Archive

Fruit Desserts

CROSTATA DI FRUTTA
(Fruit Tart)
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 orange
3 egg yolks
2 cups fruit preserve or marmalade
1/2 cup butter
2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. honey
1 tbs. granulated sugar

Preparation:
Mix the flour with the sugar and the grated orange rind. Make a fontana then knead in the softened butter in pieces, the honey and 2 egg yolks. Knead only long enough to mix the ingredients thoroughly.

Use 2/3 of the pastry to line a buttered, sugar dusted tart pan. Spread the jam over the pastry. Brush the remaining dough with a beaten egg yolk and use this dough to make strips and lay them over the tart in a criss-cross pattern. Bake at 350lF for about 35 mins.

CESTINI DI FRAGOLE CONDITE CON ACETO BALSAMICO DI REGGIO EMILIA
(Strawberries Baskets with Aceto Balsamico di Reggio Emilia)
Ingredients:
For the baskets:
5 oz. butter
5 oz. flour
3 egg whites
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
For the filling:
10 oz. vanilla ice cream
1/2 lb. strawberries (preferably wild)
16 drops Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Reggio Emilia

Preparation:
In a bowl whisk the butter with the sugar and the vanilla extract until frothy. Slowly add the egg whites and then the sifted flour. Put this cream in a pastry bag with a smooth nozzle and form four discs on a buttered cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes on a 425°F oven. Remove and, while still hot, place each disk over an upside down glass. The overlapping edges will turn down, thus creating a basket. Let cool and then remove from the glasses.

Clean and dry the strawberries and place them in the baskets.
On each dessert plate place a spoon of vanilla ice cream and let it melt for a couple of minutes until soft. Place a basket next to the vanilla ice cream. Drizzle about four drops of balsamic vinegar over each basket. Garnish with strawberry leaves.

DOLCEZZA AL MIELE E FICHI
(Honey and Fig Dessert)
Ingredients:
10 oz. sliced Quartirolo Lombardo cheese
12 fresh ripe figs
2 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. honey
1/4 cup brandy
4-5 chopped walnuts
juice of half an orange

Preparation:
Wash, peel and halve the figs. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. When it is foaming, add the figs. Cook them on both sides for a few minutes, and then flatten slightly with a spoon. Add the honey diluted with the brandy. If the bottom of the pan dries out, add the orange juice.

Arrange the Quartirolo Lombardo cheese onto individual plates and surround with the cooked figs. Spoon the remaining sauce over the figs and sprinkle with the walnuts.

PERE COTTE ALLA MENTA CON PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO
(Minted Poached Pears with Parmigiano-Reggiano)
Ingredients:
2 cups red wine
1 cup sugar
1 lemon
3 4-inch sprigs of fresh mint or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried
6 firm pears with stems
6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano in large nuggets
6 fresh mint sprigs for garnish (optional)

Preparation:
In a saucepan, combine the water, wine and sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Cut the yellow part (the zest) of the lemon peel into long strips, free of the bitter, white pith. Juice the peeled lemon. Add the peel, juice and mint to the wine mixture and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Leaving the stem attached, peel each pear and cut a thin slice off the bottom so that it will stand upright.

To avoid discoloration, quickly place it into the wine mixture. When all the pears are peeled, return the saucepan to medium high heat and bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Adjust heat so that the liquid does not boil. Cook pears 15 to 30 minutes, depending on ripeness. Test regularly with a skewer; when tender throughout, pears are done. Allow pears to cool in the poaching liquid for 30 minutes.

Remove pears and strain the poaching liquid into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook 15-20 minutes, until it coats a spoon in a light, sticky syrup. If desired, cool syrup and rewarm before serving.

To serve, spoon or brush a small puddle of warm syrup onto each plate. Place a pear in the center and arrange several nuggets of Parmigiano-Reggiano next to it. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve immediately.

TORTA DI SEMOLINA AL LIMONE
(Lemon Semolina Cake)
Ingredients:
4 cups of milk
6 eggs
5 oz. dry semolina
2 oz. sweet butter
10 oz. ricotta cheese
2 lemons of Sorrento
3 oz. mandarin liqueur
3 oz. lemon liqueur
1 cinnamon stick

Preparation:
Bring the milk to a boil with the lemon peel, the cinnamon stick and the sugar, stirring constantly, and then remove from the stove.

Remove the peel and cinnamon stick. Slowly pour in the semolina stirring constantly to avoid any lumps. Return the pot to the stove and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove, stir in the butter and let cool.

Beat 1 whole egg with 4 egg yolks together and mix into the semolina. Set the the egg whites aside. Mix the ricotta cheese with the two liqueurs and some lemon zest. Add this to the semolina.

Whip the remaining egg whites until stiff and fold in to the semolina-ricotta mixture. Butter a shallow baking dish and dust with sugar. Pour in the mixture and place in an oven at 325°F. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Cut the cake into squares and dust with frosting sugar, before serving.

Buon appetito!

 

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