Sicilian Girl

Tweet These little chocolate balls, a thoughtful gift for your favorite Valentine, are a variation of Palline all’ Arancia. This is one of the very few confections in which the Sicilian nuns used chocolate. Traditionally, they were made with rum. Since I don’t care for the taste of rum but, do enjoy anything with an […]

Tweet Dried fruits, nutritious nuts and crunchy granola, all covered in chocolate make for the perfect treat for our after dinner walks in the woods. Many years ago, the year after we got married, my husband, Jack, and I built a home in the California Sierra’s. The “cabin” as everyone calls it, is surrounded by […]

Tweet This simple, slightly sweet dessert is made of luscious, creamy ricotta and chocolate and is a lovely ending to any meal. Paired with rich chocolate espresso wafers and bubbly Prosecco, this serving for two, is perfect for your Valentine’s Day celebration!             Ingredients: 1 cup whole milk ricotta 2 tablespoons […]

Tweet Have you ever wondered why many chocolate dessert recipes have coffee in the list of ingredients? The addition of coffee, or in this case espresso, intensifies the chocolate flavor. I am a coffee drinker and prefer a rich robust cup and not a fan of the instant kind. However, I do keep espresso powder […]

Tweet Perugina, the renowned Italian confectionery icon, is Italy’s most beloved chocolate maker. On Valentine’s Day in 1922, Luisa Spagnoli, the co-founder, created their signature candy. Baci, meaning kisses in Italian, is the luscious chocolate and hazelnut confection that comes in the blue and silver foil-wrapping with the “special” love note tucked inside. Baci di […]

Tweet A few dried figs with a handful of nuts is a favorite afternoon snack of mine. The natural sugar of the fruit gives me quick energy while the healthy fat in the nuts keeps hunger at bay until the next meal. Since they taste great together and they are pantry staples, I thought why […]

Tweet It may sound odd but, I often plan my dinner party menus with the end in mind, meaning dessert. This makes perfect sense to me, as it is the final food guests will eat and leaves a lasting impression of the entire meal … good or bad. There are several folks I know who […]

Tweet Italians, as a rule, do not eat dessert after a meal, choosing perhaps a piece of fruit instead. However, it is a well-known fact that we find time “between” meals to satisfy our sweet tooth. Biscotti may accompany the morning cappuccino as well as the evening espresso and any time is the right time […]

Tweet I have made several attempts over the years to come up with a chocolate spread that I feel is worthy of sharing. The flavor was always great, rather it was the texture I had issues with. No matter how much I ground the nuts (even in a Vita-mix) the results were on the grainy […]

Tweet I am not what you’d call a chocoholic, but every now and then, when only something chocolate will do, this cake is guaranteed to satisfy the craving every time. It has a rich, deeply chocolate flavor and is not overly sweet. It requires no frosting, merely a dollop of sweetened whipped cream and perhaps […]