Extra Virgin (34 page)

SEMOLINA ROSEMARY PIGNOLI COOKIES

BISCOTTI PINOLI E ROSMARINO

MAKES 4 DOZEN

G:
When we bake these, that aroma of pine nuts, rosemary, and butter brings me back to Christmases with Nonna Lola and the baskets of goodies she’d bring to the house. The rosemary gives these cookies that extra Tuscan touch, as if they sprang from a garden, rather than an oven.

½ cup pine nuts (pignoli)

2 sticks (½ pound) butter, at room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1¾ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup fine semolina flour

¼ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

In a small skillet, lightly toast the pine nuts over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add the egg and mix until well combined.

In a medium bowl, combine the all-purpose flour, semolina flour, salt, rosemary, and orange zest. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, until the dough forms and starts detaching from the sides of the bowl. Add the toasted pine nuts and stir to combine.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Wrap them in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two 9 × 13-inch baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice a cookie dough log crosswise into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place the rounds on the lined sheets, leaving about 1 inch of space between cookies. (If they need to be reshaped or look too thick, you can gently pat them down to the desired shape and size.)

Bake for 12 minutes, rotating the pans front to back halfway through. The cookies should be deep golden brown on the bottom and look dry on top. Transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool. Repeat with the second dough log.

CHESTNUT FLOUR CAKE

CASTAGNACCIO

SERVES 6

This seasonal fall cake is deeply rooted in Tuscan tradition—a savory, nutty celebration of chestnuts with only a delicate sweetness because of the raisins. It resembles a flatbread, because it doesn’t use yeast and therefore won’t rise. But that has made it a perennial favorite of hunters, since it can be sliced and stored in a pouch without breaking. It’s also peasant in origin, due to the use of inexpensive chestnut flour. After a meat-heavy meal, and accompanied by a glass of wine, it has an earthy dignity, one that’s satisfied Tuscans for generations.

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pound sweet chestnut flour

2 tablespoons sugar

Pinch of salt

Grated zest of ½ orange

2 ounces raisins, soaked in water for 20 minutes and drained

1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, whole

1 ounce chopped walnuts

1 ounce pine nuts (pignoli)

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Lightly grease an 11-inch pie plate (one with 2-inch-high sides) with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.

Sift the chestnut flour into a large bowl. Mix in the sugar, salt, and orange zest. Gently stir in 2 cups water.

Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture well, making sure to eliminate any lumps. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and half the raisins, and mix again.

Pour the mixture into the pie plate; it should be no more than ⅓ inch thick. Sprinkle the cake with the rosemary, walnuts, pine nuts, and remaining raisins. Drizzle the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil on top. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the top is chestnut brown and begins to crack, and wrinkle-like lines begin to form.

Remove from the oven, slice, and serve.

ALMOND COOKIES

BISCOTTI DI PRATO

MAKES 50

D:
These delicious cookies—made with toasted almonds and baked to a satisfying crunch—are a traditional Italian treat and Tuscan through and through. And they are addictive. We fill up a jar, and before we know it, it’s empty.

G:
Nowadays you can find biscotti in all variety of flavors, but in Tuscany, it’s almonds all the way. The common way to enjoy biscotti is to dip them in the fortified, sweet dessert wine known as Vin Santo. But you could also dunk them in coffee or tea. They’re perfect after a meal, or to help pass a lazy afternoon.

6 ounces unsalted raw skin-on almonds

2²⁄³ cups all-purpose unbleached flour

1 (16-gram) envelope Lievito Pane degli Angeli (Italian leavening with vanilla, see note)

Pinch of salt

Grated zest of 1 orange

1¼ cups sugar

3 large eggs

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing the baking sheet

Vin Santo (or coffee or tea), for serving

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

On a baking sheet, place the almonds and toast them in the oven for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a wide ceramic platter to cool. (Do not leave them on the baking sheet or they will burn.)

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, leavening, salt, and orange zest.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, 2 of the whole eggs, and all of the egg yolks, making sure to work out the lumps. Stir in the melted butter.

Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the egg mixture and mix well. When the dough is smooth, mix in the toasted almonds.

