Ingredients -
500gr 00 flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
250 gr butter (cubed and room temp)
Lemon rind from 1 lemon
Method - mix the butter and flour together so it forms a crumble. Add the rest and knead away. Watch reel over at instagram for the rest https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/
Buona Pasqua a tutti!
Doing Pasqua like my maternal side this year with these Cuzzupe Calabresi - delicious Easter brioche. My 97 year old Calabrese Nonna gave them the thumbs up.
2 eggs
650gr flour (I used half 00 and half Manitoba)
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup milk
75ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon dry yeast
Rind of a lemon
Method - head to instagram to watch also https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/
The dough should be kind of sticky so if yours looks dry add a touch of extra milk. Use flour to work the ball before you let rise the first time (overnight if you like or do it early in the morning and let rise for about 6 hours. Once shaped let them rise for another couple of hours).
Shape them and decorate them with the hard boiled egg and the cross like the traditional ones in the above pic , otherwise shape them into a twist and pop some choc drops in them like the last one like the pic below (just don’t dare call them Cuzzupe afterwards or the internet police will attack)
Oven on 180c until they are dark brown.
Enjoy dunked in some ‘latte e caffe`’ !
Sweet Brioche (Cuzzupe recipe) with Choc Chips
Ingredients -
500gr spaghetti or linguine
2 cloves garlic (whole to remove or crushed - whichever you prefer)
1/4 (or a splash more) cup extra virgin olive oil
1kg clams
approx 400gr ripe cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have - or none at all if you prefer in bianco)
Salt
Pasta water in case it needs to be added at the end
Watch the instagram reel as a method guide. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcY_45ylU4M/
When the pasta is cooked, grab it with the tongs and move it to the pan with the sauce, without draining it too much so some of the pasta water goes in the pan with it creating a nice sauce.
Scoll down to find the recipe and click on the link to watch the reel on Instagram
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/
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
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/
Here is a quick and easy jam filled biscuit perfect for Christmas or anytime really.
Ingredients for the Pasta Frolla is below. To follow the method head to our Instagram page to watch. It is quite simple and easy. The dough should be squeezed in the hand in the first stage of kneading, and then popped on your board or table to knead into a ball.
Ingredients -
250gr butter
Rind of a lemon
5 tablespoons sugar
2 eggs
3 cups of 00 flour for sweets
1 teaspoon baking powder
(if the dough feels dry and not kneading properly just wet your hand and start kneading again)
Cook in fanforced oven 180c for about 30 mintues (depending on oven - just check but you will smell when they are ready)
Scan the QR Code below to get to our Instagram page -
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 -
