Name: italian wedding cookies (almond or anise flavored)
Yield: 30 cookies
Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups flour ((all purpose)); 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 3 large eggs; 1/2 sugar; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (, softened (DO NOT MELT THE BUTTER) (8 tablespoons)); 1.5 teaspoons almond extract ((or anise [licorice flavor])); 2 cups powdered sugar; 2 to 3 tablespoons milk; 1 teaspoon almond extract ((or anise extract))

italian wedding cookies

December 16, 2016 by Marie 3 Comments

soft and crumbly cookies

Here’s another recipe that I have been wanting to make forever – Italian wedding cookies! Honestly, I don’t know what the real name is for these cookies since I don’t think they originate from my mom’s region in Italy.Regardless, I finally made a batch, and these cookies are soooo good. Definitely a keeper! They are soft, almost like a cross between a cake cookie and a traditional crispy cookie.

Growing up, it seemed that everyone’s mom or grandmother made a version of these cookies. They go by a number of different names. Italian wedding cookies, Italian christmas cookies, or Anise cookies (…but mine are almond flavored.) Sometimes, when the baker would add too much flour, these cookies would taste quiet dry – but those were good for dunking in coffee!

Flavoring

As a kid, I did not like anise-flavoring. My mom would make pizzelles the traditional way with anise as the flavoring and I’d always beg her to make them vanilla or lemon flavored instead. She eventually came around:) But this is a very versatile recipe as far as flavorings go – feel free to substitute the almond or anise with vanilla, lemon, orange, or whatever flavoring appeals to you.

Decorating these cookies

The traditional way to decorate these is to top them with a simple drizzle of frosting and then add the rainbow non-pareils, which are usually widely available at the grocery store (at least they are around here).

how to keep these cookies in the ball-like shape during baking

When making this cookie, it’s important to refrigerate them for at least an hour in order for the cookie to bake in its characteristic tall shape. If you don’t refrigerate, they will come out flatter, more like a traditional drop cookie. Still good, but I love how they bake up if you refrigerate the dough.

5 from 2 votes

italian wedding cookies (almond or anise flavored)

Makes 30 cookies (recipe can be doubled)

Servings 30 cookies

Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

For the cookie dough:

2 1/4 cups flour (all purpose)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1/2 sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter , softened (DO NOT MELT THE BUTTER) (8 tablespoons)
1.5 teaspoons almond extract (or anise [licorice flavor])

To make the frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon almond extract (or anise extract)

Instructions

To make the cookie dough

Mix the baking powder, salt, and flour in a small bowl and set aside
Using a electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, butter, and extract on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy
Add the flour/baking powder and combine slowly just until mixed.
Using a tablespoon, roll the dough into balls and place onto a parchment lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart.
Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350F, and then bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Italian Strawberry Shortcake (Cassata)

April 5, 2015 by Marie 8 Comments

O! M! G! This cake!

My girls LOVE strawberries and they love cake, so this is a winning combination. When I was little, my mom would make “strawberry shortcake” but it was nothing like what you’d see if you would google “strawberry shortcake”!

What was it? Well, it was Italian sponge cake, layered with fresh strawberries and freshly whipped and sweetened cream. Ohhhh YUM! And so, that’s my idea of a strawberry shortcake.

This cake is a bit different than my childhood cake in that it is a chiffon cake instead of a sponge cake, which doesn’t have milk or oil in it, and it contains a ricotta based cream. This is also called Italian Cream Cake or Cassata, and this version of course has loads of fresh strawberries.

Can I just tell you that I’m in LOVE with this cake? It was sooo good!

This cake is a take on the Italian Cassata cake, which is a Sicilian cake from what I understand. Given that my roots are from the Campania region, I was not familiar with this cake – but I’m glad to have finally tried it!

I will be making this again and soon!

Recipe from my favorite cake cook book: Vintage cakes, by Julie Richardson

If you are a cake lover, you must get a copy of Julie’s book!

Italian Strawberry Shortcake (Cassata)

The most delicious Italian strawberry cheesecake, also called Cassata or Italian cream cake.