Grease a baking sheet with butter. Using your hands, divide the dough in half and form 2 loaves of equal length, approximately 2 inches thick.

In a small bowl, whisk the remaining egg. Brush the beaten egg over the loaves.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops have a golden brown color.

Remove from the oven and cut the loaves crosswise into ½-inch slices. Return the cookies to the oven, separated and standing up, and bake an additional 5 minutes until dry. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes, or until completely cooled.

For ideal crunchiness, let the cookies rest uncovered overnight. The next day, toast them in a 350ºF oven for 10 minutes, then let cool. Serve with the dunking beverage of your choice.

IMPORTANTE!  
Lievito Pane degli Angeli means “the yeast bread of angels.” It’s a leavening agent infused with vanilla, essentially the Italian version of baking powder, and a staple in every Italian baker’s home. Any good Italian deli should carry it, and it’s also widely available via the Internet. (Bertolini Lievito is another Italian brand of vanilla-infused leavening, and works just as well.)

CARNIVAL FRITTERS

CENCI DI CARNEVALE

SERVES 8

G:
As much as certain vegetables mark seasonal parts of the Italian food calendar, so do the sweet snacks that herald the festive Carnival season, which began in Venice but is celebrated throughout Italy. Because it’s specifically tied to the period before Lent, it’s the time to indulge! In Tuscany, the big favorites are
Rice Fritters
and these fried pastry strips, called cenci, which translates roughly as “rags.” They’re fluffy, crumbly, and crunchy, and when you buy them from bakeries in Italy, they come in a brown bag stained with oil. Believe me, for a kid craving deep-fried dough, that’s a good sign!

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

¼ cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 shot (1½ ounces) Vin Santo (or rum or brandy)

Grated zest of 1 orange

4 cups safflower, vegetable, or canola oil, for deep-frying

Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, granulated sugar, melted butter, eggs, Vin Santo, and orange zest. Mix for 5 to 7 minutes, until the dough begins detaching from the sides of the bowl.

Remove the dough from the bowl, seal it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

On a work surface lightly dusted with flour, roll the dough until it’s as thin as fresh pasta. (A pasta machine can also be used for this part.) Using a pastry wheel or pizza cutter, slice the dough into 5-inch-long, 1-inch-wide strips.

In a high-sided skillet, add the oil to a level of 2 inches. Heat the oil over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 360ºF. Fry the strips of dough (the cenci) in batches, flipping occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes per batch, until they curl slightly and acquire a golden brown color.

Transfer the cenci to a platter lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar and serve with a glass of Vin Santo.

CARNIVAL RICE FRITTERS

FRITTELLE DI SAN GIUSEPPE

SERVES 8

G:
Here are Carnival goodies, part two! These fritters—made with rice, Vin Santo–soaked raisins, and a dusting of sugar—named after St. Joseph are heavenly. Fun to make, they’re even more fun to eat, especially with a shot of Vin Santo, rum, or brandy.

¼ cup raisins

2 shots (3 ounces) Vin Santo (or brandy or rum)

2 cups whole milk

4 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 pinches of salt

1 cup long-grain white rice

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

4 cups safflower, canola, or vegetable oil, for deep-frying

In a small bowl, combine the raisins, 1 shot of the Vin Santo, and enough water so the raisins are just covered. Let sit for 30 minutes so the raisins can soften.

In a 2-quart pot, combine 1 cup water, the milk, 2 tablespoons of the sugar, the butter, and salt, and bring to a boil. Add the rice, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from the heat and transfer the rice to a large bowl to let cool. Stir the rice as it cools to keep the grains from sticking to each other.

Drain the raisins.

In the large bowl with the cooked rice, add the flour, egg yolks, lemon zest, the remaining shot of Vin Santo, and the drained raisins. Mix well, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

In a high-sided skillet, add the oil to a level of 2 inches. Heat over high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 360ºF. Using a tablespoon or a small ice cream scoop, add small balls of the rice mixture to the hot oil. Move the
frittelle
around to ensure even frying, about 4 to 5 minutes per batch, and when they are a nice golden brown, transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.