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Lemon cheesecake

My absolute new favorite! I’ve always loved cheese cakes and this tops them all. If you are a lemon lover like me, this will become your favourite.

prep time 15 + 10 min     refrigerating time 4h or more
ingredients
for the crust
  • 200g Digestive biscuits, crumbled
  • 100g unsalted butter,  melted

for the filling

  • 250g double cream/heavy whipping cream
  • 300g lemon yogurt
  • 200g full fat cream cheese (Philadelphia)
  • 10g gelatine sheets
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 100g caster sugar

for the topping

  • 100 ml lemon juice (2 lemons)
  • 100 ml orange juice
  • 70g caster sugar
  • 15g corn starch
for decoration
  • 2 lemons, cut into slices

1. Line a 26 cm round springform pan with a parchment paper on the bottom.

2. Crush the biscuits in a bag with a rolling pin or in a food processor into a fine crumb. Mix the melted butter into the crumbs and press into the pan. Refrigerate for 15 min.

3. Place the gelatine sheets in a bowl of cold water.

3. Whip the cream. In another bowl beat yogurt, cream cheese and sugar.  Then beat the cream into the filling.

4. Pour the juice of 1 lemon in a small pan, squeeze the gelatine sheets and add to the lemon juice and place on stove top on low heat for a 1 minute until the gelatine melts. Add this to the cream filling.

5. Take the crust pan from the fridge and spread the cream filling over the biscuit base, and then leave to set in the fridge fully for at least 3 hours. Or 1 hour in the freezer.

6. After 3 hours when the cake is set, mix in a small pan or pot for the curd the lemon and orange juice, sugar and corn starch. Keep stirring for 3-4 minutes on low heat until the curd starts to thicken. It will turn bright yellow. Turn off the heat.

7. Keep stirring while the curd cools down. Take the cake from the fridge and pour the curd on top, move the pan slightly in a rotatory movement for the curd to set evenly. Place once again in the fridge for 1 hour.

8. Open the springform pan and carefully slide the cake onto a serving plate or tray. Decorate with lemon slices cut into halves.

BUON APPETITO!

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Apple yogurt cake

This apple cake is healthy and delicious. The yogurt makes it super moist and  yummy. Some people have been known to add a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top. But even without it is delicious.

prep time 15 min     cook time 45-55 min
ingredients
  • 3 eggs
  • 150g granulated sugar
  • 80g vegetable oil
  • 125/150g vanilla yogurt (or plain)
  • 100g cornstarch
  • 250g flour
  • 16g (1 Tbsp) baking powder
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 2-3 apples

for icing

  • 8g cornstarch
  • 125g water
  • 25g granulated sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Grease and flour a round 26cm pan.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture has turned very pale yellow.

4. Keep beating adding oil, yogurt and cornstarch.

5. Mix the dry ingredients and add to the batter. Mix well.

6. Peel the apples. Dice half of one big apple or if small, a whole apple and mix into the batter. Slice the remaining apples.

7. Pour the batter into the cake pan and decorate it with the apple slices.

8. Bake at 180C for 45-55 min or until a toothpick comes out clean.

9. Make the icing mixing the ingredients in a small pan and heat it on the stove for a few minutes until it clears and starts to thicken. Brush it on top of the cake.

BUON APPETITO!

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Carrot cake

This is not your typical American style carrot cake with cream cheese filling and frosting. But just as delicious and easy to make and a healthy choice with lots of carrots.

prep time 10 min     cook time 50 min
ingredients
  • 4 eggs
  • 175 g sugar
  • 100 ml/g vegetable oil
  • 100 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 300 g flour
  • 16 g baking powder
  • 200 g peeled and grated carrots
  • powdered sugar to garnish

1.  Preheat oven at 180 C. Line the bottom of a 24cm (9″) springform pan with parchment paper.

2. Squeeze the orange. Measure the flour and mix it with the baking powder.

3. Beat the eggs and sugar, add the oil and orange juice. Add the flour in 3 batches continuing to beat. Add the carrots and mix with a spoon.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place in the oven for 45-50 min until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

5. Let cool in the pan. Once cooled, transfer onto a serving plate and decorate with powdered sugar and some flowers, preferably the edible kinds. I used flowers from my garden. 🙂

BUON APPETITO!

