Dessert Archive

Santa Rosalia

Courtesy: Raymond Giamona, giamona.com

Yersinia pestis. The Plague, the Black Death, the Work of the Devil and God’s Retribution, the people of Palermo called it all that and more in 1624 when they were struck by a microbe whose name man did not yet know. As they prayed, built fires and collected the dead, they waited for the only help they knew, Salvation from Above. Salvation came in the form of a citizen’s fever dream, and Santa Rosalia was her name. Though dead for 400 years, “la Santuzza” appeared to one Sig. Bonello and directed him to retrieve her bones and carry them in a Grand Procession to all corners of the city. This he did, and the Plague abated. The Palermitani were saved, and a patron saint was born to Palermo. Read more… »

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Mint Chocolate Chip Panna Cotta

Posted July 10, 2011 By Adri

Mint Panna Cotta
I guess I should add to this title “…another in an ongoing series.” Who knew that when I started writing I would wind up seeing the world through Panna Cotta colored glasses? Who knew it would come to this – when I think of a flavor I assign it an up or down vote on Panna Cotta worthiness value.

Espresso – check

Blood Orange – check

Buttermilk – check
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Buttermilk Panna Cotta

Posted June 12, 2011 By Adri

Butter Milk Panna Cotta

When I think of buttermilk I think of Mrs. Schwinger, my piano teacher. In her living room stood two Steinway grand pianos. And on one of them, at the beginning of every lesson Mrs. Schwinger placed a glass of buttermilk. Over the course of the hour, she drained her glass, and taught me how to make the piano sing. It’s been over forty years since my last lesson, but to this day I think of her, the two pianos and her love of music every time I open a carton of buttermilk. Thank you, Mrs. Schwinger for sharing your love and knowledge of music – and buttermilk.
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Nero d' Avola

Bonnie, old friend and lover of all things Sicilian, this one is for you. This is one very adult homemade jello. Read more… »

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Espresso Jello

Okay, so you are wondering about the title. I can hear you all now. Adri, that is SO not you. What are you thinking, writing a title like that? What’ll people think? Kinda snippy, Dudette! Let me set everyone straight right now. Don’t think anything about it, and since you asked, yes, I like Giada DeLaurentiis. I like her a lot. She makes some great Italian food, and she makes it accessible. She is, as they say in the biz, relatable. The stories, the laughs, the Italian family, the neighborhood in which we both grew up. Yes. I shall proclaim it now. I, Adri Barr Crocetti, am a fan. Giada – for all the great recipes and all the inspiration, mille grazie.

Moving along. Just a few days ago Bart and I were talking about my blog articles and making a list of subjects under consideration. Among them was one of my fave rave summer desserts, Gelatina di Espresso. Espresso Gelatin. Homemade Espresso Jell-O. Call it what you will. I love it, especially on a scorching hot summer day. I entered it on my list and moved on.

Saturday morning I looked at the Food Network lineup I saw that Giada D. was going to do Espresso Chocolate Jellies. That sounded intriguing, so I took a look. Her dessert consists of a layer of chocolate covered with a mixture of instant espresso and Kahlua set with gelatin and topped with whipped cream. Mine is not. Mine is pure unadulterated espresso set with gelatin and topped with sweetened vanilla scented whipped cream. See? That’s all I meant by my title. Two different recipes.

I first tasted this very adult dessert in July of 1971 – on a night train from Milan. After a wonderful and very elegant dinner, it was time for dessert. And I could not believe I was being served Jell-O. I came halfway across the world for Jell-O? No way. Except it was true, and as it turned out, I was glad. One taste and I was transported to the world of adult desserts. Not too sweet, with the bitterness of Espresso, this was a soft gelatin that surrendered to the heat of my tongue. This was not my mother’s Jell-O.

In another twist to this story, and this is where the synchronicity comes in, we celebrated National Train Day this past Saturday, in honor of our great American railroads. I love trains, and I traveled all through Europe on them. So today, along with celebrating American trains and Amtrak, I salute Italian trains, the trains that introduced me to Gelatina di Espresso and the last trains in the world where the conductor kisses the passport photograph of a woman he finds particularly beautiful. Viva i treni!

 

Espresso Jello

 

Alfonso BialettiAlfonso Bialetti’s Italian stovetop espresso makers rocked the coffee world when they first appeared in 1933, and they dominate the market to this day. Known as Moka Express, Bialetti’s original stovetop espresso maker has remained almost unchanged since 1933 save for one decorative addition – the chubby mascot on each coffee maker L’Omino con i baffiThe Little Man with a Moustache is Sig. Bialetti himself. Familiar to us all, these darlings of the Italian design world come in sizes ranging from single serving all the way up to 18 cups.  (The standard of measure for a cup in a Moka pot is 1 cup =2 oz.)  Steam does the work in this style of espresso maker, and it does it quickly, which matters a lot if you have a recipe that calls for 2 standard U.S. cups (a total of 16 oz.) of espresso, as this one does. These iconic babies with their easily recognizable octagonal shape continue to live up to their maker’s promise of allowing customers to enjoy in casa un espresso come al baran espresso in the home just like in a coffeehouse.

 

Espresso Jello

 

Gelatina di Espresso

makes 4 servings, ½ cup each

1 envelope (1/4 oz.) KNOX Unflavored Gelatine
2 tablespoons cold water
2 cups ( 16 ounces) hot espresso
3 to 4 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings

Before we begin – don’t be put off by the idea of using gelatin. Once you understand it, you’ll be glad you took the time to learn. Classic gelatin technique consists of two steps, bloom and dissolve. If you are new to gelatin or just need a refresher, click here to see my post on Espresso Panna Cotta and come up to speed with step by step directions. For even more information click here to see my post on Blood Orange Fruit Gelatin.

