Regina Sesame Cookies

Elegant on the outside, simple and genuine on the inside… experience these traditional and delicious Sicilian sweets with Coffee or with a dessert wine.

Regina cookies (Sesamini)

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 pinch salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Zest 2 oranges

Juice of 1 ½ - 2 oranges

2 cups raw sesame seeds

1.     Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2.     Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

3.     Wet ingredients: In another large bowl, add the softened butter and sugar; blend well with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, zest, vanilla, and juice of 1 1/2 oranges: blend again.

4.     Mix: Add the dry ingredients in three to four batches; continue mixing on low speed until the dough is fairly smooth. If the dough is a little dry, add a little more orange juice a little at a time and mix well. Refrigerate the dough about 20 minutes.

5.     Form: Pinch off a piece of dough and see if it forms a ball easily. Make small golf size balls first, then roll into an oblong shape, about 1 ½ inches long.

6.     Bake: Place the sesame seeds on a plate and roll the cookies into the sesame seeds, pressing them so the seeds stay on. Place the cookies on the baking sheets keeping the cookies 1- 1 ½ inches apart. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned at the bottom. Do not overbake or the cookies will be too dry.

7.     Cool, and store in airtight containers. Baking time depends on size of cookies. The sesame seeds on cookie should be slightly golden. Makes about 2 dozen depending on size.

Read more »

Chickpea Dates Cake (With alternatives)

3 medium ripe bananas, mashed (organic if available)

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey  

1/4 cup + 2 TBSPs aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpea or 

               Cannellini beans, or 2 eggs)

2 tablespoons avocado oil or extra virgin olive oil (or Canola if not available)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups chickpea flour (almond or regular flour if not available)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cardamom, optional

Pinch sea salt

6-8 large pitted chopped dates (or chopped walnuts, other nuts, or dried fruit)

1.    Preheat your oven to 350F degrees. Butter a standard loaf pan. Set aside. 

2.    Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth. Add in maple syrup or honey, oil, and vanilla; stir well.

3.    Dry ingredients: in a bowl add the chickpea flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cardamom; combine.

4.    Fold in the chopped dates or nuts. Pour the batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5.    Allow the bread to cool in the pan for a few minutes before removing it.  Slice and enjoy! 

Chickpea flour is also called besan flour, garbanzo bean flour. If you are gluten-free chickpea, almond, and gluten-free flour can be used. I made 2 and froze then into thick slices.  When they thaw out you could heat a few minutes in skillet… Moist and Delicious. 

Read more »

Regina cookies (Sicilian Sesame Cookies)

Sesame cooking with fresh zest and juice of oranges

Sesame Cookies - Regina Cookies 

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 pinch salt
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest 2 oranges

Juice of 1 – 1 ½ oranges

2 cups raw sesame seeds

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

Wet ingredients: In another large bowl, add the butter and sugar; blend well with an electric mixer until creamy. Add the eggs, zest, vanilla, and juice of 1 orange; blend again. Add the dry ingredients in three to four batches;  continue beating on low speed until the dough is fairly smooth.  If the dough is a little dry, add a little more juice of orange, a little at a time and mix well. Pinch off a piece of dough and see if it forms a ball easily. Make small golf size balls first, then roll into an oblong shape, about 1 ½ inches long. (The dough should be coming together well, it should not be too soft to the touch)

Rolling the cookies in the sesame seeds

Place the sesame seeds in a plate and roll the cookies into the sesame seeds, pressing them so the seeds stay on. Place the cookies on the baking sheets keeping the cookies 1- 1 ½ inches apart. Bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned at the bottom. Cool, and store in airtight containers. Baking time depends on size of cookies.  The sesame seeds on cookie should be slightly golden.  Makes about 2 dozen depending on size.

Baking the sesame cookies 

I have made these cookies before by following a traditional recipe that my mom used to make....they turned out a little too dry for me.  So, I experimented with orange zest and juice instead of adding more butter or eggs and they were simply delicious, beautifully scented!

These are great dunkers! Growing up my dad would dunk these cookies in red wine, while I would dunk them in my mother’s freshly made lemonade. I still prefer the lemonade. 

