In this episode: Ali & Marco welcome Food Journalist: Jenny Arena
They discuss a multitude of topics, with a focus on Southern Italian food and recipe creation.
Check out: Fables & Focaccia
RECIPES:
Peach Cookies (Makes approximately 3 ½ dozen cookies)
Ingredients:
Cookie Shells
· 12 eggs
· 3 cups sugar + additional sugar for dredging
· 4 packets of Lievito Bertolini (or 16 tsp of baking powder)
· 1 cup vegetable oil
· 9 -10 cups of all-purpose flour (the more humid when baking the more flour is needed)
· 1/4 cup each vermouth, one with a few drops of yellow food coloring and one with a few drops of red food coloring (or ½ cup Alchermes) or for ease ½ cup of vermouth with red coloring only
Crumb Filling
· 1 cup cookie crumbs (from the peaches)
· 4 tbls slivered almonds roughly chopped
· 1 cup peach jam
· ¼ Amaretto liqueur
Pastry Cream Filling
· 4 eggs
· 4 tsps. sugar
· 4 tsps. all-purpose flour
· 2 cups milk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except flour together by hand (for the lemon variation also add in the lemon juice, lemon zest and lemon extract). Slowly add in the flour and begin to knead by hand until you’ve formed a semi-hard dough). Using a tablespoon or small scoop, measure out little balls of dough.
Place a small amount of vegetable oil on your hands and then roll out the dough balls and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper at least an inch apart. When making the lemon variation work the ball of dough into little lemon shapes by hand.
Bake the cookies on the middle rack for 15-20 minutes (timing will depend on your oven) until they are slightly golden on top and golden underneath. Remove the cookies and allow them to cool.
Once cooled, using a melon baller or small paring knife, scoop out the centre of each cookie taking care not to go too deep with the cookie. Once all the centres have been removed, dip half of the cookies in the yellow food coloring and the other half in the red food coloring and place them onto clean paper towel to dry slightly. Taking one each of the red and the yellow, fill the centres of each half and put them together. Roll the formed peach or lemon in sugar and place on a dish or serving tray.
For the Crumb Filling
In a small bowl combine all the ingredients to get a soft, sticky mixture then spoon it into each half of the peach.
For the Pastry Cream
For the filling, combine the eggs, flour, sugar and milk into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from the heat, transfer to a bowl and cover. Then allow to cool for 2 hours.
Note: the recipe can easily be halved to make less cookies. Also, the cookie shells can be hallowed out and will store well in the freezer.
Nutella Truffles
Ingredients
· 6 cups dried cookie crumbs (such as “S” cookies or tea biscuits)
· 450 grams of Nutella
· 1 cup hazelnut liqueur (can be substituted with milk or coffee to make non-alcoholic)
· 1 cup chopped hazelnuts, chocolate sprinkles or other decoration of your choosing
Directions:
1. Place cookies in a food processor and chop into fine crumb mixture
2. Place the cookie crumbs into a large bowl
3. Add the Nutella and liquid
4. Combine the mixture until you get a semi-firm dough. Mixing the ingredients with your hands is the best method
5. Roll the dough out into small balls then coat in chopped hazelnuts or sprinkles
6. Refrigerate for 1 hour to allow them to set and enjoy
Note: the truffles can be made and frozen, they freeze incredibly well
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