Brew espresso. While espresso brews, pour 2 tablespoons cold water in medium bowl and sprinkle gelatin over. Set aside to soften for 5 minutes, do not stir. When espresso has brewed and gelatin has softened, pour 2 cups (16 oz.) hot espresso over gelatin mixture and stir to combine and melt gelatin. Add sugar, a tablespoon at a time until desired degree of sweetness is achieved. Keep in mind you will eat this cold, so a little extra sugar may be necessary no matter how perfect the sweetness level seems when you first try it. Place bowl over ice water bath, stirring occasionally to promote even cooling.

Pour mixture into serving glasses and refrigerate until set, 2 hours or overnight. If you are feeling particularly playful, rather than serving this dessert in the traditional wine glasses or coupe dishes, use coffee cups or espresso cups. The whimsical touch will delight your guests and guarantee smiles all around.

Beat heavy cream with sugar and vanilla, until very soft peaks form. To serve give each gelatin a dollop of whipped cream. If you are a fan of dark chocolate like Bart, then finish it with a dusting of either bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate shavings.

And for the gardeners out there – don’t discard those espresso grounds, they’ll give your tomatoes a great nitrogen boost!

 

Espresso Jello

Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show with even more pictures!
I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

Espresso Jello

Espresso Jello

Espresso maker with Illy

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Torta Tre Monti

Posted April 12, 2011 By Adri


Torta Tre Monti-Box Front


There are good friends and then there are great friends. Anthony and Scott are great friends. A couple of weeks ago I received an email from Anthony. It was brief and to the point: “three words for you torta tre monti ever heard of this” Like I said, brief and to the point. My return email was considerably more verbose. It started with OMG. I knew the cake was all about wafers, known as cialde, and cream filling. I knew it was famous. I knew I had never seen one in any store around here. After that the details were fuzzy. The research began. And the more I learned, the more I knew I had to try one. I also learned I might have to jet to San Marino to do it.

Torta Tre Monti is the famous pastry of The Republic of San Marino, population 31,830. Situated in the hills of central Italy, San Marino, if you are ready for a brief lesson, is the last of Italy’s independent hill towns, the world’s oldest republic, and (this is how Anthony got started with this in the first place) third in the world in life expectancy – 80.3 years for men and 85.9 years for women. Must be the pastry.

As we searched, the days wore on. No Torta Tre Monti in sight. Not even a recipe. We found sources on the internet, but the pastry was always out of stock. We found inquiries from people on the internet looking for recipes, but only inquiries, no answers. Google searches led to the web site for La Serenissima Cake Factory in San Marino, home of the torte. Skillful dolciere make these pastries entirely by hand. First, thin blond wafers are baked on a bank of well seasoned irons. Such irons are rarely seen outside of Italy. We were enticed by gorgeous shots of huge vats of hot cream and fondant. The skill of the women as they fill the pastries and finish them with a crown of fondant left no doubt that we had to have one. We could wait no longer. There was only one thing to do. Anthony called his mother, Rose. Success we knew, must surely be at hand. The woman does not fail. And Rose, upon hearing the pastry lover’s dilemma decided it was time to enlist the considerable resources of her sister Santa. Italian families are like that. One for all and all for one. Don’t think for one second that Dumas came up with that one all by himself. Oh no. He got it from the Italians. Just ask any Italian mom.

The search was on in earnest, and very quickly sweet success was within reach. Enter Petrone’s Pizzelles in Erie, Pennsylvania. Santa drove right over to him in Erie, and there stood the torte in their very unique boxes. Inside – a circular multi-layered wonder composed of five super thin, ultra-crispy wafers filled with thin layers of intensely flavored smooth chocolate, hazelnut and coffee cream. Within a few days a torta arrived on everyone’s doorstep, a group affair start to finish.


Torta Tre MontiThe first thing you notice is the packaging. I had to stop and admire it before I went any further. Shades of blue, gold, yellow and green with medieval knights on horseback holding a standard. People walking along side. They do not make packaging like this in America. And yes, I saved the box. I carefully opened the box and there, wrapped in foil and weighing 9.52 ounces, was the disc of pastry. I gave thanks and then I grabbed my scissors and opened it up. This is one heck of a KitKat Bar. It is assembled so perfectly, so neatly that yes, a level says it is level. The wafers are baked to blond perfection and each of the three cream components is spread in a perfectly uniform layer. I just had to stand and admire the art and skill of the folks at La Serenissima Dolciaria. Now it was time to sample. The first thing I noticed is how easily and perfectly it sliced. No ragged edges, no mess. Perfect. And in the eating, the torta is quite neat. It would be a perfect dessert for a summer night at the Hollywood Bowl or other evening under the stars. With each bite your mouth is filled first with crunch as the wafers give way under your teeth. Then come the smooth chocolate, hazelnut and coffee creams. Each layer is filled with a different cream, so the flavors remain distinct, yet complementary to one another. The chocolate and hazelnut creams come first to the fore, followed by the intense and not too sweet coffee cream. The entire torta is finished with a border of dark chocolate fondant. A joy to behold, and a delight to consume.

When I the package arrived I felt very special. So I simply can not end this post without saying thank you Anthony, Scott, Rose and Santa. You made me feel like part of the family. We all enjoyed this Sanmarinese specialty, and even the hunt was fun.

Since 1942 La Serenissima Antica Fabbrica di Torte has made Torta Tre Monti and other pastry delights. Check out their web site to view their entire line and for more information. Be sure to watch the video. I know you will want one too. Open some Prosecco and celebrate the small principality of San Marino. Several styles of torte and other La Serenissima products are available online from Savarozza.com.


Torta Tre Monti


Note: You can click on any picture to see a slide show with even more pictures!

I have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.

Torta Tre Monti-Box Back
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