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Tozzetti alle mandorle

Tozzetti, cantucci or cantuccini are twice baked hard almond biscuits. The biscuits are oblong-shaped made hard and crunchy through cutting the loaf while still warm and fresh from baking in the oven. The name biscotto comes from bis-cotto ie. cooked twice. They are usually served with a dessert wine Vinsanto but they go well with a good Passito or Malvasia.

After the recipe ingredients there’s a link to La pasticceria di Chico where I got the recipe years ago. There’s a video and English “subtitles”.

prep time 15 min     cook time 25 min + 10 min
ingredients for 50/60 biscuits
  • 125g butter, room temperature
  • 200g sugar  Edit: I’d use less, max 175-180 g
  • 100g powdered sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 5g salt
  • grated zest of half a lemon (biological)
  • dash of vanillin
  • 15g aniseed ( I used 8g which was enough for me)
  • 200g raw almonds ( I used half almonds half hazelnuts)
  • 500g flour
  • 15g baking powder

https://www.lapasticceriadichico.it/2013/08/tozzetti-alle-mandorle.html?m=1 

BUON APPETITO!

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Coconut cookies

These must be the easiest cookies in the world to make. And if you like coconut, you’ll love these!

prep time 5 min     cook time 5 min + 5-7 min in the oven
ingredients for 35 cookies
  • 250 g shredded coconut
  • 200 g granulated sugar
  • 4 egg whites

1. Preheat oven to 225 C.

2. Mix egg whites, sugar and coconut in a small pan. Keep stirring at low heat for 5-6 min. Let cool for a minute.

3. Form balls with two teaspoons and drop on a baking tray lined with baking sheet keeping them about 5 cm apart from each other.

4. Bake in the middle of the oven for 5-7 minutes until golden on the edge. The cookies will have a soft chewy center.

5. Cool them on a rack. After cooling you can store them in an airtight container.

BUON APPETITO!

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Banana pumpkin bread

This pumpkin banana bread is super moist because of the oil, eggs, mashed bananas and pumpkin puree. Together all these ingredients make the bread soft, tender and moist for the perfect texture that is never greasy or dry. These kind of quick bread recipes need to bake for a long time. If the top is getting too brown, you can tent a piece of aluminium foil and place it over the top of the loaf while it is still baking.

prep time  15 min     cook time 50-60 min
ingredients for 2 small loaves
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice or alternatively 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger & 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup oil (I use peanut oil)
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 medium size ripe mashed bananas
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree (I made my own)
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F

2. Grease and flour two 10 x 22 cm/3,5 x 8 inch loaf pans.

3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, spices except vanilla extract, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

4. In a large bowl beat together oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract until no lumps remain.

5. Stir in the mashed bananas and pumpkin puree.

6. Carefully stir the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon. Then stir in the chopped nuts.

7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 50-60 min or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and the top feels firm to the touch. The loaf shouldn’t wobble if you nudge the pan.

The best way to keep the pumpkin bread at its best is to keep it at room temp for a day or two. Store in an airtight container after it has cooled. This banana pumpkin bread also freezes well.

BUON APPETITO!

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Lemon pound cake

I love lemons! Hence I love all the lemony desserts. Today I made a lemon pound cake. I was looking for a simple recipe and this one turned out great.

prep tme 25 min     cook time 50 min
ingredients
  • 200 g butter (soft)
  • 2 dl sugar
  • 3 eggs (room temperature)
  • 2-3 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon zest
  • 3 dl flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp vanilla sugar
  • for greasing the bundt pan some butter and flour/sugar/bread crumbs
  • for decorating some zest and powdered sugar

1. Grease and flour a bundt pan and turn on the oven at 175C.

2. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time and cream well. Add lemon juice and zest.

3. Mix together dry ingredients and add to the cream folding them well with a spatula.

4. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth with a rubber spatula.

5. Bake at 175C for about 50 min until golden brown and the tester comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool for 10 min before you invert it onto a wire rack.

7. Leave the cake to cool completely before decorating it with powdered sugar and some zest.

tip 1: use always butter and eggs at room temperature

tip 2: sift always the dry ingredients before adding to the batter

BUON APPETITO!

