Tortine di Zucca {Pumpkin Cakes with Nutella Glaze}
I’m not sure if this should be called a muffin, a cake, a cake-ette, or a cupcake. Nor am I sure if it should be considered a dessert or breakfast item. What I do know is that it’s incredibly tasty and I’d be happy to eat one morning, noon or night and under whatever name you’d like to give it ; 0
Creme Brulee {and a very special announcement}
Happy Valentine’s Day! Buon San Valentino! We’re celebrating today with a creamy dreamy ramekin of Creme Brulee ; ) Would you like some? It makes plenty and it’s easier than you may think! I made this recipe especially for my sweet NEW JOB over at babble’s family kitchen. Yes, that’s right, you are looking at their newest daily featured contributor. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working along with such an array of fantabulously talented writers.
So grab your kitchen torch and head on over to BABBLE for the RECIPE & of course we’d LURVE to hear from you, so feel free to comment up a storm ; )
Baci!
Desserts to Love!
Valentine’s Day is upon us. In just a few short days people will be celebrating LOVE all over the world. <3 <3 <3. In Italy it’s called San Valentino, which as with everything else sounds so much bettter in Italian ; ) I say we all eat cake… Chocolate Nutella Molten Lava Cake to be exact; ) Sinfully decadent and super SEXY!
Nutella filled Cinnamon Rolls drizzled with Cherry Glaze
These are pure evil. Don’t say I didn’t warn you ; ) If you’re on any kind of diet, please I implore you, click away now. Save yourselves from these Nutella filled Cinnamon Rolls drizzled with cherry glaze. They look so innocent, but they’re NOT ; ) They are soft, pillowy homemade cinnamon rolls, oozing with a bubbly warm Nutella center and capped with a beautiful blush colored beanie of cherry glaze. Yep, put a fork in it, I’m done! It’s useless for me to even try to resist their charms.
Torta dolce di Zucca {Sweet Squash Pie}
Yes, you read right. That is indeed a sweet squash pie. Ain’t she a beauty ; ) She’s not just a pretty face. Oh no! She’ll knock your socks off with her complex deep flavors. A buttery, flaky crust filled with honey bathed squash, surrounded by a custard like blanket. I’ll let that settle in for a minute ; )
Torta all’Olio di Oliva {Olive Oil Cake}
Olive oil cake is one of life’s little pleasures. It is a cake unlike others. Don’t let it’s simple appearance fool you, it’s flavorful beyond belief. The olive oil makes it luxurious and fragrant. The smells coming from the oven will tempt you, and taunt you before it even touches your fork let alone before it tickles your tongue. For this cake you simply MUST use the finest extra virgin olive oil you can put your hands on. It is after all the star of the cake. And the star is a diva and demands to shine though ; ) !
Gluten Free Pumpkin Roll with Mascarpone and Nutella Filling
The holidays are HERE! *squeeeeee* Yes, it’s that time again! Thanksgiving will be here in less than TWO weeks! Okay, now I’m slightly freaked out LOL. With that comes family gatherings and of course FOOD! Lots of food. Lots of delicious glutenous foods {yes I eat gluten no shocker there, but guess what my son can’t} I know I’ve mentioned before that our middle son is, as of this year, gluten free.
Panna Cotta alla Melagrana {Pomegranate Panna Cotta}
Panna Cotta is one of the most simple and delicious dessert recipes to prepare. Making it perfect for not only casual dinners BUT also for dinner parties. It can be dressed up {or down for that matter, it’s simply beautiful on it’s own} to suit whichever theme you’re having. Our theme? You guessed it, is POMEGRANTES! We’re ending our POM Wonderful POM Dinner Party on a high note with this Panna Cotta alla Melagrana {Pomegranate Panna Cotta} And we’ve saved one just for YOU ; )
Ossi dei Morti {Bones of the Dead Cookies}
Ossi dei Morti means bones of the dead in Italian. This might sound a little creepy but I assure you these “bones of the dead” are not. They are actually little crunchy snow capped bites of deliciousness that have a beautiful significance behind them.