Course Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Servings 15 to 18

Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

For the cake

1 3/4 sifted cake flour (7 ounces)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar (2.5 ounces)
2/3 cup granulated sugar (4.66 ounces)
5 eggs , separated and at room temperature
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter

For the ricotta cream

15 ounces whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup sugar (3.5 ounces)
zest of 1 orange (optional)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
bittersweet chocolate , 2 ounces (optional)
1 cup cold heavy cream

For the strawberries

2 pounds fresh strawberries , sliced
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons orange liquor or orange juice

Instructions

To make the macerated strawberries

Combine all ingredients and set aside while the making and baking the cake

For the cake:

Line the bottom of three 9-inch by 2-inch pans with parchment paper and set aside
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and 1/3 cup of the sugar together and stir to combine
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks, oil, buttermilk and vanilla
Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix gently only until smooth - don't overmix
In a stand mixer, add the egg whites to a clean bowl and beat on high until just frothy and then add the cream of tarter. Continue beating on high until soft peaks form and then add the remaining 1/3 cup of sugar slowly, then continue beating on high until firm peaks are formed.
Fold about 1/3 of the egg whites into the flour/egg yolk mixture and then add the remaining egg whites and combine using the fewest strokes possible, using a light touch
Divide the batter equally among the 3 pans (about 10 ounces each) and bake for about 15 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Do not overbake!
Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack

For the ricotta cream

Combine the ricotta, sugar, zest (if using), and vanilla gently until smooth (note: the original recipe calls for pureeing in a food processor; however, my ricotta turned very runny and didn't firm up upon refrigeration and so I'd recommend lightly combining by hand)
Grate chocolate and fold it into the mixture (I didn't use this as my daughter doesn't like chocolate 🙁 )
Whip the heavy cream and fold it into the ricotta mixture until just combined

To assemble the cake

Drain and reserve the juice from the strawberries
Place one cake layer on a cake board or plate and brush top with 1/3 of the strawberries juice then top with 1/3 of the strawberries and 1/3 of the ricotta cream
Repeat with second cake layer
To finish, top the cake with the final layer, brush with juice, and top with strawberries. Reserve the remaining ricotta cream for serving

bread bakery chocolate babka

July 8, 2014 by Marie 11 Comments

Pardon me everyone, but I’m in a chocolate coma right now. OMG.

Chocolate babka is another recipe that I’ve been wanting to try for a long time. A very long time. Maybe since the Seinfeld Days??

Not surprisingly, there are no babka’s in my past. No secret family recipes. No grandmother’s who made babka.

What to do?

Sure, there are plenty of recipes out there. But I wanted to try something that was out of this world. Something worthy of the calorie splurge. And so I researched and learned that Bread Bakery’s chocolate babka is one of the best in NYC.

The very next day, I came across this list of 25 bakery’s to visit before you die, and Bread Bakery came up again.

And so I researched and stumbled upon this recipe from the Wall Street Journal.

Now, frankly, I thought this bread had way too much Nutella.

I know, I know – can you ever have too much Nutella?

Well, yes.

The photos above show what I got by following (weighing the Nutella) the recipe. The loaf that you see above was the middle loaf, which had the most Nutella in it. In other words, I didn’t even out my Nutella as much as I should have and so I have a Nutella explosion.

When I cut the other 2 loaves the next day, they looked much more like the “real thing” and so the moral of the story is to make sure you spread your Nutella evenly!! I also learned it’s really important to let the loaves cool completely (cool for a full 2 hours) before slicing. And if you have a food thermometer, the loaves are finished when the center reads 180 to 190 degrees.

For me, I might cut back the Nutella by one-third. You be the judge based on your preferences

Judging by the recipe source photos, there doesn’t appear to be an overload of Nutella and also reviewing the real thing here and here, there does appear to be a little less Nutella in the real thing.

If you want something with a little less chocolate try this one by King Arthur bakery.

Source: Wall Street Journal, Baker Uri Scheft

4 from 1 vote

bread bakery's chocolate babka

Makes 3 small loaves of sweet and very chocolatey babka.

Prep Time 12 hours

Total Time 12 hours

Servings 36

Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

For the syrup:

1/2 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup water

For the dough:

3/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 packets active dry yeast (10 grams)
2.5 cups bread flour , sifted plus more for work surface (302 grams)
2.5 cups pastry flour , sifted (300 grams)
2 large eggs (100 grams)
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar (113.5 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter , room temperature (114 grams)

For the chocolate filing

30 ounces Nutella (850 grams)*
1 cup semisweet chocolate (170 grams)

Instructions

For the syrup

Add sugar and water to small pan and heat till boiling. Reduce to simmer for 2 additional minutes and them cool until needed.

