If you love Italian food, you probably enjoy pasta, pizza, and other similar dishes. However, there are others that look forward to the end of the meal, and a plate of tiramisu. This dish is the Italian's way of doing dessert, and translates to "pull me up." There is some debate as to how the tiramisu got its name. Some think it might be from the caffeine in the coffee giving just enough pick me up to give you energy throughout the evening. Others think that it might be the sweet delight that comes from the smooth and rich dessert. But most don't bother to continue the debate after the dessert is served.
Serving Ideas
There are numerous ways that you can serve tiramisu. If you are going for looks, using individual glass bowls or glasses to construct the tiramisu can create a dessert that is as tempting to the eye as it is to the palate. For the recipe that follows, however, a shallow baking dish will also work. While it may not be as pleasing to the eye, it allows you to make enough for 6 diners.
What You Will Need
The two main ingredients of tiramisu are lady fingers and mascarpone cream cheese, but there are a few other ingredients that you will need as well. Nearly all should be available at your local grocery store or fresh food market. You will need:
o A large package of lady fingers
o 150 grams (about 5.3 ounces) icing sugar
o Four large eggs
o 200 grams (about 7 ounces) of mascarpone cream cheese
o 200 mL (about 6.8 ounces) of cooled, fresh espresso
o 120 mL (about 4 ounces) of dark rum or dessert wine
o 100 grams ( about 3.5 ounces) of cocoa powder
How To Prepare The Ingredients
Before you assemble your tiramisu, you will need to prepare the ingredients. Start by mixing the coffee and the alcohol and setting aside. Separate the yolks from the whites of the egg. Take the yolks and beat with the sugar until it has reached a creamy consistency. Beat the white separately until they are semi-stiff, and then add them to the yolks and sugar. Then gently fold in the mascarpone and mix well.
Assembling The Tiramisu
Once you have all the ingredients prepared, it is time to assemble the tiramisu. Place the lady fingers along the bottom of the dish or dishes you have selected. Use a pastry brush to coat them with the coffee and alcohol. Then use a large spoon to cover the biscuits with a layer of the mascarpone mix. Repeat the previous steps to create a second layer. When you are finished, use a wire sieve to dust the top with cocoa powder to form a dark crust.
Refrigerate for at least four hours, removing a half hour before serving so that it can return to room temperature. You now have a tempting Italian dessert to share with your family and friends. Tiramisu is the perfect end to any Italian dinner.
This is my recipe for the best ever Christmas cookies, for all of those who asked for it. Everyone who tries these cookies seem to love them, i hope yours turn out as good or better then mine did. good luck and Marry Christmas.
Making the traditional Italian "Bow Cookie" at our house.
Pizzelle is an Italian waffle cookie that is especially popular around Easter and Christmas. They are fairly large, at around five inches, and are usually made one or two at a time. It is traditionally made with a pizzelle maker, similar to a waffle iron, held by hand over a stove burner. With the creation of electric irons, they are becoming a popular snack for people who lack the time to prepare them in the old fashioned way. The irons leave a snowflake pattern on the cookies.
If you are going to make these cookies by hand, you'll need flour, sugar, eggs, and butter, margarine, or vegetable oil. You'll also need flavoring. Common flavorings include anise, vanilla, lemon zest, chocolate, cinnamon, and orange. If you don't have the time or inclination to cook but still want fresh cookies, you can also buy a pizzelle mix. In some grocery stores, you can buy premade pizzelles.
There are many comparable cookies in various regions. Krumkakes from Norway are quite similar. The pizzelle is thought to be based on the crustulum, which is an ancient Roman cookie. Although pizzelle is the most common name, in the Lazio, Italy area they are called ferratelle and in Molise they might also be called cancelle.
Pizzelles can be eaten in a variety of ways. Sometimes they are had as flat cookies. They are often crunchy, but they can also be prepared in a way to make them chewy and soft. A wooden dowel can be used when they are fresh to roll the pastry into a cone shape. This pastry can then be filled with cannoli cream or another filling. A filling can also be spread on them while flat to make a sandwich cookie.
While they can be eaten year round, they are mostly known for special occasions. These include the Christmas season and Easter weekend. Italian weddings are also a common place where these are found. However, since technology makes it easier to cook fresh ones at home with little effort, they are gaining popularity as a treat that can be eaten at any time.
Though they may always be most prevalent in Italian households, they are gaining mainstream appeal. If local grocery stores don't carry them prepackaged, they can always be purchased over the internet. Pizzelle bakers have made it simply for anyone to make up a stack of cookies on a Sunday morning. They are good both fresh and after they have cooled.
Are you looking for some easy desserts and sugar free cookie recipes for your special sugar free diet friends? Are you searching for some new sugar free cookie and dessert recipes for this coming Christmas party? How about creating some new and delicious sugar free recipes for everyone?
Mary is busy searching for sugar free desserts for her coming Christmas party. She is going to invite a numbers of sugar free diet friends .
According to her, her friends were very pleased to be included in her Christmas party list. Because most of the host cannot provide sugar free food for them, therefore they will not be invited.
She found some amazing sugar free recipes here...
