Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino – A Book Review and a Giveaway
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
We have a winner!
The winner is Laney of the website Ortensia Blu!
Congratulazioni, Laney, your book is on its way!
Rosetta Costantino, food writer, cooking teacher, and native of Calabria, gathered her husband and kids, and traveled through the Italian regions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia and Sicily to find the classic desserts of Southern Italy, a swath of territory known as the Mezzogiorno. From cookies, to cakes, cream-filled pastries and frozen desserts, she tried them all, developed recipes and now presents them here in Southern Italian Desserts, entry number three in my Suggestions for Christmas Giving. This book will whet your appetite for holiday baking and gift giving, while awakening memories of family gatherings and long lost recipes. It’s a dream come true, a sweet tour of southern Italy, and I’m glad to say that the publisher, Ten Speed Press, has provided a copy of the book to give to one lucky reader.
The book opens with a brief history of Southern Italy and a discussion of the many different cultural influences and their contributions to the cuisine. The chapter A Southern Italian Dessert Pantry lists the tools, pans and other items necessary along with descriptions of various Italian ingredients. Like the country itself, the recipes are divided by region, presented in unique chapters.
Italy produces some of the finest nuts in the world, and the country’s pastry chefs and bakers make ample and creative use of them. Almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are all well represented here. Incidentally, a number of the book’s desserts, including many nut-centric ones, are gluten free, and are so noted for those who must be watchful.
I started with Dolci di Noci, a specialty of the region of Basilicata. Crispy and surprisingly light, with a slightly chewy center, these cookies are packed with walnut flavor. Granulated sugar and walnuts are ground together, mixed with an egg, formed into logs, cut and baked – fast, simple, and pop-in-your-mouth delicious. Click here to go to Rosetta’s site for the recipe and step-by-step directions.
Next I looked to Puglia for a trio of cookies. Pezzetti di Cannella are bite-size diamond shaped cookies flavored with dark, fragrant cocoa and cinnamon. For a final flourish these little jewels are tossed in a bowl of powdered sugar glaze and set on a rack to dry. Put these on a Christmas cookie platter and watch them disappear.
Biscotti di Ceglie are a specialty of Ceglie Messapica, one of the oldest towns in Puglia. They were new to me though, and as soon as I read the recipe, I was intrigued. Made of toasted chopped almonds flavored with honey and Limoncello, the dough is pressed into a block and a thin line of cherry preserves is spread across it. It is then rolled and cut, encasing a bite of cherry preserves in every cookie. This heirloom recipe also has a unique instruction: to prevent sticking and make assembly easy, the author recommends dampening one’s hands and work surface with Limoncello. With a hint of Limoncello, these crunchy almond and cherry cookies are a delight.
Perhaps the most unique of the Pugliese cookie triad are the Intorchiate. A fragrant butter dough enriched with olive oil and white wine is rolled into ropes, twisted, pressed into granulated sugar and dressed with blanched almonds. These beautiful cookies are delicious, slightly crisp and quite light.
A Sicilian classic, Biscotti Regina, are tiny balls of dough perfumed with orange and rolled in sesame seeds. Whether enjoyed with coffee, a bit of wine or grabbed by the kids as they zip through the kitchen, these crunchy cookies are perennial favorites.
These cookies and many others are unfussy, inexpensive, and easy to make. They are, however absolutely delightful to eat, prime examples of the genius of the Italian baker.
For a fancier goodie, try Biscotti Eureka, pastry pinwheels filled with a sweet-tart mixture of ground almonds, orange marmalade, honey and candied orange peel. The book’s detailed and specific directions make assembly simple. These are a beautiful accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee.
If it is cakes you are after, there are plenty from which to choose. It seems that every family has a recipe for an apple cake. Rosetta’s Torta di Mele e Ricotta boasts a thick batter studded with diced apples, enriched with ricotta, and lightened with beaten egg whites. The torta is topped with sliced apples and finished with coarse sanding sugar for a jewel-like effect. Serve it warm with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream for an inviting and comforting dessert. This moist cake keeps well, and served unadorned is perfect for an afternoon snack.
