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Delectable Desserts

Torta Caprese

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Torta Caprese

Torta Caprese

Chocolate, chocolate, and more chocolate; I vowed to eat it everyday and in one form or another, I do. I absolutely ADORE dark chocolate and now that the medical field has found it healthy, I have a guilt-free addiction. Life is so good!

Probably like many of you, I have a bunch of gluten-free friends and coming up with yummy desserts that taste good aren’t always the easiest feat for me (I do make pasta for a living afterall). So when I played around with a recipe of a “torta caprese”, translation, chocolate and almond cake, which I learned in my beloved Italy, and it tasted good, I was completely jazzed!

For those of you who don’t know what torta caprese is, it’s this delicious chocolate almond cake from the island of Capri (doesn’t that fact just make you want to indulge)? The torta, it is a simple cake and was first created by the hospitality industry of the island primarily for tourists. It is traditional to the area and makes for a wonderful story to tell when you serve this little bit of chocolate heaven.

I usually top it with powdered sugar because I love a rustic looking cake but if you feel so compelled, I think whip cream would work beautifully especially with a little orange flower water or lemon zest.

So, when you feel like escaping for dessert in Capri, prepare this tort and transport yourself to the island….

Torta Caprese
 
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Ingredients
  • 10.5 Ounces - Dark Chocolate
  • 6 - Large Eggs, Separated
  • 1¾ + ⅛ Cup - Sugar
  • 1½ tsp. - Vanilla Extract
  • 1¾ + ⅛ Cup of Almond Flour
  • 10.5 Ounces of Butter, Melted & Cooled
  • Powdered Sugar for Dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. and lightly grease a 9 inch spring form pan.
  2. In a double broiler over medium heat, melt chocolate and butter together. Stir and remove from heat.
  3. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla extract until pale and thick.
  4. Fold the chocolate, butter and almond flour into the egg yolk mixture.
  5. Use a clean bowl to beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks, then fold these into the chocolate almond mixture.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan, and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of center with a little "fudgyness"
  7. Cool 20 minutes, then remove from the tin.
  8. Allow to cool to room temperature, then dust the top with powdered sugar or cocoa. Serve with whip cream

Torta Caprese

 

 

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Plums

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Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Plums 7

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Plums 5

I am a TOTAL sucker for Italian desserts, TOTAL. Well, a sucker for anything Italian really but since I am not a HUGE sugar girl, the desserts the Italians feast on to me are a perfect balance of cake, sugar, fruit, and indulgence…

I stumbled across this olive oil ricotta cake with plums from smitten kitchen during fruit harvest. I was getting totally burnt out of canning “another version of plum or peach butter” and was seriously looking for a small butter knife to put me out of my misery…..honestly it was pretty bad about day 20. I mean after 150 jars of fruit butter you are spent, trust me, SPENT.

I decided to hit the Internet and not the knife drawer to get some creative ideas on desserts for during the winter. I wanted something I could pull out of the freezer and have fresh and delicious sweet fruit from the fall harvest. This criterion doesn’t leave a ton of options so when I found this cake recipe, I was totally STOKED! It was perfect. I love ricotta, olive oil, and cake! Now I had the option to change up the fruit on top or mix some into the batter or whatever, I just knew me and my sweet tooth would be jazzed come December.

This olive oil ricotta cake is the happiest of both sides of the dessert fence. It satisfies the sweet tooth AND I don’t feel as guilty because it isn’t drudged in frosting and 3 layers tall. (Although the whip cream I usually make could become an argument), but nonetheless, it still feels a bit “guiltless” than some of others…

If you are finding yourself canning and looking for a butter knife, make this cake. If you find yourself feeling guilty just remember, who cares it’s LA DOLCE VITA…isn’t that Italian way….now go and enjoy and put down the butter knife.