Special Pudding
Ingredients
1000 ml milk
280g flour
6 eggs
Action
a. Mix the flour and milk together, and beat well.
b. Whip eggs to a froth and add the eggs to the milk mixture.
c. Boil it for 2 hours, and serve hot with rich cream.
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Nutmeg and Muskmelons
Ingredients
Nutmegs
Ripe muskmelons
Ice lump
Pepper and salt
Action
a. Wash nutmegs and melons.
b. Whip dry and cut into two.
c. Shake out the seeds lightly and put a lump of ice in each half.
d. Eat with pepper and salt.
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Milk Rice
Ingredients
750 ml hot milk
100g rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Raisins (seeded)
Action
a. Wash and drain the rice.
b. Soak the rice with water for 20 minutes.
c. Pour away the water, add the rice and salt into the milk and boil.
d. When done, press the rice into small cups and serve with cream and raisins.
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Cream Puff Dough
Ingredients
500 ml water
4 level tablespoons butter
500g flour (sifted)
4 eggs
Action
a. In a saucepan, combine the water and butter and mix thoroughly.
b. When the water is boiling and butter thoroughly melted, turn instantly the flour and stir rapidly over the heat. In a moment you will have a perfectly smooth and soft dough free from sticky-ness.
c. Remove from heat and stand it aside till partly cold.
d. Break the egg into a cup, then turn it into the batter.
e. Beat for a moment, then add another and another.
f. Beat thoroughly and add the fourth good egg from the cup.
g. Beat he batter for 5 minutes and stand it aside for 1-1.5 hours.
h. Drop by tablespoonfuls into greased shallow pans and bake in a 170°C oven for 35-40 minutes.
i. When the puffs are done, they will be hollow and light.
Note:
a. The batter must be dropped far enough apart to leave rooms for swelling.
b. You may fill the puff shell with a little cold mashed fresh banana pulp, chopped nuts and raisins.
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Tea Biscuits
Ingredients
240g flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter (melted
Water
Action
a. Mix the dry ingredients and rub in butter with the tips of your fingers.
b. Add water to make a dough just stiff enough to roll out.
b. Roll 1 cm thick and cut with a round cutter and bake in a greased pan in a preheated 200°C oven for about 10 minutes.
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Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
240g flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter (melted)
Milk
Action
a. Mix he dry ingredients and rub in the butter.
b. Add milk to make a mixture that may be dropped from a spoon without spreading.
c. Drop on a buttered pan 1 cm apart and bake in a preheated 200°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
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Banana Raisins Pie
Ingredients
100g seeded raisins (chopped)
250 ml water
2 tablespoons sifted cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon butter
1 large banana (in thin slices)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon lemon juice
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 lemon rind (grated)
1 egg (well beaten)
2 tablespoons seeded raisins (cut in pieces)
Action
a. Cook 100g chopped raisins in water until plump.
b. Remove from fire. Add crumbs and mix with flour and butter.
c. Let it stand and covered until cold.
d. Add cinnamon, lemon juice, lemon rind, honey and the lemon extract to the slices of banana.
e. Combine mixture, add egg and pieces of raisins.
f. Bake between two crust.
Now she has enough easy desserts and sugar free recipes for her coming Christmas party!
Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.12 of 12 - Spinach and Mushroom Pancakes
0 comments Posted by Dehaas at 3:44 AMChristmas recipe serves: 4
calories per serving: 375
preparation time: 1 hour plus standing & soaking
cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes
suitable for freezing (pancakes only)
Christmas recipe ingredients:
white flour, plain 50 g (2 oz)
wholemeal flour, plain 50 g (2 oz)
egg, 1
milk, skimmed 350 ml (12 fl oz)
salt and pepper
vegetable stock, 300 ml (10 fl oz)
mushrooms, dried 25 g (1 oz)
oil, vegetable 30 ml (2 tbsp)
spinach, fresh washed 450 g (1 lb)
or
spinach, frozen leaf 350 g (12 oz)
soft cheese, reduced fat 225 g (8 oz)
mushrooms, brown cap 450 g (1 lb)
spring onions, 1 bunch
garnish, flat-leaf parsley
Christmas recipe instructions:
Use a food processor for the batter so mix the egg, a pinch of salt, milk and both flours. Then stand for 30 minutes. Soak the dried mushrooms and stock for 30 minutes.
Coat the base of a non-stick pan with some batter after heating oil in it. Cook until golden brown (usually a couple of minutes), then cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Repeat with the rest of the batter till you have about a dozen or so pancakes.
Cook the spinach for a few minutes before allowing to cool, removing the liquid and cutting up. Add the soft cheese and salt and pepper to taste.
Cook the chopped onions and brown-cap mushrooms in 15 ml (1 tbsp) of hot oil until light brown in color. Add the stock and mushrooms, and seasoning, then simmer for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is syrup like.
Take half of this mixture, make smooth in a processor, then return to the pan.
Take the spinach mixture from step 3 and put in an oiled ovenproof dish. Then layer half a dozen pancakes with the mushroom mixture in between along with the remaining spinach mixture. End with the mushroom layer.
Cook until weel browned at gas mark 6 (200 degrees centigrade, 400 F) for about 30 minutes.
Serve with flat-leaf parsley garnish.
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