Extra Virgin (35 page)

Place the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a cereal bowl. When the
frittelle
have slightly cooled, use your hands to roll them in the sugar until they are lightly dusted.

Florentine Orange Cake

FLORENTINE ORANGE CAKE

SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA

SERVES 12

D:
This traditional Tuscan cake is also celebrated at Carnival. The sweet-and-sugary indulgences of Carnival are in some measure a delicious way to mark the end of winter’s desserts before arriving at the fruits and vegetables of spring. The orangey pleasures in the schiacciata are a light teaser for the harvested pleasures to come. Where Gabriele’s from, the cake always comes with a confectioners’ sugar stencil of a Florentine lily, too.

Unsalted butter, for greasing the pan

3 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup whole milk, warmed

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 (16-gram) envelope Lievito Pane degli Angeli (
see note
) or 1½ tablespoons baking powder

Grated zest and juice of 1 orange

Confectioners’ sugar, for topping

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 13 × 9-inch baking pan with butter.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs, granulated sugar, oil, milk, flour, Italian leavening (or baking powder), orange zest and orange juice. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture for 3 to 4 minutes, until the texture is creamy and mildly thick.

Spread the batter in the baking pan, and bake for about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry and the cake has risen threefold.

Remove from the oven and let cool for 30 minutes. Then flip the cake out of the baking pan onto a cutting board. Slice and serve sprinkled with confectioners’ sugar.

IMPORTANTE!  
If you’re looking for a fun edible craft project, you can stencil a design or lettering using the confectioners’ sugar.

PANNA COTTA

SERVES 6

D:
A simple, time-honored Italian custard, the panna cotta—which means “cooked cream”—doesn’t take long to make, and the luxurious pleasure it yields can be considerable. What I love about this recipe is that even though it involves heavy cream, the proportion of gelatin to dairy—and the use of whole milk—produces a lighter taste. Serve it with chocolate sauce (the way I like it) or fresh berries (my husband’s preferred choice)!

1 cup whole milk

1 cup heavy cream

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (not going all the way through)

1¼ teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin

In a medium saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and confectioners’ sugar. Scrape the vanilla seeds into the pan and add the vanilla pod. Heat over medium heat until it comes to a near-boil. Reduce the heat to low.

In a small bowl, sprinkle 3 tablespoons water over the gelatin and mix well to soften the gelatin. Add to the hot cream in the skillet and stir well for 1 minute to dissolve the gelatin.

Remove from the heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a medium bowl. Using a ladle, divide the cream among six 4-ounce metal molds. Let them rest for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours to set.

In a bowl just large enough to fit the molds in, prepare an ice bath. When ready to serve, dip the metal molds in the ice bath, one by one, for 15 seconds each. (Don’t let the water touch the panna cotta.) Flip each panna cotta onto a small dessert plate and serve.

IMPORTANTE!  
If the panna cotta doesn’t dislodge easily, you can use a small paring knife to separate the dessert from the metal sides.

RICOTTA PANCAKES

PANCAKES DI RICOTTA

SERVES 4

D:
This dish began as a surprise birthday present from my husband, because he knows how much I love pancakes. He enlisted our daughters one birthday morning—breaking eggs, fluffing the whites—and these Tuscan-influenced gems were the result. The lemon zest adds a kick, and they’re delicately creamy because of the ricotta. Plus, they’re lighter tasting than your typical buttermilk slabs. (Though I like a stack of those, too!)

4 large eggs, separated

1½ cups whole milk ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon sugar

Grated zest of ½ lemon

Pinch of kosher salt

½ cup all-purpose flour

Unsalted butter, for greasing the griddle

Maple syrup, for serving

Heat a nonstick griddle over medium-high heat. Preheat the oven to 200ºF.

In a large bowl, mix together the egg yolks, ricotta, sugar, lemon zest, salt, and flour until thoroughly combined.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the whites into the ricotta in one-third amounts, mixing gently to maintain as much volume as possible.