For the dough and assembly:

Pour milk into bowl and activate yeast according to package directions (I used instant yeast and didn't need to activate). Add flours, eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and half of the butter in the order listed. Mix the dough for 3 to 4 minutes and them slowly add remaining butter and keep mixing/kneading until combined, another 4 minutes
Form the dough into a flattened square and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and flour your workspace. Roll the dough into a 10 by 28 inch rectangle and them spread the nutella on top followed by the chocolate chips.
Roll the dough up to form a log that is 28 inches long and then cut into 3 pieces (about 9 inches long each) (see photo)
Slice each roll into half lengthwise (you will end up with 6 pieces)
Form an x with each pair of pieces and then twist each pair around each other.
You will end up with 3 twists (see photo)
Place each twist into an 8 x 3 loaf pan, tuck ends under, cover, and let rise for 60 minutes in a warm spot
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 25 to 30 minutes (less if you have a convection oven, more if not). Internal dough temperature should be about 180 degrees when finished.
Immediately brush the tops with the cooled syrup
Let cool for 2 hours before slicing or the center of the loaves may seem raw.

Recipe Notes

*It is very important to spread the Nutella evenly!!! my center loaf had too much Nutella in spots. If you prefer less, decrease the Nutella by about 1/3 depending upon your tastes.

kolache

May 6, 2014 by Marie 13 Comments

You must try these Kolaches are Czech pastries from the Texas Hill Country !

This was the first time I’ve ever heard of these little pastries called kolaches. I was intrigued by the similarity in appearance to danish, but they are very different. These are make from a yeast-based dough, and when baked, they taste like a filled sweetened bread.

We made two versions – a sweetened cheese filling and a blueberry filling and the blueberry filling was the winner in our house. It was just the perfect sweetness and thickness. Easy too! Just combine 3 ingredients and microwave!

The pastries were a little more complicated but not too bad. After making the dough, I refrigerated overnight for the first proof (instead of the warm rise in the instructions). After the second proof, you divide the dough into 16 balls and place them on a lined baking sheet like so:

kolaches

Than you take a 1/3 cup dry measure (or anything that measures 2 1/4 inch in diameter) and squash down the little balls to form a cavity that you will fill with the sweetened cheese or fruit. The balls are much smaller than 2 1/4 inches so I was a little confused to start but it worked out just fine. Make sure you grease and flour the bottom of your cup or it will stick to the dough. This dough is very sticky!

kolaches-2

Afterwards, brush everything with egg wash, then fill with the cheese or fruit and sprinkle the sides with the streusel topping. Bake as directed, being careful not to overbake. Mine were a tad dry and so next time, I will take them out of the oven before they develop too much color.

kolaches-3

I think these would have been perfect if there were a few shades paler than this….

Try these Kolaches are Czech pastries from the Texas Hill Country !

Still delicious though and they were all gone quickly! I think these would be great for a special occassion weekend breakfast..

You must try these Kolaches are Czech pastries from the Texas Hill Country !

Recipe from Hometown Favorites, Cooks Illustrated magazine

5 from 1 vote

kolaches

Prep Time 3 hours

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 3 hours 20 minutes

Servings 16

Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

For the dough:

1 cup whole milk
10 tablespoons butter , melted
1 large egg plus 2 large egg yolks
3.5 to 4 cups all purpose flour (17.5 ounces)*
1/3 cup sugar (2.3 ounces)
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the cheese filling:

6 ounces cream cheese , softened
3 tablespoons sugar**
1 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
6 ounces (3/4 cup) ricotta cheese

For the blueberry filling

10 ounces frozen pineapple , blueberries, or cherries
5 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons cornstarch

For the streusel topping:

1 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar plus 2 teaspoons
1 tablespoon unsalted butter cut into 8 pieces and chilled

For the egg wash

1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon milk

Instructions

For the dough (makes 16 kolaches):

Combine milk, butter and eggs together in measuring cup (will be lumpy)
Combine dry ingredients in the bowl of a standing mixer then add milk mixture and knead for 2 minutes on low speed
Increase speed to medium and continue kneading for 8 to 12 minutes until dough no longer sticks to side of bowl
Place dough in an oiled bowl and let rise in warm place for 1 hour or refrigerate overnight in a covered bowl

For the cheese filling (enough for 16):

Combine all ingredients except for ricotta and mix well for about 1 minute. Add ricotta and mix for another 30 seconds. Cover and refrigerate until needed

For the streusal:

Combine all ingredients and mix together with fingers. Cover and refrigerate until needed

For the fruit filling (enough for 16):

Combine all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl and mix well. Microwave on high for about 6 to 8 minutes and stir halfway through cooking.