Torta di Carota {Carrot Cake}
Rember how I’m always telling you about my talented friends ; ) Well you’re in for a treat because TODAY my sweet sweet friend Lora from Cake Duchess Fame is stopping by! Not only is she gorgeous, she whips up some tasty tantalizing sweet treats! She’s truly sweet through and through! I KNOW you’re going to want to pop over to her SITE and take a peek for yourself. But, I can’t be held responsible for the weight you’re going to gain, just sayin’! It will totally be worth it though ; )
read moreTorta di Mele {Apple Torte with Breadcrumb-Hazelnut Crust}
We’re continuing on our showcase of FRIULI and it’s flavorful recipes. I can’t tell you how it has me YEARNING for a visit *sniff sniff* Oh how I miss it! but luckily when my current issue of bon appetit magazine arrived what do I see right smack on the front cover “LIDIA”S FRIULI: Her special menu”! Ah, my beloved FRIULI. I have always enjoyed Lidia Bastanich but had NO idea she grew up in Friuli. Now I love her even more ; )
read moreChocolate Cheesecake with Nutella Mocha Affogato
In case you didn’t realize, I’ve been moving for the past week{ish}. Yes, I’m exhausted LOL but I’m REALLY lucky to be blessed with some amazingly talented blogging friends who have been so gracious as to whip up some tantalizing recipes to share with you all here while I’m away from my stove/oven ; ) Today you’re in for another treat. The loverly Josie from Daydreamer Desserts is here with {what else} a dessert! Not just any dessert mind you, oh no! *grinning like a Cheshire cat* A chocolate cheesecake with Nutella Mocha Affogato…I’ll give you a minute to let that sink in. Swoon!
Josie has outdone herself! Just look at it! You know you want some ; ) I’m going to be making this as soon as humanly possible. You’ll REALLY want to stop by Josie’s SITE and drool over more of her dreamy creations. Warning, do NOT visit while hungry {just sayin’} She’s pretty much a baking genius!
Baci!
Hello, I’m Josie from Daydreamer Desserts {Ciao, io sono Josie da Daydreamer Desserts} I just love Italian… it’s such a beautiful language! I speak very little but understand quite a bit. {Io parlo un po, ma capisco molto.}
A few weeks ago Paula sent me an email asking me if I would like to do a guest post for bell’alimento. (How could anyone refuse right?) I quickly responded to her email and said of course, I would love to!
I wasn’t about to pick just any recipe… it had to be one worthy of such a beautiful blog, and something she hadn’t made before. Knowing Paula, I was surprised she didn’t make Nutella a required ingredient. 
After a little research I came up with the perfect dessert for her. A rich dark chocolate cheesecake, and yes the recipe does call for just a tiny bit of Nutella.
In my opinion Cheesecake + a little Nutella = E’ davvero bell’alimento! Therefore the perfect guest post recipe!
Buon Appetito,
Josie ~ Daydreamer Desserts
Chocolate Cheesecake with Nutella Mocha Affogato
Recipe from Daydreamer Desserts, adapted from Deep Dark chocolate by Sara Perry with Jane Zwinger
Crust
8 full graham cracker sheets,
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
2 tablespoon premium unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
Filling
5 ounces premium dark chocolate, chopped
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon hot water
16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature lightly beaten
Topping
3/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
drop of pure almond extract
Nutella Mocha Affogato
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons nutella
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
pinch of salt
To make the Crust
In the bowl of a food processor combine the graham crackers, sugar, and unsweetened cocoa powder. Pulse until uniform crumbs have formed. Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl, pour melted butter, stir to combine. Press crumb mixture onto the bottom of a 8 inch spring form pan.
To make the Filling
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chopped chocolate in a double broiler or in the microwave, stir until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix the cocoa powder and hot water until it becomes a smooth paste.
Combine cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in the egg just until blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Stir in the melted chocolate and cocoa paste until blended. Pour batter onto prepared pan.
Bake in the center of the oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Remove cheesecake from oven and decrease oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
To make the Topping
In a small bowl mix the sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract until well blended. Carefully spread topping over cheesecake and bake for an additional 15 – 20 minutes.
Place cheesecake over a wire rack to cool. With a thin knife loosen the parchment paper from inside the edges of the pan. Let it cool for 3 hours then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold and set at least 6 hours or overnight.
Unmold cheesecake from spring form pan, and peel off parchment paper. Allow cheesecake to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
To make the Mocha Affogato
Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and whisk in the Nutella, cocoa, espresso powder, and salt until smooth.