Grease the hot griddle with butter. For each pancake, ladle ½ cup pancake batter onto the griddle and cook for 2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp on the edges. Keep the pancakes warm in the oven. Serve the pancakes with maple syrup.

PLUM JAM

MARMELLATA DI PRUGNE

MAKES 8–10 POUNDS

G:
Making jam is a true family undertaking at our home in Tuscany. Everyone pitches in to pick the fruit, then we help prep for my mother, who cooks down the fruit for hours. It’s a tradition as important to us as making olive oil or tomato sauce. This recipe, based on a 2:1 ratio of fruit to sugar, yields a more tart-tasting than sweet jam. Remember to keep tasting your jam as you cook the fruit, because the acidity level depends on the quality of the fruit you’re using. You can always adjust the flavor with more or less sugar. The finished jam tastes great on bread or over ice cream. Also, try this recipe with apricots—the results are equally delicious!

10 pounds plums, washed, halved, and pitted

1 (5-pound) bag sugar (about 11 cups)

In a large stockpot, cook the plums over medium heat until boiling.

Add the sugar, reduce the heat to medium-low, and stir well to avoid burning the fruit on the bottom of the pot. Cook for about 3 hours, or until the desired thickness, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool, stirring every 10 minutes, for about 1 hour. Store in the refrigerator.

IMPORTANTE!  
Preserving jam in jars is easy, and it can last for up to 1 year when stored properly. Using a funnel with a wide hole, transfer the cooked fruit to 8-ounce or 12-ounce sterilized glass jars, leaving room to add 2 tablespoons of grappa, aquavit, or brandy on top. (Be sure that you’ve properly sterilized your materials before canning—there are a number of easy-to-follow guidelines on the Web for how to do so.) Cover the jars with plastic wrap and tightly close with the cap. Store in a cool, dark place—such as a basement or cellar. When ready to eat, remove the cap and plastic wrap, stir the 2-tablespoon layer of liquor into the jam, and serve. Refrigerate after opening, after which the jam will keep for 1 month.

FIG JAM TART

CROSTATA DI FICHI

SERVES 12

D:
Already one of my favorite jams when it comes to all things spreadable, fig jam nestled in a tart takes that deliciousness to the next level. Gabriele and I have been known to get cravings for this in the middle of the night when we know there’s still some left in the house, so let that be a warning when you make it! However, if you can wait until the sun rises, it’s a perfectly fruity, not-too-sweet, rustic slice to go with your morning coffee, too.

2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

Grated zest of 1 orange

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (not going all the way through)

2 sticks (½ pound) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces and chilled, plus more for greasing the pan

3 large egg yolks

¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons grappa or rum

1½ cups fig jam

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, and orange zest and mix for about 30 seconds. Scrape in the vanilla seeds and add the chilled butter. Mix at medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with ¼ cup of the grappa, then add it to the dough mixture and mix for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the dough begins to detach from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a work surface and shape it into a disc. Cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Grease an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom with butter.

In a small bowl, stir together the fig jam and the remaining 3 tablespoons grappa, mixing well.

On a floured surface, roll the dough to a round about ⅛ inch thick and gently place it in the tart pan. Press the dough lightly against the sides. Using your fingers, press the dough against the rim of the pan to cut off the excess dough. Using a fork, poke the dough all the way through to the pan surface several times. (This will allow the oven’s hot air to come through.) Using a spoon, spread the jam on top of the dough.

Bake the tart for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven, let cool, and serve.

LEMON BRÛLÉ TART

CROSTATA DI LIMONE BRÛLÉ

SERVES 6–8

G:
What I love about a tart is what I love about Tuscan cooking in general—it becomes an elegantly simple vehicle for whatever flavor I want to showcase. In this case, that’s the sensual, citrusy joy of a lemon brûlé. Plus, I must admit, wielding the torch for the final caramelization on top is a lot of fun, like I’m welding dessert!

DOUGH

2½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (not going all the way through)