To assemble and bake

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Divide dough into 16 equal size portions and form balls
Arrange on prepared pans, cover with plastic and allow to rest in warm place for 1.5 hours
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and flour the bottom of a 1/3 cup dry measure or a glass with a 2 1/4 inch diameter and use to make deep indents on top of each ball until bottom of measure touches baking sheet (see photo)
Fill each indentation with about 1.5 tablespoons of filling (if you are making both cheese and fruit filling, you will need only half of each filling recipe)
Brush tops of each pastry with egg wash, and then sprinkle sides with streusel
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes (do not over bake - you want them very pale in color) and let cool for about 20 minutes.
Serve warm

Recipe Notes

*I use King Arthur brand flour, which is 4.25 oz per cup. Other all purpose flour have slightly different weights. Start with 3.5 cups and add a bit more if too sticky
**I thought the cheese filling wasn't sweet enough. Try the filling with the recommended sugar (3 tablespoons) but add another tablespoon or two to sweeten if needed.

classic vanilla fudge

February 18, 2014 by Marie 26 Comments

My daughter has a newfound love for fudge.

She is a very healthy eater overall – she eats loads of fruits, is not afraid of green food and is very active, and so I decided to indulge her.

But things didn’t go smoothly at first. I burned two batches. Yes, I can be incredibly impatient. I admit it. At one point, my husband took over and helped stir. I thought that would help but alas, we stirred at the wrong time and end up with SAND.

Seriously, we made flavored sand.

Now, I always thought that I was a pretty experienced cook, but truth be told, I do not have much experience making candy with the exception of this candy. But that didn’t really count because my daughter had just learned to make the perfect cashew brittle at candy camp…and so we had a bit of an advantage.

After making fudge a few times, I can now say that I feel confident. For me, the keys were finding a temperature “sweet spot” where the fudge simmered gently so to avoid burning and it also really helped to find a recipe that includes corn syrup, which may sound like a bad idea, but in this situation it is not. The use of corn syrup prevents crystallization of the sugar, giving you a nice and smooth fudge.

A candy thermometer is needed for this recipe.

Read more tips about making fudge over at AllRecipes.

Fudge typically makes me think of the NJ Boardwalk during the summer time but one look out of the front window and I’m back to reality!

Spring, spring, please get here quickly!!

Source: very slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

5 from 8 votes

classic vanilla fudge

A classic vanilla fudge recipe

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Servings 64

Author FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter plus more for greasing pan
3 cups granulated sugar
1.5 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla
Equipment needed: candy thermometer

Instructions

Line an 8x8 pan with foil or parchment paper, then grease and set aside
Set a medium sized heatproof bowl over a wire rack, and add 1 tablespoon of butter and vanilla extract. Set aside
In a large heavy-bottom pot, add sugar, heavy cream, corn syrup, and salt.
Heat over medium-low heat, and stir to combine until the sugar has melted (about 10 to 15 minutes)
Raise heat until the mixture reaches a very gentle simmer and insert a candy thermometer.
Continue to heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 238F, the soft ball stage.
While the mixture is cooking, wash down the side of the pot to prevent crystallization.
When the mixture reaches the target temperature, immediately transfer the contents to the heatproof bowl containing the butter and vanilla. Do not scrape sides or bottom of pot.
Allow the mixture to cool undisturbed until it reaches 110F - do NOT stir.
After the mixtures has cooled (about 1.5 hours), begin stirring with a wooden spoon until it thickens and loses its gloss (10 to 15 minutes)
Immediately transfer to prepared pan, smooth top with spatula or back of a spoon, and let it rest on the counter for at least another hour before refrigerating.
Refrigerate for at least 8 hours or until set, remove paper or foil, and cut into 64 square pieces.

black and white dream cake

September 2, 2013 by Marie Leave a Comment

Black and white dream cake

Adapted from Cooking Light

How was your summer? Even though it’s not officially the end of summer, the passage of Labor Day marks the unofficial close of summer for many of us. Moving forward, it’s back to the daily grind that includes morning school routines, homework, and after school activities. As much as I look forward to fall, the cooler weather, and the upcoming holidays, I will definitely miss the relatively laid back and carefree days of summer.

Although September weather is typically cooler than August, it is still warm. Warm enough to eat a cool dessert like this one. Does this dessert look familiar? I’ll give you a hint – it goes by another name (…….”Better than Sex Cake”). I’d never eaten this before I made it just recently. How can you not be curious about this dessert with a name like that? In our household, with kids, it would be a little awkward to call it that, so renaming was a requirement.

