The Countdown Begins!

Star Shaped Amaretti Cookies

It's always at this time of year that I feel frazzled the most..
the errands running for school supplies, kids clothes and lunch box items.. checking off lists to make sure their physicals are all met and shot cards are all filled in, making sure they have their back packs tidy with
paper, pens, pencils, rulers and their Pee Chee Folders.

Ahhh.. but soon my home will be quiet and the only sounds I will be distracted by is the click and tap of the keyboard on my computer. I am looking forward to rekindling my relationship with writing here in my ethereal blog kingdom.

Until then.. I leave you with anticipation of an invitation to join me for some espresso..or a cold glass of milk.. and a dish of these delicate Star Shaped Amaretti Cookies here on DMC!

Ciao, Abbracci e Baci,
Laurie

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Crumbly Delicious Blueberry Buckle

We have had such beautiful weather so far this year, unlike the typical 100 and up degree weather that we usually have. It has been perfect for baking and berry picking.. but alas, the berries at the local farm have faded and given their last bounty. I'm so glad that our grocery produce stalls are still full with these blue beauties, I think this gem has to be my favorite fruit of all!

This is a simply delicious recipe adapted from The Barefoot Contessa's Blueberry Crumb Cake.
It tasted just like you would think a moist coffee cake would, with lots of blueberries and cinnamony sugar goodness on top..
only to be enhanced by a scoop (or two) of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients
For the streusel:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2/3 cup sour cream
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel
Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake
Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,
crumble the topping evenly over the batter.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home

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Apricot Zabaione and Almond Shortbread Tartlets

With the heat of summer I haven't been cooking as much fancy fare.. but instead have been utilizing my indoor grill and then filling up our salad bowl with fresh lettuces and vegetables.

While staying close to the air conditioned kitchen though, I have had fun creating some new desserts while playing with some old Italian recipes to "up the flavor ante" and to add my own DMC style. (take a look at the address bar, Dalla Mia Cucina ~ DMC is now my sites domain) :)

Here with this Zabaione, I incorporated an apricot flavor by blending a puree I made by processing some sun dried apricots with a little bit of sweet fortified wine, then carefully mixing it with a bit of home made whipped cream. It gave it a mousse like texture.. light and airy and "oh so delicious".

I love the delicateness of a shortbread crust.. even more so.. an almond shortbread crust that pairs perfectly with apricots and amaretto.

This dessert has all the desired elements of a sweet craving, for an elegant dinner party or a gratifying end to a Sunday meal.
Hope you enjoy..

Buon Appetito!!
Laurie

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Blackberry Wine & Coconut Cakes and a Contest Winner!

We have had a wonderful and eventful month of June thus far. Relatives in town for my daughters graduation plus an extended holiday has left us with the feeling of exuberance and excitement, but also a little sad knowing it will soon come to an end as my sister and her family head back to there little parcel of land in the Northern part of California. While my sister was hear we had a fun time of food, fellowship and shopping for fanciful items at the antique market. *Below are some pretty spoons and linens I picked up for literally pennies on the dollar.

This is a simple dessert I made with fresh, sweet blackberries and blackberry wine to make a syrup and then baked it into a yummy coconut pound cake batter. It was so delicious!

On our free time I captured some shots of new growth and foliage in the yard. This is a single pedal from a purple Agapanthus plant.

I also want to thank all of you who commented on my blog as well as on my Facebook page giving me some great ideas for my kitchen remodel. Using the Random Number Generator website the number chosen was 2. Lynn from Blue Skies is the winner of the $60.00 gift certificate to CSN Stores. "Congratulations Lynn"!!!! xoxo


Blackberry Wine Syrup

Ingredients
1 -1/2 cup Blackberry Wine
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Pint cleaned and dried blackberries

Preparation
Combine the wine, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low; cook for 10 minutes or until the liquid becomes syrupy and has reduced by about two-thirds. With heat on low add the blackberries stirring just till they begin to soften but keep there shape.

Coconut Pound Cake

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1 1/2 cups sweetened flaked coconut (6 oz), toasted and cooled

Preparation
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter 6 ramekins and dust with flour, knocking out excess flour.

Whisk together flour (2 cups), baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 5 minutes with a stand mixer or 8 to 10 minutes with a hand held mixer. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in extracts. Reduce speed to low, then mix in flour mixture until just combined. Fold in coconut gently but thoroughly with a rubber spatula.

Spoon batter evenly into individual ramekins around 3/4 of the way up. Place ramekins on cookie sheet. With a large spoon, carefully place blackberries and syrup over cake batter not skimping on berries.
Bake until golden and bubbly and a wooden pick or skewer inserted into side comes out clean, 20 - 25 minutes

Cool individual cakes on a rack 15 minutes. Top with whipped cream and enjoy!!
Buon Appetito!!

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Oatmeal "Orange Molasses" Raisin Cookies

Summer started with a flurry of activities and the excitement of a graduation. Our oldest daughter is now on her way to a collegiate course that may take another 8 years or so depending on whether or not she sticks with her plans! We are so proud of her and a little overwhelmed emotionally too.
Can you relate? :)

And now that their vacation has begun, I'm already realizing that with the kids home, writing and posting favorite recipes will probably come few and far between. This simple recipe was a perfect choice to start the kids' summer off with and to also share with visiting family in for the festivities. It may look like a simple Oatmeal Raisin Cookie..
but my play with ingredients gives it a complex flavor and texture.

You may have read my holiday cookie post a few years ago called the "Italian Filled Cookie". This cookie is my families version of the traditional Sicilian cookie called a Cucidati. It is so delicious and filled with yummy goodness in the form of chocolate, apple butter and rum soaked raisins. If you have never poached pears or soaked fruit.. you really need to try it. I don't normally enjoy raisins straight from the box, dry and shriveled, they, like prunes, really only remind me of growing old and "not so gracefully". :) So if I can help it.. smooth, plump and hydrate is my adage!

With this Oatmeal recipe I plump and hydrate the raisins. I was intending on using Rum or Marsala. I love those flavors together, they are a match made in heaven. But with none on hand I decided to improvise with what I did have. I had an assortment of juices.. apple, orange, pear.. but I also needed to have something that would intensify the flavor as the liquid and the raisins simmered. Molasses and raisins.. and with that, orange juice for the liquid became the perfect choice!

I wish I could bottle my husbands enthusiasm.. he is so kind and wonderful and gave these cookies the highest rating he has given any of my cookies before! I thought they were pretty good too, not so overpowering or bitter with molasses, but yet in my opinion not to sweet either. I say in my opinion, because my mom did say they were a little too sweet for her, but normally she adds very little sugar to anything. :)

As far as a recipe goes.. I took a generic oatmeal cookie recipe from one of my favorite wedding gift cookbooks and added my improv on ingredients from there. Chocolate pieces, coconut and walnuts were also added to my orange molasses soaked raisin oatmeal cookie batter. :) For a more intense orange flavor, I would add some zest of an orange. It all melded together so wonderfully!

You can either soak your raisins and molasses in a jar for 1 day or over night, or you can speed up the process by simmering them on low in the orange juice and molasses till they are plump. I used 2 cups of orange juice to a 1/4 cup of molasses. When they were done I drained them in a sieve before I added them to the cookie batter.

Buon Appetito!
Laurie

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