Plumcake alle Carote (Italian Carrot Cake)
Set aside everything you ever thought you knew about carrot cake. The American version could not be more antithetical to Italian-style pastry: ultra-sweet, dense, slathered in cream cheese frosting. Now, before I go any further, lest you think I’m a carrot cake heretic, I’d like to offer my full support and advocacy for American carrot […]
Sicilian Cuccidati (Christmas Fruit & Nut Cookies)
As you might remember if you’ve been following this blog for a while, I have a deep affinity for Italy, and while it took me a while to come around to Italian desserts, they’ve really grown on me over the years. These are my favorite Italian holiday cookies, called Cuccidati (coo-chee-DAH-tee), as requested a few […]
Basilicata: Crostata al Caprino (Italian Goat Cheese Tart)
If you’ve read this blog in the past, you may have a vague recollection that I was writing a series about Italian desserts at one point. As I’ve been less active in the past few years, I sort of trailed off, but it’s always been something I wanted to return to. The premise was that […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Chocolate Chip-Orange Panettone
Happy Holidays, friends! I hope you’re enjoying warm company, relaxy times, and lots of yummy treats this week. 🙂 The thing I love most about baking, besides cramming delicious foodstuffs in my cake hole (duhhh), is that it never ceases to amaze me. There is never an end to the learning and trying and tweaking […]
Emilia-Romagna: Torta di Riso Bolognese
Buongiorno, amici! After a bit of a hiatus, I am so happy to be talking with you about Italy again. On every trip to Italy, we try to visit somewhere new, in addition to sentimental favorite locations. Last time, we skipped the Emilia-Romagna region– too many other places to go! We just couldn’t cram it […]
Rome: Ciambelline al Vino with Dipping Chocolate
There’s a very good reason why Rome is so storied and romanticized and revered. It deserves it. I first visited Rome on an organized bus tour with my mom in 1999, then with a girlfriend a few months later while studying abroad in Paris in college. Those visits were very short, but I instantly knew […]
Lombardia: Torta Sbriciolata with Cocoa, Ricotta & Chocolate Chips
Last year I waxed poetic about a cake from northern Italy that I had discovered called torta sbriciolata (sbree-cho-LAH-tah), which consists of a crumbly base and top layer sandwiching a creamy or fruity filling. And I was all, “This cake is amazing!” and “This cake is so easy!” and “I’m going to post so many flavors […]
An Italian Love Story: Reflections & Recipes Inspired by my Travels to Bella Italia
Have you ever been to a place that has utterly overtaken your soul… and you didn’t have the faintest desire to resist? A place that seeped into your bloodstream? A place that you fantasize about on a daily basis from afar? A place you know you belong? I love to travel and see new places, […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Brutti Ma Buoni (Italian Pistachio-Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies)
I think I’ve always felt that meringues are sort of a black-and-white thing: either you love them, or you don’t– there’s not much gray area in the middle. (Disclaimer: It’s perfectly likely that I’m completely, entirely wrong about this.) When I saw this recipe for Brutti Ma Buoni (‘Ugly But Good’ in Italian) from Baked Occasions on the Baked […]
Baked Sunday Mornings: Orange Almond Ricotta Cheesecake
I almost threw it away. I almost threw it away. I was going to write a sob story about how I ruined my cheesecake and wasted $24 worth of fresh ricotta cheese… but then it rocked my world. I thought I would have to re-bake my second cake in a row– I hope these things […]