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Plums
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • Butter for pan
  • 1 cup fresh, full-fat ricotta
  • ⅓ cup olive oil
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 9-10 small plums, halved, pitted, and set aside (I used fresh Italian Plums but any type would work)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar or honey
  • Confectioner's sugar, for dusting
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 350° F, and butter and flour a 9-inch springform.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine and whisk the ricotta, oil, sugar, and zest together.
  3. Add one egg, whisk well; add the next, whisk again.
  4. Sift all of the dry ingredients, except for the confectioner's sugar, directly over the wet ingredients you just whisked together. Mix with a spoon gently until just combined.
  5. Pour the batter into the cake pan, spreading it out evenly as needed. If your plums are very tart, toss them with a tablespoon of sugar or honey, and place them in the top of the cake, cut-side down. Bake for 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, the edges are pulling away from the pan, and a toothpick comes out of the cake cleanly. (Depending on your oven, this could take up to 45 minutes.) Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then turn out to finish cooling on a rack. Dust with confectioner's sugar, and serve slightly warm or at room temperature. This cake is awesome with whipped cream!

Olive Oil Ricotta Cake with Plums 4

Almond Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

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Almond Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter Glaze 2

Almond Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter Glaze 1

Olive oil cake is probably my most favorite of all, it’s moist and dense and the texture is divine….now add some almond and a brown butter glaze and that is as close to dessert heaven as it gets in my book!

When I first saw olive oil cake on the menu in Italy, I thought it would be an overwhelming amount of oil coupled with a strong taste that I wasn’t sure of but ……could I have been more wrong? Why and how could I doubt the masters of my favorite cuisine? For a moment I did, at least until I trusted the waiter and placed my order with a vin santo to wash it down.

It arrived and as classically true to Italian sweets, it was a simple cake and presented on a ceramic dish with a sprig of rosemary along the side. I thought to myself, this is fairly non-descript but I sliced through it with my fork and in went the first bite (I honestly wasn’t expecting much) and then came the myriad of flavors, olive oil, orange, and almond. The simplicity of the preparation allowed all those familiar pairings to come together perfectly. I followed it up with a sip of the divine vin santo and just allowed my senses to dance. It was a beautiful surprise and one that lingered with me throughout my vacation.

Because of that first encounter, I often make olive oil cake and recently came across this recipe of almond olive oil cake with brown butter glaze and KNEW I needed to experiment. The end product delivered and met my expectation of divinity….and best of all my mouth got to dance again just like that first evening we met back in Italy.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Almond Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter Glaze
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • Almond Olive Oil Cake:
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup almond meal
  • 1½ tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • ¼ tsp almond extract
  • ½ tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup milk or orange juice
  • zest of one orange
  • Brown Butter Glaze:
  • 2 T unsalted butter
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 T milk
  • few drops of lemon juice
  • ½ cup honey glazed almond sliced or blanched sliced almonds
Instructions
  1. Prepare Cake:
  2. Preheat oven to 350
  3. Grease and flour a 8 inch cake pan or springform pan
  4. In a bowl, mix together the flour, almond meal, baking powder, and salt
  5. In a mixer, put in eggs and sugar and mix well. Pour in the olive oil and mix until combined and add milk (or orange juice), zest, and both extracts.
  6. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, until combined.
  7. Pour cake batter into cake pan and bake for 30-40 minutes (until toothpick comes out clean)
  8. Allow cake to cool on rack for 10 minutes before taking out of pan and then allow to cool completely
  9. Brown Butter Glaze:
  10. Heat butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Cook butter, until it is golden brown in color. Remove from heat immediately (it will continue to darken), set aside and cool to room temperature
  11. In a separate bowl, mix together powdered sugar and milk. Add cooled butter and lemon and stir. Stir in almonds.
  12. Place rack over lined baking sheet and pour and spread glaze evenly on top allowing it to drizzle over the side. Let glaze set before serving

Almond Olive Oil Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Schiacciata all’uva (Tuscan grape foccacia)

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Grape Foccacia Schiacciata

I posted a picture of schiacciata all’ uva on my Facebook page the other day and realized how GORGEOUS this focaccia is so, time to share on my blog and tie it to a great memory of a cooking school in Tuscany.

It was a gift from the hubby on my 40th birthday, a 4-day cooking school in Tuscany. After all I needed something to sustain the blow of going into the 4 decade of life!

We booked the adventure for the fall of the following year, this is my favorite time to travel to Europe or anywhere for that matter, and the class existed of us and my dad. It was PERFECT and Elena was the quintessential master chef!

