciano and Gianni sat down for a delicious dinner. This easy and delicious layered eggplant brings eggplant parmigiana to the next level.  Served with rice, makes it a full hearty meal that everyone will love.  If you want to make it vegetarian, don’t add the roast

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Makes 16   I love when I find new sweet spreadable creams at our local market.  Most are fruit, nut or chocolate based, however today I found a organic caramel coconut one that I topped with hazelnuts and shredded coconut and made these delicious rolls for dessert.       Ingredients 2 round puff pastry rolls Caramel Coconut cream to taste Finely chopped hazelnuts to taste Shredded coconut to taste 1 egg Fancy sugar sprinkles Icing sugar   Direc