Scoll down to find the recipe and click on the link to watch the reel on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cby7deOl9Tn/

Honestly - if you just put all the ingredients in a bowl and either mix them well in a kitchenaid or knead well by hand , they will turn out beautifully. Don’t over think it!

3 cups flour 00

2 teaspoons dry yeast

1/2 teaspoon salt

100 gr room temp butter

1 & 1/4 cups milk

Knead. Let it rise for a couple of hours or so

IN THE MEANTIME - make your cinnamon butter spread and your icing. Put about 100gr room temp butter, a couple of tablespoons of brown sugar, a tablespoon of cinnamon, and mix until it forms a buttery texture.

For the icing, just a few tablespoons of icing sugar and a tablespoon of milk and mix. If you like it more runny you need more water , or more thick, just add more icing sugar (do it gradually, in small amounts so you get “your” right consistency.

Once risen roll out the dough into a square (ish) shape, spread your butter cream on it, roll and cut and place in a tin. Take a look at the one I have used in my reels to get an idea of the size.

Let rise for about another half hour and then bake.

Bake on around 175 until they are golden.

Head to reels to watch method! https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Eggplant and Ricotta Sandwiches

Ingredients

• About 3 medium size eggplants

• (optional) 3-4 fresh paprika

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 500gr ricotta (drained but not too dry)

• 4 or 5 tablespoons grated parmesan

• salt, pepper

• clove garlic

• 1 tin Mutti cherry tomatoes

• basil

• extra grated parmesan and some breadcrumbs for topping

  
  Prepare ricotta mixture by adding the ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix it until you get a nice smooth creamy mixture.

  Cut the eggplant into cycinders and fry lightly on each side. Remove and set aside to cool.

  For the sauce, put some oil and a clove of garlic in a pan you just friend the eggplant in, gently fry, and then add your fresh paprika and the white wine, let fry for a minute and then add your tin of Mutti cherry tomatoes. Let simmer . Salt the sauce and add some basil.

  While sauce is simmering, prepare your melanzane sandwiches, and once the sauce is cooked (about 20 -30 mintues), place them in the sauce. Top them with some grated parmesan and breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until they are golden brown on top.

Head to my reels on Instagram to watch the process by clicking on the link

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbOPlDelEcr/

Ingredients

• about 5 boiled, peeled and riced (or mashed) potatoes.

• 1 egg

• salt and pepper

• 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

• slices (slithers) of mozzarella cheese (about 12 - cut the size of your pinky finger)

• a bowl of breadcrumbs

• sunflower oil to fry

  Mix the potato, egg, parmesan salt and pepper together in a bowl. Scoop out bits of the mix like you would when making a meatball, and roll a log shape on your hand. Press your indwx finger to make a hollow for the cheese and then seal. Roll on a board also if you like. Then roll in the breadcrumbs ready to fry.

  Head to our instagram reels to see the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

Thought I’d salute the last of the cherries with delicious Cherry Ciambella.

It’s simple and really easy to create .

Prep the cherries-

Peel them and pop in a pan with -

3 handfuls of really ripe cherries.

Juice of 1 Orange or a Lemon

2 tablespoons of sugar

Let cool…….

Ciambella

3 eggs

12 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons sunflower oil

12 tablespoons self raising flour

6 tablespoons milk

Rind of a lemon (or some vanilla bean if you prefer)

Head to our instagram page to watch the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

250 gr butter

2 & 1/2 cups flour 00 (approx)

5 tablespoons zucchero

2 eggs

1 rind of a lemon

2 handfuls macadamia nuts crushed.

Cook on about 180c until golden

Head to reel on instagram to watch method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

Carangiole (also known as Cartellate in Puglia) are a Christmas delight from my mother in law’s hometown Santa Croce Di Magliano in Molise and this is her recipe. Molise and Puglia are neighbouring regions in Southern Italy along the Adriatic Coast and my mother in law’s hometown is a stones throw from the border that separates Molise and Puglia. I am not sure why these Christmas delights are named differently - that’s something I’ll be asking Zia when we can get back home to Italy.

They are similar to a cannoli/crostoli only a little softer and more fluffy.

Scoll down for the recipe and head to out instagram page to watch how they are made via the ‘reel’.

The Little Italian School instagram

RICETTA - Recipe

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of sugar

50 gr softened butter

1/2 cup white wine

1 teaspoon of raising agent for cakes

Watch ‘reel’ over at our instagram page for the method (click on link below). NB Sunflower oil used for frying

The Little Italian School Instagram

Or scan the QR Code below to take you there -

This is a very easy light version but can be tweeked to your liking. You can add a couple of eggs to the potato mash, but I didn’t for this one. You could also add peas, a little cooked onion if you like, or even substitute the salumi for tuna.

• 1 kg potato - boiled, mashed and a tablespoon of butter added

• 300 g di mozzarella

• 150 g di prosciutto cotto

• About a handful of breadcrumbs

• salt

• pepe

• 80 g di grana padano or parmigiano

Head to the Instagram reel to watch the process. https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

500 gr Carnaroli or Arborio rice

2 large bunches of cicoria

1 litre vegetable broth (bought or homemade)

1/4 cup white wine

1 onion

250gr butter

salt to taste

Head to our instagram page to watch the method of this simple easy one pot dish https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

Raspberry & Cream Cake

allora - grab a bowl, a spoon , a cup and a whisk and in this order pop everything in the bowl and stir….

INGREDIENTS

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 cup cream ( I used thickened)

1 grated rind of a lemon

1 vanilla sachel (or from a pod, or vanilla essence - whatever you have)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarb soda

about 1 1/2 cups raspberries (blended in food processor - I used frozen)

2 1/2 cups 00 flour ( or if you use self raising you don’t have to put the baking powder or bicarb)

METHOD

Put the ingredients all in a bowl in the order written and stir. Place batter in a greased cake tin and bake for abotu 40 minutes on 175c

For the Panelle -

About 300 gr chickpea flour

500ml water

1 tsp aniseed (if you don’t like it leave it out )

Salt and pepper

A handful of chopped parsley

** in a pan - bring to boil stirring for approx 8 min (until thick), add the parlsey once cooked, spread onto baking paper until about 1cm thick and leave to cool and set.

Once set, cut in to squares or rectangles and fry lightly in sunflower oil. Set aside to be served with the vegetable stew.

For the Carciofi -

Half and onion sliced

4-5 Artichokes

About 3 handfuls peas

About 3 handfuls fava beans

1 tblsp capers

Handful Parsley

**I cleaned the carciofi and boiled the hearts seperately and set aside. Then fry the onion in some evoo, add the carciofi, peas, fava beans. Salt and pepper to taste. Top with about half cup of water and let simmer with lid on for about 15 mintues. Add parsley and capers once cooked.

Head to instagram to watch the method - https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/