Read more »

Easy Italian Apricot Marmalade Tarta

Apricot Marmalade Tarta 

2 ready-made pie crusts (or make from scratch)

1 ½ cups apricot marmalade

1 bay leaf

Pinch salt

Pinch freshly ground pepper

1 egg, beaten

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place one pie crust evenly in a 9 pinch tart pan. Prick holes at the bottom of the tart pan. The crust will not be deep, about 1/2 inch in thickness.  

In a small pan, warm the apricot marmalade with the bay leaf, salt and pepper. Remove the bay leaf, and transfer marmalade to the tart pan. 

Cut six to eight (½ inch) strips of dough with the remaining pie crust to cover the top of the tart pan. Create any design you like. Brush the dough strips lightly with egg wash and place in the oven.  Bake at 180° about 30-40 minutes or until the tart is golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan.  Serve with whip cream or vanilla ice cream.

Apricot marmalade

Apricot marmalade is one of my favorite preserves. It is often used in Italy for pastries, cookies, and tarts. My apricot tart is a classic and simple Italian pastry that can be accomplished in just a few steps. It takes minutes to prepare and less than 45 minutes to bake. I like it for breakfast, as a dessert or a snack with tea or cappuccino.

Read more »

Easy Cooking with Alba : Kumquat Marmalade

Easy Cooking with Alba : Kumquat Marmalade: Kumquat Marmalade 1 pound fresh kumquats (organic, if possible) 4 ¾ cups granulated sugar 3 ½ cups water, divided 2 bay leave...

Read more »

La Befana, a Traditional Italian Holiday on January 6

 

La Befena

Different than many other countries around the world, Christmas time in Italy is celebrated until January 6th, Epiphany day. Epiphany honors the 12th day of Christmas when the three Wise Men arrived at the manger bearing gifts for Baby Jesus. It’s the last celebration that brings the Christmas period to an end. 

Panettone

In Italy, the legend of La Befana (The witch) is one that is traditionally told during the time of Epiphany. According to legend, on the night before the feast of the Epiphany, Befana flies around on her broom, delivering gifts. She leaves candy, fruit, and small gifts in the stockings of children who are well-behaved throughout the year. If a child is naughty, he or she believes to find a lump of coal left behind by La Befana. The children look forward to Epiphany with a sense of anxiety and enthusiastic anticipation. According to legend, on the night between the 5th and the 6th of January, while the children are asleep, an old good woman, called “Befana” flies in the sky on her broom with a special bag full of packages. She comes into their home and brings them special gifts, so when they wake up in the morning they find a surprise.

 

Fig cake

On this day, the children wake up very early in the morning excited to find their gifts. The Italian custom also says that the Befana leaves her gifts not just at one house, but she also visits relatives such as grandparents’, aunts, uncles and other relatives’ homes.  Epiphany day in Italian homes are always full of people visiting and of children unwrapping gifts. Tables are filled with cakes, candy, Italian liqueurs, and everything is encompassed by a happy atmosphere or peace and harmony.

By the way growing up, in the many years we celebrated La Befana, I never received coal by la Befana. I miss this holiday because it was about the children.  The adults brought it together and we celebrated together at the table to finalize the last day of the Christmas holiday.  I love tradition!

Read more »

Festive Pavlova

 

Pavlova Cake (Meringue)

3 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons cold water

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 teaspoons corn flour 

Preheat oven at 350F. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet. 

In a medium size bowl, add the egg whites and a pinch of salt. With a hand mixer on high speed beat about 5 minutes, until soft peaks form. Add cold water, beat again. Add sugar gradually while beating. Add vinegar, vanilla, and corn flour, while still beating. Beat the mixture until you have thick stiff peaks. 

Trace around the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan or a plate to draw a circle on the parchment paper. With a large spoon add the meringue mixture in the circle, leaving the outer edges a little higher than the middle. Pavlova should be round with a little shallow middle for the cream and topping.

Place the pavlova into the oven right away and lower the heat to 250F. Let it bake about 1- 1 ¼ hours. When the pavlova is crisp on the outside and barely golden, turn off the heat and let the it cool completely before removing it from the oven. It will take at least 3 hours to cool.Transfer to a serving plate. Before serving, add whip cream in the center and top with fresh berries.  

 

stiff peaks

This Pavlova recipe is a very festive desert that is perfect for large celebrations like birthdays, Christmas, and other holidays. This elegant dessert was created in honor of the Russian ballerina named Anna Pavlova during her visit to New Zealand and Australia in 1920.

Read more »