Drizzle the dessert plate with a little Nutella Mocha affogato, place a slice of cheesecake and top with a few dark chocolate shavings, more affogato, or a dollop of Nutella if desired.
Place leftover cheesecake {if any} covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Tiramisu con succo di arancia e mirtilli {Blueberries and blood orange juice Tiramisu}
In case you didn’t know, Tiramisu is my hands-down, favorite dessert of all time. Today, I’m pleased as punch to introduce you to Giulia from Jul’s Kitchen. She’s a cutie patootie and she’s graciously agreed to stop by and share her twist on this iconic dessert. I know I’ll be making this soon, and I’m pretty sure, once you read this, you will be too.
Baci!
Paula has definitely been my first international contact, she’s gifted with creativity, patience, kindness and a mouth-watering ability to capture with her words and recipes the luscious side of life. She’s been a lovely guest at Juls’ Kitchen with her Strawberry Shortcake, so I was immediately ready to answer YES! when she asked me to contribute with a guest post here.
Obviously I wanted to offer Paula something Italian for my guest post, as Paula has the Italian style carved all over her blog and recipes. I wanted to put a twist on a traditional recipe as well, as tradition and rules are very important to be followed, but innovation brings new life and let us discover new and delicious combination of flavours.
Name an Italian dessert, just one, and I bet that one person out of two will surely answer your question with the sweet and smooth tiramisu and a wide smile, foretasting the pleasure of a velvety cream and the dark bitter aroma of coffee. What is the key to success of tiramisu? Why people from all over the world look at this Italian dessert like one of the most luscious and sensual desserts ever? I think the reason lays into its structure, lights and shadows into the same spoonful, the perfect marriage of bitter and sweet.
So, when I was thinking about a new version of tiramisu, I decided to substitute coffee with blood orange juice, to exchange a bitter flavour with a citrus one. Following the path of fruity, dark chocolate became juicy blueberries, because flavor is the leading component, but I wanted to have a nice color contrast and red blood orange juice enhanced beautifully ivory mascarpone cream and deep blueberries!
Blueberries and blood orange juice Tiramisu
by Jul’s Kitchen
Ingredients:
• mascarpone cheese, 500 g
• fresh eggs, 5
• caster sugar, 5 tablespoons
• Savoy biscuits, 1 big pack (approx. 40 biscuits or more)
• Blood orange juice
• Blueberries
• Cointreau or Grand Marnier, 2 tablespoons (optional)
Directions:
1. Divide egg yolks and egg whites. Whisk egg yolks with sugar with a wooden spoon until they become white and fluffy. Dip your finger in the egg mixture and rub it between your thumb and index finger. It should feel perfectly smooth. Now add mascarpone cheese and keep on stirring until it is all combined.
2. Beat egg whites until they form firm peaks. Add whipped egg whites to the mascarpone mixture and stir lightly. At the very end add 2 tablespoons of Cointreau to give a pleasant and aromatic aftertaste to the cream.
3. Choose your favourite container (a cup of tea for each guest or a large and deep dish or fancy glasses) and put alternatively a layer of mascarpone cheese and a layer of soaked biscuits (soak the Savoy biscuits just for a few seconds into unsweetened blood orange juice), finishing with the cream. Sprinkle some blueberries over the tiramisu to garnish and leave to set in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
This new version is light, fresh and unbelievably aromatic, with the strong flavour of bergamot tea which lingers on your tongue for hours!
Pasta Frolla alle Fragole {Strawberry Shortcake}
For me, summer and strawberries go together and have for as long as I can remember. And something I always have each summer with strawberries is STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE. Swoon. My Grandma made it. My Mamma made it and now that I finally coersed the recipe from her I can make it too. There’s just something about the light flaky dough, the juiciness of the strawberries and the sweetness of the cream that comes together in perfect harmony for me.
Why am I doing a Strawberry Shortcake recipe you ask? WELL…I was asked by my sweet friend Giulia from Juls Kitchen if I’d stop by and do a guest post for her. She’s put together a brilliant series of summer round ups from various bloggers and I was honored to have been included. {If you’re not familiar, a guest post is something we bloggers do for each other as a courtesy. It’s a great opportunity for us to introduce our friends to YOU, and it also introduces us to their audience as well. Sharing the love if you will ; )}
If you’re not familiar with Giulia you should be. She’s a beautiful person both outside {Have you seen her hair? It’s gaw-geous, yes I have curl envy} and even more so inside. She takes inspiring fotos and her passion for her food really shows. If you like bell’alimento I know you’ll LOVE Juls Kitchen.