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Strawberry tiramisù

Tiramisù is one of my all time favourite desserts and the summer version with strawberries is to die for.

prep time 20 min     refrigerating time up to 3 hrs
ingredients for 6
  • 250g mascarpone
  • 250g whipping cream
  • 3 eggs
  • 200g Pavesini cookies
  • 500g fresh strawberries
  • 5 tablespoons sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • a few mint leaves to garnish

1. You start with making the strawberry juice in which to dip your Pavesini cookies. Take half of the strawberries, clean them and cut into small pieces. Pour over them the lemon juice and 3 Tbls of sugar and mix well. Put into the fridge for at least for 6 hrs, better yet overnight. Blend it the next day.

  

2. Whip 2 yolks and 1 whole egg with 2 Tbls of sugar. Some whip the yolks and the whites apart, I don’t think it has a great impact on this dessert.

2. Add mascarpone and whip a few rounds more.

3. Whip the cream aside (you can use heavy cream or lactose-free whipping cream) and fold it into the whipped mascarpone mixture..

    

4. A word about the Pavesini cookies. Some use Savoiardi biscuits/cookies (lady fingers) but I find them too thick and mushy. You can substitute Pavesini with sponge cake cut into layers.

  

5. Start assembling your tiramisù in a 20cm x 20cm glass dish with a layer of the cream mascarpone mixture. Then dip the Pavesini in the strawberry juice and layer them in the dish. I added some water to thin the juice. I also had used too many of the strawberries for the juice so I didn’t have enough left to garnish the dish.

  

6. Keep alternating the cream mixture and the cookies for 4 layers leaving one last layer of cream mixture. Place half of the strawberries cut into slices on top with some mint leaves for garnish.

7. Place in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When it is really hot I place the dish first in the freezer for half an hour or so and then in the fridge.

BUON APPETITO!

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Banana zucchini bread

I have tried many banana bread recipes and now I have finally found the perfect one for me: not too sweet, not too banana-y, not too wet, not too dry, just perfectly moist. I have made it three times in a row now and it has turned out perfect each time.

prep time 20 min     cook time 50-55 min
ingredients for 2 loaves
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil (I use peanut oil)
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup chopped almonds (walnuts or hazelnuts work well too)
  • 1 cup (2 small) raw zucchini, shredded and squeezed
  • 1 cup (2 normal size) mashed ripe bananas

OPTIONAL for frosting

  • 150 g dark chocolate and a handful of chopped hazelnuts OR
  • 150 g powdered sugar and poppy seeds or sprinkles

1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F .

2. Grease and flour two 13 x 23 cm loaf pans.

3. Shred zucchini and mash bananas and set aside.

4. In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar and oil together.

5. In another bowl add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and nuts and mix together.

6. Mix the dry ingredients to the egg and sugar batter.

7. Add zucchini and bananas and continue to mix until blended.

8. Pour into greased and floured loaf pans and bake at 180C for 50-55 min or till the toothpick or cake tester comes out clean.

9. Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to completely cool on wire rack.

10. Put the frosting on a cool cake. Melt the chocolate, pour it on the cake and add the chopped nuts while still warm and semi liquid. Or make the powdered sugar frosting adding a few tablespoons of hot water, mix well, pour it on the cake and add poppy seeds or sprinkles.

Tip:  Remember to squeeze the shredded zucchini for the excess liquid. If you find the bread a tad too rich, you can  decrease a bit the amount of oil and the amount of sugar ( maybe 1 1/4 cups instead of 1 1/2).

Tip: The riper the bananas, the sweeter they are.

BUON APPETITO!

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Cranberry oatmeal cookies

I used to make plain delicious oatmeal cookies but this year I wanted to give them a twist adding cranberries. And it paid off! These old fashioned style oatmeal cookies are crisp on the outside and chewy inside. Easy to make and bake.

prep time 5 min     cook time 8-10 min
ingredients for 25 cookies
  • 100 g butter
  • 1,5 dl sugar
  • 2 dl oatmeal
  • 1,5 dl flour
  • 1 dl dried cranberries
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.

2. Melt butter. Mix dry ingredients and add to melted butter.

3. Add the egg and mix the batter.

4. Drop by rounded tablespoons and place on a cookie sheet spacing them about 5 cm apart.

5. Bake for 8-10 min until the cookies are lightly browned. Let them cool for a few minutes before placing them on your serving tray.

BUON APPETITO!