Torta Caprese is here too. This moist cake from the island of Capri is made of ground almonds, dark chocolate, and a dash of Kahlua, its batter lightened with fluffy meringue. Dark and rich, yet not too sweet, this cake is a versatile dessert. Serve it with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar or dress it up a bit with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. Torta Caprese keeps well over several days. In fact, like so many nut desserts, it actually improves and can be made ahead, a plus in my book.
Sicilian classics abound here – from the island’s iconic Cannoli, to the deliciously dark Nero all’arancia, a rich gelato made with cocoa and dark chocolate. This creamy frozen treat is generously flavored with orange extract and dotted with candied orange peel. As is typical of Sicilian gelati, cornstarch, rather than egg yolks, lends body. If you thought gelato was only for the summer months, consider this one as a finish to a Christmas dinner.
Gelato Bianco Variegato al Pistacchio is a creamy rich white chocolate gelato swirled through with luxurious sweet crema di pistacchio (pistachio cream.) This is gelato at its most elegant.
Bocconotti (little mouthfuls) are found across Italy, and are especially popular during the Christmas season. Short-crust pastry is pressed into mini-brioche molds or tiny tart pans and a sweet filling is added. Sometimes these pastries sport a top crust, but they can also be left open. In the version pictured here the pastries are filled with a chocolate and almond mixture, although the book provides a variety of fillings. Click for my post and a link to the recipe. This is, by the way, my most repinned item on Pinterest. They are that good.
Sfogliatelle Frolle, half-moon shaped pastries with a satiny cream filling are one of Naples’ most famous creations. A bit of baking powder adds lift to the short-crust pastry, and the filling of sweetened ricotta, semolina and candied orange peel is scented with vanilla and cinnamon. Dusted with confectioners’ sugar and eaten warm from the oven, the light crust yields to the bite as the creamy center fills your mouth. You will swoon. And then you’ll ask for another. These pastries can be assembled ahead of time and frozen, ready to pop into the oven for breakfast or as a welcome for surprise guests.
Creamy Zabaione al Limoncello is a modern take on one of Italy’s most ethereal desserts. Egg yolks and sugar are beaten over simmering water until satiny and thick, and the mixture is often spiked with Marsala. I favor it with other, stronger liquors, and here Limoncello adds the refreshing tang of lemon. The zabaione, once cooled, is lightened with whipped cream and served over berries that have been macerated (soaked and softened) in Limoncello and sugar. I wound up (quite by accident) reversing the dessert – putting the berries on top, rather than cloaking them in the custard, and it was delicious. There’s a lesson here. Be flexible in the kitchen. Be calm in the face of errors. If something does not look perfect, or if you get the directions a little wrong, don’t fret. Sit down, laugh a little, and then enjoy the fruits of your labor. This dessert would be an exceptional cap to a New Year’s Eve meal – upside down or right side up.
I always loved baking with my grandmothers and my mom, but I was left guessing by directions like “Add enough water to make a thick paste” or “Bake in a fast oven until done.” I have always wanted answers, and Southern Italian Desserts provides them with detailed directions that take the guesswork out of dessert-making. Measurements are given in volume (cups, teaspoons, etc.) and in grams.
A section of basic recipes includes pasta frolla (sweet short-crust pastry), pan di Spagna (sponge cake), crema pasticcera (pastry cream), ricotta fresca (fresh ricotta), and many other building blocks of the Italian pastry tradition. Recipes for the staples of the Italian pantry such as nut pastes and scorze d’arance candite (candied orange peel) are here too. Sources for ingredients and tools along with a metric conversion chart and bibliography are included. The photography by Sara Remington beautifully captures the spirit of the land and its tempting desserts.
