Sicilian Lemon Ricotta Cookies
These are soft, tender, cake-like cookies that have been kissed by lemons. They are perfect when you feel like having a small sliver of cake, but who among us…
Dessert
Pignoli
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These moist, soft and chewy cookies are found in bakeries all over Sicily and southern Italy. They are a type of macaroon made with almond paste and topped with…
Chocolate Espresso Olive Oil Cake
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.…
Lemon Sorbet with Candied Basil
Lemon Spaghetti and fresh Limonata are just two examples of why lemon and basil are perfect together. The last time I made a pitcher of limonata, I discovered yet…
Cheesecake
Every time I make this cheesecake, I am reminded of two things: to be grateful for time spent with family and of the “The Italian Place” in San Jose,…
Raspberry Ricotta Tart
If you need another reason to make the fresh raspberry preserves, this is it. There are many times I need to come up with a last-minute dish for guests…
Fresh Cherries
Fresh, ripe seasonal fruit is the perfect snack or dessert. My place of choice to find the season’s best is at one of those country roadside stands or a…
Cappuccino on a stick
A frozen version of my favorite coffee drink is nothing more than accidental genius. Accidental is the operative word here. I was making several batches of flavored ice cubes…
Lemon-y Cream Sauce
My lemon-y cream sauce is the result of having a little bit left over of an ingredient called for in a recipe. It’s not enough to really do anything…
Sicilian Olive Oil Cake
This is a light, moist, slightly sweet cake that has been kissed by lemons. It is a delightful choice any time of the day. Serve a slice with a…
Hummingbird Cake
I have been making this cake for years. It is my son’s cake of choice for his birthday and the traditional batter for our Easter Bunny Cake. It is…
Bittersweet Chocolate Blood Orange Biscotti
I have been working my way through several different kinds of flavored olive oils, with great success (she said modestly). The Meyer Lemon Biscotti, Vanilla Bean Scones and the Chocolate…
Meyer Lemon Olive Oil Biscotti
If you are a newcomer to using extra-virgin olive oil when baking, you’re in for a treat and a healthy one at that. Baking with olive oil dramatically reduces…
Baking with Extra Virgin Olive Oil
As essential as olive oil is in my cooking, it has been under-utilized in my baking until fairly recently. Each year, (as far back as I can remember) just…
Limoncello Fresco
The famous Italian lemon liqueur, Limoncello, is simply lemon zest steeped in vodka for several weeks, then mixed with a simple syrup and aged a little longer. Served icy…
Granita di Caffe
Bold and vitally refreshing, this sweet coffee cooler is a traditional Sicilian summer treat. As the summer starts to sizzle, granita di caffe is the typical breakfast in Sicily.…
Frozen Italian Pudding Pops
For the last few years, our neighbors have thrown a Hawaiian-themed dinner party, and this was the first year Jack and I were in town and able to attend.…
Grape Granita
Remember when your children, (or you) played the Hot-Warm-Cold game? Someone would hide an object, then another person would try and find the object. The one looking for the…
Southern Peach Creamsicle
The classic Creamsicle, frozen vanilla ice cream on a stick, covered in an orange sherbet, was my inspiration for this frozen treat. I chose to use peaches, since we…