Torta di Prugna
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During the 1980’s when I lived in Campbell, California I entered a baking contest. It was for the Campbell Prune Festival held in the streets of our historic downtown. This…
Dessert
Marsala Apple Cake
The town of Marsala is located in the northwest part of Sicily and produces a fortified wine bearing her name. In the late 1700’s the wine was ‘fortified’ with…
Italian Apple Cake
Like my toasted almond breakfast cake, olive oil zucchini bread and mascarpone souffle, this is another fitting addition to your morning meal. Made with apples and cinnamon, golden raisins…
Ricotta Blueberry Breakfast Cake
Sometimes I’ll make scones and occasionally I’ll whip up a batch of muffins or biscuits but, as a rule, if I want to serve something sweet in the morning, especially…
Lemon Wafers
As I pick the remaining lemons, within arms reach through the French doors in the kitchen, I’m careful not to disturb the countless, fragrant new buds and blossoms carrying…
Lemon Pistachio Crostata
Crostate is an Italian term for pies and tarts. They can be rustic (free-form), in recipes such as, crostata di pesca, blackberry balsamic crostata and caramelized onion and fig…
Hazelnut Biscotti
Frangelico is an Italian liqueur (sweetened spirits) made with hazelnuts. The pronounced but, delicate hazelnut flavor, has hints of vanilla and dark chocolate, adding a depth of flavor to…
Petite Pistachio Cakes
Pistachios have been growing in Sicily for centuries and my grandmother always had them in her pantry. Removing the shells was a tedious task and required a bit of…
Ricotta di Cioccolato
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…
Chocolate Espresso Wafers
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.…
Almond & Pear Torta
This is one of those cakes that doesn’t require a special occasion. Quite the opposite, as it is a favorite everyday kind of cake. The slightly sweet batter isn’t…
Candied Orange Fritters
Piazza San Marco, in Venice Italy, is typically filled with tourists (and pigeons) during the summer months. But, in February, this well-known Italian square is the heart of Carnevale,…
Honey-Nut Stuffed Dried Figs
Snacking on dried fruits and nuts (rich in omega-3 fatty acids) is an essential part of the Mediterranean diet and my pantry is generally stocked with a variety of…
Panforte
Panforte dates back to the year 1000 and is the traditional Christmas dolce of Siena, one of the first cities in Italy to use sugar and rare spices. This…
Gingerbread Biscotti
For many of us, family traditions are a big deal and most of them are centered around special foods, particularly during the holidays. The Christmas season is filled with…
Sicilian Amaretti
Amaretti, are Italian cookies made with almonds. Although I have made these cookies with almonds, pistachios are the traditional nuts used by Sicilians. My grandmother always bought the nuts in…
Pumpkin Tart with Biscotti Crust
This tart has all the flavors of your traditional holiday pumpkin pie but, with an Italian twist. Rather than making a pie with the typical pastry dough, I decided…
Biscotti alla Zucca
These little pumpkin (zucca in Italian) cookies are about the size of a tablespoon. You simply mix the ingredients together to form a dough, chill in the refrigerator for…
Pumpkin Pecan Biscotti
I don’t know about you but, when the weather gets cooler, I have an urge to fill the kitchen with the intoxicating aromas of soul satisfying soups and stews…
Honey Mousse
Milk and honey were both among the earliest foods of humankind and the earliest mentioned in the bible. “A land flowing with milk and honey” (Exod.3:8), is an expression…