From cookies so simple a child could make them to more complex creations, there is something here for every skill level. To the beginning bakers out there – work your way through this book, and by the time you have made six or seven desserts, you’ll find your confidence has increased, and you’ll move on to the more complex offerings. Soon enough you’ll invite a few friends over to make Cartellate, ribbons of sweet dough rolled into rosettes, deep fried and drenched in sweet mosto cotto. Start a family tradition of gathering to make Napoli’s famous Sfogliatelle Ricce, layers of flaky pastry brimming with creamy ricotta and semolina filling. With friends, good cheer, and a copy of this book you will produce a buffet table covered with delightful sweets, keeping tradition alive in the process. Southern Italian Desserts will take you on a tour of some of the most beautiful spots on earth, and you’ll enjoy every bite along the way, becoming a real Italian baker in the process. Guaranteed.
Photograph by Sara Remington
Zeppole di San Giuseppe
Saint Joseph’s fried pastries
Makes about 18 zeppole
March 19 commemorates Saint Joseph’s Day, honoring the father of Jesus and celebrated throughout Italy as Father’s Day. Each region has its own dessert for the occasion, and in many parts of Southern Italy, these Neapolitan pastries topped with pastry cream and an amarena cherry are the treat of choice. The pastry is formed in a round doughnut shape, but the batter is similar to the French pâte à choux, used to make cream puffs and eclairs. The same batter is used in Palermo’s Sfince di San Giuseppe, celebrating the same holiday. There, the dough is fried in round puffs and filled with ricotta cream.
To bake rather than fry the zeppole, pipe the dough in rings on a parchment paper–lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 400°F (204°C) oven for about 25 minutes, until golden. Fill and serve as below.
Batter
1 cup (240 ml) water
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
Pinch of kosher salt
1 ¾ cups (230 g) all-purpose flour
7 large eggs
Vegetable oil, for frying
Filling
1 ⅛ cups (320 g) pastry cream (recipe below), made with 2 additional egg yolks (4 total)
18 preserved amarena cherries, for garnish
To make the batter, combine the water, butter, and salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the flour all at once. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring and pressing the dough with a wooden spoon, until all of the flour is absorbed and the dough pulls away from the sides and bottom of the pan. Continue to cook and stir for 1 minute longer to cook off the raw flour taste.
Transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. At low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, mixing until each egg is well incorporated before adding the next. The batter will be thick.
Heat 3 inches of oil to 350°F (177°C) in a deep pot or fryer. Fit a pastry bag with a 7/16-inch star tip, such as Ateco #825. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Lay out sheets of parchment paper on a flat surface and, using a 3-inch round cutter or inverted glass as a guide, draw eighteen circles on the parchment paper with a pencil, leaving about 2 inches between them. Turn over the parchment paper so that the writing can be seen through it, and pipe rings of dough onto the parchment paper, using the circles as a guide. Cut between the rings with scissors to separate each zeppole onto its own piece of parchment paper.
To fry the zeppole, carefully slip a ring on its parchment paper into the hot oil, adjusting the heat to maintain it at 350°F (177°C). Use tongs to pull the parchment paper from the oil as it separates from the zeppole; set aside to cool and discard. Drop in a second ring and again retrieve the parchment paper. Use the tongs to continually turn the zeppole as they puff and brown, about 4 minutes. Allow the oil to drip back into the pot before transferring the zeppole to the paper towel–lined baking sheet as they are done. Continue to add the rings, pull off the parchment paper, turn, and brown the zeppole until you have fried them all. Cool just until they can be easily handled.
Use the pastry bag fitted with the star tip, or a spoon, to cover the small hole in the center of each zeppole with pastry cream. (The pastry ring will puff and nearly close as it fries.) Top each with an amarena cherry and serve warm.
Crema Pasticcera
pastry cream
Makes 1 ⅛ cups | Gluten Free
When I make this rich cream using yolks from my backyard chickens, its deep yellow color transports me back to Calabria. If you have a friend who raises chickens, or know of a local farm where the chickens are pasture-raised, use their eggs for the richest color. However, this thick pastry cream is delicious no matter the eggs you use.
I grew up making this with whole milk, which is common throughout Italy. After trying it with various proportions of milk and cream, my favorite was with half-and-half, but you can make a good pastry cream with all whole milk, too. Cut the lemon peel in wide strips using a vegetable peeler, leaving behind the bitter white pith.