When I sat down and thought about what summers meant to me and what family food comes to mind, there were many but in the end it was it strawberry shortcake. This one was made even more special by using strawberries grown in my own garden {thank goodness the bambini didn’t eat them all first}. This sweet summer dessert has been a tradition in my family since I can remember so it was the natural choice for this post.
I had to drag this recipe out of my Mamma so be sure to head on over to JULS KITCHEN and check it out ; )
Baci!
Tortine alla Nutella {Cupcakes filled with Nutella}
We’re celebrating! No it’s not my birthday {that was last month in case you missed it ; ) } It’s not our blogaversary {that’s in January} but you’re getting closer. We’re celebrating our BRAND SPANKING NEW SHINY LOOK! Yes bell’alimento has a brand new look but don’t worry – even though we have a brand new outside we’re still the same on the inside ; )
What better way to celebrate than with Nutella! You knew that was coming. I just can’t help myself. I’m weak when it comes to Nutella. I’m just weak. It’s my kryptonite. Always will be. And I’m on a mission to make it everyone else’s kryptonite too ; ) This cupcake will satisfy the choco-holic and nutella-holic in you all at once! It’s so moist and airy! And as you’re biting into it just when you think it can’t get any better you get this ooey crunchy surprise. Nutella and Bacio chocolates come together and *fireworks* *champagne corks popping*
And I didn’t even mention the icing. Oh my sweet mamma the icing. And yes, it’s my Mamma’s icing. I am fully aware this isn’t something that’s going to make it onto any low calorie or healthy menus. But it’s sooooooooo good that I just block that out ; ) Sweet goodness, it’s almost too much for me to handle. Almost ; )
Light and fluffy chocolate cake…Nutella… Bacio chocolates {my second favorite Italian chocolate} and icing so good I could just pipe it directly into my mouth. It’s definitely perfect for a celebration!
This celebration wouldn’t be possible without COOKIELICOUS! She is the mastermind behind the brand spanking new look, and although I’m totally biased I think it’s ah-mazing and I just love her to pieces! She’s so gracious that she’s going to GIVEAWAY a new HEADER DESIGN to one of you lucky readers OR a CUSTOM TWITTER BACKGROUND. Winner’s Choice! *and the crowd goes wild*
Edited to add: Thank you for your entries. Contest is closed. Winner announced HERE:
- And now for the GIVEAWAY…
To enter simply:1. leave a comment telling us what you love best about our makeover or what features you’d like to see added to bell’alimento.
{bonus entries}
2. Follow bell’alimento on TWITTERand RT the following & let us know you did so! {NOTE: you have to be following bell’alimento for this entry to count}
@bellalimento is celebrating their new look w/#Nutella Cupcakes & a GIVEAWAY http://bit.ly/b6KADF
3. Follow bell’alimento on FACEBOOK. Come back leave a separate comment telling us you’ve done so.
4. Follow COOKIELICIOUS on TWITTER . Come back leave a separate comment telling us you’ve done so.
5. Sign up for our RSS Feed. Come back leave a separate comment telling us you’ve done so.
That’s 5 chances to win!
Legal Schmegal: Contest is open to EVERYONE {hooray} and is open until Monday August 23rd at 12:00 pm EST. One winner will be drawn by a magic eight ball, ehem random.org. NOTE: Winner will be responsible for installation of design.
Baci e In bocca al lupo {Good Luck}!
What you’ll need: {makes 18 large cupcakes}
{cupcakes}
2 sticks of unsalted butter – softened
5 eggs -separated
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups cake flour sifted twice
1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9 teaspoons Nutella
10 Bacio Chocolates – crushed
{icing}
1 pound confectioner’s sugar
1 cup shortening
7 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 Bacio Chocolates – crushed
What to do:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In your mixer, cream butter & sugar together until pale in color & very creamy. Add egg yolks one at a time mixing well after each one.
2. Into a large bowl add cake flour, cocoa powder, salt & baking soda. Gently whisk together to combine. Add the vanilla extract to the buttermilk. Set aside.