Each day encompassed the lesson of a 4-course Italian extravaganza, all inclusive of eating our delicious preparations accompanied by the wine made at the farm. Good thing the wine flowed with lunch and not before as I doubt any of us would have made it through the instruction of course 1 much less course 4!

It was simply one of the BEST experiences of my life! Elena would reel off instructions in Italian, forgetting I was the only one who understood her, and when the boys stood with a blank stare her response was “beh….VAI”! She didn’t understand why they weren’t jumping to her command so I would quickly “shoo” them away with the instructions she spoke and a smile would make its way to Elena’s face; I knew it was part of the entire package.

As we learned, prepped, and cooked, Elena would explain all the reasons for the dishes, the history, the ingredients, and occasion. Each one had a special cooking vessel and serving dish/platter, all which were handed down to her from those who passed on the secrets…..it was magnificent.

Day 3 of the venture was no different than the first except that the dessert we prepared  became a fast favorite of mine, the schiacciata all’uva. Not only was it delicious but also it was balanced so perfectly between savory with a dash of sweet and served with a beautiful Vin Santo dessert wine. This is one of the many reasons I love Italian food, the desserts are balanced and NOT sweet which leaves me so satisfied.

The schiacciata all’uva was made with grapes from the farm vineyard but throughout the year, could be substituted with blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, whatever you like but since I am in love with the traditional version, I freeze grapes from my sister’s vines and enjoy all year long.

So here’s to the memory of Elena, the 4-day cooking school, and the birthing of the 4th decade of my life….

Grape Foccacia Schiacciata 7

Grape Foccacia Schiacciata 12

 

Grape Foccacia Schiacciata 11

Grape Foccacia Schiacciata 1

5.0 from 1 reviews
Schiacciata all'uva (Tuscan grape foccacia)
 
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The schiacciata alluvia can be made with grapes from the farm vineyard but throughout the year, could be substituted with blueberries, cranberries, raspberries, whatever you like but since I am in love with the traditional version, I freeze grapes from my sister’s vines and enjoy all year long.
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Serves: 8
Ingredients
  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1½ cups lukewarm water
  • 1½ tsp dried yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • a bunch (about 250 gr) of fresh concord or other sweet red grapes
  • 5-6 tablespoons caster or raw sugar
  • 3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
  1. For The Dough:
  2. Prepare the dough for the schiacciata, this should be done the night before you need to bake it.
  3. In a stand mixer fitted with dough hook, combine 1½ cup flour, yeast, and 1 cup water and mix on low until combined. This is a called a sponge. Cover the sponge with rest of flour, salt, and 2 T of olive oil, mix well and then slowly add the ½ cup water. You want the dough to be sticky so if you need more water, add bit by bit.
  4. Once dough comes together, turn mixer on high and let it go until it is smooth and elastic, leaving sides clean and hook covered. This will probably take about 5 minutes.
  5. Coat a large bowl with oil and put dough in and rub a bit more oil on top of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and put in a warm place and let rise. I let it go all night and if your more comfortable, put in fridge overnight.
  6. Assembling the Schiacciata:
  7. Turn oven to 350
  8. Wash and pat dry the grapes and separate them from the stem, no need to deseed them, Tuscans eat them with the seeds and all.
  9. When the dough has risen, line a rectangular baking pan with some baking paper
  10. Take the dough out of the bowl with well-floured hands as (if it is successful), it will be very sticky! Divide the dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Roll out the larger ball on a well-floured surface roughly to the size of your pan, no more than 1cm thick. Lay the dough in the pan, pushing the dough to the corners and sides with your fingers if necessary.
  11. Divide about two thirds of the grapes and scatter them on top of the first dough layer and sprinkle half of the sugar over, with a drizzle of olive oil.
  12. Roll out the second ball of dough to the size of the pan and cover the grapes with this second layer of dough, rolling up the edges of the bottom layer of dough from underneath to the top, to close the schiacciata. Gently, with your fingers, push down on the surface of the dough to create little ‘craters’ all over.
  13. Cover the top with the rest of the grapes and sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the dough becomes golden and crunchy on top and the grapes are oozing and cooked.
  14. Allow to cool completely. When ready to serve, cut into squares and dust generously with icing sugar, if using. This is best served and eaten the day of baking, or at the most the next day.