1 cup (240 ml) half-and-half
Peel of ½ small lemon
2 large egg yolks
6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons (16 g) cornstarch
Bring the half-and-half and lemon peel to a simmer in a small saucepan; do not let it come to a full boil.
Meanwhile, in a 2- to 3-quart heavy, nonreactive saucepan, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until they are completely smooth and slightly thickened. Whisk in the cornstarch until it is completely incorporated.
Use a fork to carefully remove and discard the lemon peel from the half-and-half. Add the half-and-half to the egg mixture in a slow stream while whisking constantly. Return the mixture to medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the pastry cream boils. Continue to whisk as you boil the mixture for about 30 seconds to make a very thick cream—when you remove the whisk from the pan, you should have to shake or tap it firmly to drop a splotch of cream back into the pot.
Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl. To prevent a skin from forming, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Refrigerate until cold, about 4 hours, or up to 3 days. (To quickly chill the cream, fill a larger bowl with ice and water and set the bowl of pastry cream over it, taking care not to slosh water into the cream.)
Reprinted with permission from:
Southern Italian Desserts: Rediscovering the Sweet Traditions of Calabria, Campania, Basilicata, Puglia, and Sicily
by Rosetta Costantino with Jennie Schacht
Ten Speed Press, © 2013 (October 8, 2013)
Photo Credit, Zeppole di San Giuseppe, Rosetta Costantino: Sara Remington
Hardcover: 224 pages
ISBN-10: 1607744023
ISBN-13: 978-1607744023
Visit the author’s website at Cooking with Rosetta
Domenica Marchetti talks with Rosetta Costantino at DomenicaCooks.com
Note: You can click on any picture for a larger image, and see a slide show!
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It is easy to enter – just comment below and tell me your favorite Italian dessert.
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The prize is a copy of Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino provided by Ten Speed Press for the purposes of this Giveaway, approximate retail value of $30.00 USD.
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Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book for review purposes. Ten Speed Press is providing one copy for the #Giveaway. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I otherwise have no affiliation with any product, manufacturer, or site mentioned in this article.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:00 pm |
Sfogliatelle may always be my favorite but there is SO MUCH to discover in this book!
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:01 pm |
You know I must have this book. If I don’t win it I will buy it, because my favorite Italian desserts are the array of Italian cookies. GREG
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:07 pm |
Cassatelle alla Siciliana – ricotta cream turnovers with chocolate and candied orange peel.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:07 pm |
From the picture on the cover,to the selection of recipes…this book looks like a must have for any avid baker!
Great review, really, makes me want to go buy it NOW!
My favorite Italian Dessert: a rich homemade Ricotta and chocolate anything..Crostata, Cannoli…
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:13 pm |
Mercy!!! Your photos are so mouthwatering!!
Right now, I’m smitten with gelato-style sorbets, with wafer-thin hazlenut biscotti, next to a rich, sultry vin cotto… yes, I said I was smitten ;-9
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:13 pm |
The book looks beautiful. A great gift-giving idea. I’m always partial to panna cotta, but I was having a serious granita craving last week. Why can’t those photos be scratch and sniff?! 🙂
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:17 pm |
My Sicilian mother-in-law spoiled us with her Biscotti. Unfortunately she is no longer alive to make them for her family. Your Biscotti recipe seems one I can follow. Thank you for bringing the tradition of Biscotti back to our family.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 6:22 pm |
I cannot enter..I am from Canada..but this book is on my wish list now:-)
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 7:04 pm |
Biscotti. Maybe dipped in dark chocolate.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 7:49 pm |
Oh Adri – I am in awe of your baking marathon and the results you got. Everything looks exquisitely delicious. Those diamond shaped pezzetti di canella remind me of a cookie I grew up eating at Christmas that the Calabrian side of my family made and they called them “brownies” even though they were nothing like American brownies. I wrote about them a long time ago and make them every year. It wouldn’t be Christmas without them. Those bocconotti too, bring back wonderful memories of being with my late husband’s relatives in Abruzzo and coming home to the US with a tin of them in my luggage. Yours look absolutely perfect – like from a professional bakery. And that gelato – oh that gelato has to be in my future. Great post and review and fabulous photos by the incomparable Bart (I’m presuming).
