Savoiardi - "Ladyfingers"

In Italy, a homemade tiramisu means homemade savoiardi (ladyfingers) as well. The name savoiardi is not a direct translation of “Lady Fingers” but is actually named after Italy’s first king Savoia. It can be traced to the 15th century when it was made for a visit by the King of France, and is now recognized as an official court biscuit. Here is a standard recipe that families in Italy have been baking for hundreds of years. Perfect for tiramisu but great dipped in Nutella as well.

Ingredients:

• 150 g Flour

• 125 g Sugar

• 6 Eggs

• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

In two different bowls separate the egg whites from the yolk.

Add the sugar and the salt to the yolks and whisk all together until you get a foamy and creamy batter.

It will be ready when the original volume of the yolks and sugar double.

Whip the egg whites and gently fold them into the yolk mix.

Do not over mix or it will begin to flatten. 

Cover a sheet pan with some parchment paper.

Using a pastry bag, make 3” long sticks with the batter.

Keep a 1” apart between the sticks.

Cook them in an oven at 390˚F for 8 minutes.

Separate the cookies from the parchment paper, turn off oven and leave door open, then put the cookies back into the oven until they cool down.

Buon Appetito!

Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an impressive dessert, yet a relatively simple dish to make. The beauty of this “cooked cream” dessert from Italy’s Piedmont region is that it goes well with just about any fruit or berry sauce. Here Sandro unearths a classic recipe from his little black book of family recipes and uses a sauce he made from raspberries he picked and canned from Sauvie Island Organics farm last summer.

Ingredients:

500 g Cream

200 g Milk

10 g Gelatin

50 g Sugar

50 g Honey

1 Vanilla Bean

Instructions:

Before you begin… If you are putting a fruit jam or sauce below the panna cotta, do that in advance by filling the bottom of your cups with a 1/4 inch of the fruit. Set aside and move forward with these custard instructions…

Pour the gelatin in 50 g of cold milk for 2 min.

In a cooking pot mix together cream, the leftover milk (150 g), sugar, honey, and one opened vanilla bean.

Warm up the mix between 104 F and 120 F then remove the pot from the stove and pour the gelatin.

Stir the mix well then pour it in small containers.

If you’re putting a jam or sauce below, hover a spoon above the fruit layer in the cup and pour the cream into the spoon to slow the flow and keep the custard from mixing in.

Keep them in the fridge for 7 - 8 hours.

Buon Appetito!

Cantuccini

Cantuccini are the original biscotti. This small crunchy cookie is now ubiquitous at coffeeshops around the world but originated in Tuscany and derived its name from the word “cantuccio,” an Old World word that in this case refers to a baked dough with a crunchy consistency.

A simple and satisfying recipe, it’s no wonder Italians still make and serve cantuccini as an afternoon snack - or “merenda” - for the family. In fact Sandro made this batch to sprinkle into our special flavor, Merenda, which is a gelato we make using Caffé Umbria espresso that’s sprinkled with small chunks of hazelnut cantuccini, then blended through.

The traditional nuts used in cantuccini depend on the region, so feel free to improvise this recipe with whatever nuts you have around.

IngredientS:

• 280 g Flour

• 150 g Sugar

• 130 g Whole Hazelnuts

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Lemon Zest

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 Pinch of Salt

InstructionS:

Preheat the oven to 360 F. 

In a bowl mix together the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and salt. 

Sift the flour and the baking powder into the bowl and mix until you have a crumbly consistency.

Add the hazelnuts and keep mixing until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough into two balls. 

Lightly flour a surface and with your hands roll the dough into two logs about 2 inches wide.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the dough logs on the sheet pan.

Bake for 25 minutes until the top starts turning a golden color.

Remove the logs from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, and on a cutting board cut the logs diagonally in ½ inch slices.

Once the cookies are cut place them back on the sheet pan and cook the cantuccini again for an additional 10 min. 

Remove them from the oven, let them completely cool down and enjoy!

Buon Appetito!