The original recipe called for all chocolate pudding instead of half vanilla and half chocolate, and frankly, when I make it again, I’d probably use all chocolate or maybe even mix the vanilla and chocolate together because, visually speaking, I think it would benefit from one less layer. Still, the cake is oh-so-good.

A perfect end to the summer season.

black and white dream cake

Prep Time 4 hours

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes

Servings 15

Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

all purpose flour , 5.5 ounces (1 1/4 cups)
powdered sugar , 1 1/4 cup, divided
6 tablespoons butter , cold cut into small pieces
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans , toasted
cooking spray
1 cup low fat cream cheese
1 carton from reduced calorie whipped topping (8 ounces)
3 cups low fat milk
1 package (3.9 ounce) of instant chocolate pudding mix
1 package (3.9 ounce) of vanilla chocolate pudding mix
Cocoa powder to decorate top , if desired

Instructions

preheat oven to 325 degrees
combine flour and 1/4 cup of the of the sugar and then place in bowl of food processor with butter and pulse 10 times until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
Stir in pecans and press mixture into the bottom of a 13 by 9 baking dish that has been coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned and then cool
Using a hand or stand mixer, whip cream cheese with 1 cup sugar until fluffy and then add half of the whipped topping.
Spread this mixture on the bottom of the cooled crust
Cover and chill for 1 hour.
In the meantime, prepare the pudding by adding 1.5 cups of milk to the vanilla pudding mix and 1.5 cups of milk to the chocolate pudding mix. Beat each mixture on medium speed for 2 minutes and then cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or until pudding is set.
Layer each pudding flavor over sweetened cream cheese and then top with the remaining whipped topping. Chill for an additional 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cocoa powder if desired.

chocolate zucchini cake

July 16, 2013 by Marie Leave a Comment

chocolate zucchini cake

Are you getting copious amounts of zucchini from your garden this year? If you answered yes, you might be looking for some recipe ideas…

Last year, I thought about making a chocolate zucchini cake pretty much because I thought it’d be an interesting spin on the traditional zucchini bread (which pretty much tastes like cake to me). Does anyone know why it’s referred to as “bread”?? I’ve always wondered that – it’s a lot of banana “bread”, which also tastes like cake. Maybe they get their names because of the loaf formation in which they typically appear?

This cake is definitely NOT disguised as bread of any type. In fact, it’s more like an extremely moist “cake-like” brownie.

I took the original recipe and upped the zucchini, swapped white whole wheat flour and oatmeal flour for the all purpose flour and also used all vegetable oil instead of half butter and half oil – it turned out great. I also reduced the sugar by 1/3 but would advise those who like their sweets to use the intended amount, which is shown in the recipe below.

My girls and their friend could not wait to taste this cake since the chocolate smell wafted deliciously throughout the kitchen while baking. Little did they know, they had a little vegetable with that cake and some whole grains too.

Now that put a smile on my face.

Adapted from King Arthur Baking

chocolate zucchini cake

Add vegetables and whole grains to your cake for a guilt free dessert!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes

Servings 24

Author Marie@FeelingFoodish

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 cups sugar (add 1/2 cup more for sweeter cake)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (yes, tablespoon)
2 large eggs , room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream or buttermilk
3/4 cup dutch processed cocoa or natural cocoa
zucchini , shredded (4 cups)
1.5 cups white whole wheat flour (6 ounces)*
1 cup oatmeal flour (3.25 ounces)*
1/2 cup chocolate chips , semi-sweet

For icing:

1 to 2 cups chocolate chips , semi sweet

For topping:

Chopped nuts , whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or ice cream (optional)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees
Grease and flour a 9 by 13 baking pan and set aside
Combine the oat and whole wheat flours and set aside
In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the salt, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, sugar, and oil and mix until well combined.
Add the eggs and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes
Add the sour cream and flours (oatmeal and whole wheat) alternately beating only until incorporated.
Fold in the zucchini followed by the 1/2 cup of chocolate chips
Spoon mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes just until set.
Slide the cake out of the oven and then top with 1 to 2 cups of chocolate chips
Slide cake back into oven and then bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until cake tester comes out clean
Note: chocolate chips will soften but not completely melt. You must gently spread the chips out with a spatula after the cake is finished.
Cool and top with nuts, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or ice cream (optional)

Recipe Notes

* or use 2.5 cups all purpose flour