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 8:08 pm |
I desperately want to try all the featured recipes in this review. My favorite Italian dessert (thus far) is tiramisu.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 8:23 pm |
I would love to live close to you so you could be my mentor! What you prepare every week is simply amazing Adri! You should have your own cooking show! Oh yes, my favorite Italian dessert would have to be gelato. ….. Simple perfection. And always irresistible! Thank you for the opportunity in this giveaway and Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 9:42 pm |
My favorite…I love the memories of making Biscotti Regina with my Grandmother (although I didn’t know that’s what they were called…or that they were Sicilian. She said she was from Bari)
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 9:47 pm |
Cannoli, with chocolate bits and candied orange peel.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 9:49 pm |
Oh Adri, what a divine book! So much absolute deliciousness. Good luck to all the entrants!
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 9:57 pm |
Siete due mie ” Talent “, brava Rosetta e brava tu Adri ! Un abbraccio !
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 10:01 pm |
la Caprese è la mia torta preferita !
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 9:59 pm |
Wow! I learned so much here. I thought Caprese was just a tomato mozzarella salad and I had no idea Italy was a big grower of nuts! Those diamond shaped little cookies look so good but my favorite is those soft cookies with amaretto flavor–what are they called?
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 10:13 pm |
ma bravissima da Calabrese come te e vivendo all’estero non posso che essere felice di questo tuo libro. Complimenti vivissimi!
Patrizia
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 10:20 pm |
My all time favorite Italian dessert is Struffoli. I have loved this Christmas dessert since I was a child.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 11:02 pm |
I from Southern Italy too and my absolute favorite dessert is the BABA’ Al LIMONCELLO.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 11:09 pm |
Lot to learn from this kind of book. Desserts I know nothing about… My favorite is tiramisu, and I have no idea what part of Italy it comes from.
Wednesday, November 27th 2013 at 11:15 pm |
I have been a fan of Rosetta’s since her first cookbook of Calabrian cooking and I hope to add this book to my collection. Having a husband who was born in a little hill town in Calabria, Italy, and I am always looking for recipes that are authentic Calabrian. My mother-in-law was a fabulous cook, but unfortunately could not read or write and therefore could not pass along her recipes to us. There were so many I never had the chance to watch her make! I know I’ll find many desserts in this book that will be similar to hers. Your review is fantastic, Adri! Rosetta must be thrilled with it!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 2:23 am |
The most delicious dessert I’ve eaten in Italy was, on the menu, called Gran Magna. It was a warm chocolate torte with a chewy chocolate center smoothered in fresh vanilla gelato. OMG!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 3:55 am |
My favorite Italian dessert is Gelato. Any flavor will do but I love fig gelato. Caio!!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 7:51 am |
Oh heavens, everything looks and sounds amazing! Now you’ve got me craving sweets! Thankfully, I’ll get my dessert fix today, since it’s Thanksgiving! And my favorite italian dessert? Panna cotta, I think!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 9:15 am |
This looks like a fabulous cookbook! I love Italian cookies and pastries, but really have never made any myself. I really should. Super post – thanks.
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 10:02 am |
A great review!!! I would love to taste all the cookies! Those twisted cookies with almonds are terrific!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 10:31 am |
I adore Amaretti di Saronno. But with this book, I’d bake my way steadily through it, and I’d probably answer differently at the end of it! Great post!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 2:36 pm |
wow, what an awesome review! I have to admit I ate nothing but gelato when in Italy except for a pastry I had in Rome that was similar to a donut. I would love to learn how to make all these yummy treats!
Thursday, November 28th 2013 at 3:43 pm |
I have many favorite’s, so it would depend on what I’m creating and baking at the moment, but cookies are my favorite type of Italian dessert. My family emigrated from Calabria, my tastes lie in the not so sweet side of desserts. I love anise, which reminds me of my childhood. Anginetti and Anise Almond biscotti come to mind so easily. Both are simple and humble, but also elegant and delicate.