3. Alternate the flour mixture with buttermilk (end with flour) and add to butter/sugar mixture. Continue mixing until well combined. Set aside.
3. Into a separate mixing bowl, beat egg whites with your whisk attachment until stiff. Gently fold into cake mixture.
4. Line your cupcake pans with cupcake liners and fill 1/2 of the way up with batter.
5. Add the nutella and crushed bacio chocolates into a small bowl. Mix well to combine. Take 1 teaspoon of the Nutella mixture and add it to the center of each cupcake. Finish topping off cupcakes with 1/4 more batter each. Cupcakes should be 3/4 way filled when you’re finished. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing.
6. WHILE cupcakes are cooling make icing: into your mixer add: confectioner’s sugar, shortening, milk, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. With your paddle attachment, mix until well combined.
7. Place icing into a pastry bag {or zip lock bag} and pipe onto cupcakes. Garnish with additional crushed Bacio chocolates.
Buon Appetito!
And Psst.
COOKIELICIOUS is available if you’re in the market for a brand new look for your blog/site. Get to her before she has a waiting list longer than Rapunzel’s hair ; )
Fiori Dolci {Sweet Fried Squash Blossoms}
If you have a garden and planted any type of squash you are sure to have an abundance of vibrant squash blossoms. They seem to be multiplying in my garden, and I couldn’t be happier because I love to cook with them. You might remember we’ve already posted a STUFFED SQUASH BLOSSOM recipe. I love the savory filling but this time we’re going to be on the sweet side of the blossoms ; )
Charlotte di Lamponi {Raspberry Charlotte}
Okay okay for those dessert purists out there this is not exactly a Charlotte…It did start out as a Charlotte mind you and ended up as a Charlotte of sorts. How about that? Yes, I must explain…I thought I could get away with making this without a Charlotte Mould, because I have always had the “how hard can it be mentality” or just stubborn as my Mamma would tell you. Either way, I set about making this beautiful dessert using what I had on hand which was a souffle mould.
{Gluten Free} Peanut Butter and Nutella Thumbprint Cookies
It seems I have been falling down on posting Nutella recipes. I know, I know, *GASP* what is wrong with me? It’s not {I promise} for lack of consumption. You all know by now that I am a Nutella-holic and it goes without saying that there is ALWAYS Nutella in our house ; ) It just seems it’s being consumed far too quickly and when I have an idea for a recipe there simply isn’t enough to work with *sigh* but I did manage to reserve a little and wanted to share one of our favorite cookie recipes.
Sorbetto di Cocomero {Watermelon & Lime Sorbet}
Before we get started I just want to tell you that no I am indeed NOT smoking crack, this is a WATERMELON sorbet. Don’t adjust your screens. The color is perfect ; ) Although I must admit when I sliced that big ole melon in half and it was YELLOW I was slightly confused myself. You see, I had never seen a YELLOW Watermelon before. Thank goodness that upon further investigation there was a little tiny sticker on the rind that read “I’m YELLOW inside” Whew, I felt better…now I didn’t have to throw the whole thing away LOL
And the G.S. Gelato winner is…
I’m so happy that so many of you entered for the chance to win. G.S. Gelato has truly ah-mazing gelato and sorbets. In fact the whole company from my initial contact to their marketing department {Hi Jeff} to the owners themselves are MITICO {awesome} I’m just going to go ahead and throw it out there, because that’s how I roll…It is THE BEST gelato I have had outside of Italy. Yep, there it is in black and white. I said it and I mean it!
I’ve literally been dreaming about it. I’ve been dreaming of making my way through each and every flavor. Yes, the sacrifices I would make to bring back this news to share with you my favorite readers ; ) I’m currently trying to find a way to take the super sweet Simona up on her offer of a tour of the G.S. Gelato mega facility and yes wait for it…eat all the gelato I can. Yes, me my side kicks aka large black camera and flip video {okay well technically I don’t have the flip yet but if ehem WHEN I get down there I will have one LOL} Note to self, try to loose a few lbs before heading down to offset LOL
Okay Okay I know you’re waiting on pins and needles to know who won this box full of deliciousness. So without further adue… *drumroll please* According to our magic eight ball ehem random.org THE WINNER IS…
Welcome to my cucina! To see what we're cooking up in the Family Kitchen click HERE |
    
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