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Recipes
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Fig Crostata
Gourmet | November 2009
by Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez
main ingredients Dried Fruit, Butter, Egg, Walnut, Fruit, Fig
type Pie/Tart
Food Dictionary cooking videos  enlarge image
yield: Makes 8 servings
active time: 1 hr
total time: 3 1/2 hr
A rich filling is studded with walnuts and imbued with citrusy notes of orange, then packaged between a crust and a lattice top, both made from... more › 
Ingredients
For pastry dough:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar plus additional for sprinkling
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cold water
For fig filling:
- 12 ounces soft dried figs (preferably Calmyrna), stemmed and coarsely chopped
- 1 1/4 cups water
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 1 1/2 cups walnuts (6 ounces), coarsely chopped
- Equipment: a 9-inch springform pan
- Accompaniment: mascarpone
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Preparation
Make pastry dough:
Blend together flour, sugar, salt, and butter in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) just until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size butter lumps. Add yolks, vanilla, and water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated and dough begins to form large clumps.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 4 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once or twice in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather all dough together (using a pastry scraper if you have one), then divide dough in half and form each half into a 5- to 6-inch disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, at least 1 hour.
Make fig filling while dough chills:
Simmer figs, water, orange juice, and brown sugar in a medium saucepan, covered, stirring occasionally, until figs are soft and mixture is reduced to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Pulse in a food processor until finely chopped (mixture should not be smooth). Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly. Stir in butter, eggs, vanilla, zest, and walnuts.
Make tart shell:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Generously butter springform pan. Roll out 1 portion of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 12-inch round (dough will be soft; chill or freeze briefly if it becomes difficult to work with). Peel off top sheet of parchment and carefully invert dough into pan. (Dough will tear easily but can be patched together with your fingers.) Press dough onto bottom and 1 inch up side of pan, then trim excess. Chill tart shell until ready to assemble crostata.
Roll out remaining dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper into a 12-inch round. Peel off top sheet of parchment, then cut dough into 10 (1-inch-wide) strips and slide (still on parchment) onto a tray. Chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
Assemble crostata:
Spread fig filling in shell. Arrange 5 strips of dough 1 inch apart on filling. Arrange remaining 5 strips 1 inch apart across first strips to form a lattice. Trim edges of strips flush with edge of shell. Sprinkle crostata with sugar.
Bake until filling is slightly puffed and pastry is pale golden, about 30 minutes. Cool completely, then remove side of pan. Serve crostata with mascarpone.v
Cooks' notes: •Dough can be chilled up to 3 days.
•Crostata can be made 1 day ahead and kept at room temperature.◊
out 7 minutes more. Add the vegetables to the bread and sausage mixture, stirring thoroughly to combine.
Nut and Seed Biscotti Recipe
The other afternoon I set out to make thin, biscotti-style crackers. They were to be densely pebbled with all manner of nuts and seeds - green pistachios, rust-toned hazelnuts, and off-black poppy seeds. I envisioned nuts and seeds packed together like pebbles in concrete, with barely enough flour and egg to bind everything together. I'd double-bake them - first in a loaf pan, after which I'd slice them thinly. Then back in the oven on a baking sheet until crisp.
As with many cookies or crackers you can certainly experiment with shape. These make a nice, three-bite base for a generous slather of goat cheese topped with a bit of chutney. You could also incorporate any number of spices, herbs, or zests into the cracker dough, or experiment with your own medley of nuts and seeds. The next time I may slice them the long way - a bit more challenging, but I suspect it would result in an even more dramatic (while still being rustic) cracker.
The best of the best were the crackers I sliced thinnest. They had good snap, toasted up beautifully, and were notably better than their thicker counterparts. As I mention in the recipe, I used a serrated knife and a combination of two knife techniques. 1. A back-and-forth slicing motion (if there were lots of nuts at the surface of that partiular slice) 2. A fast and decisive single cut. But the real key to easy slicing is making sure the loaf is well baked through. Let me know if you end up making these with your own ingredient twists - you can post to the comments, or if you have pictures post them to the 101 Cookbook Flickr group.
Nut and Seed Biscotti Recipe
My seed mixture was a blend of 1 cup lightly toasted hazelnuts, 1/3 cup each of lightly toasted walnuts, pistachio nuts, and pumpkin seeds, and 1 tablespoon poppy seeds. If you don't have white whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour should work. I'm also anxious to try these with spelt flour to see how it goes.
1 1/3 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups mixed nuts and seeds (see head notes)
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup natural cane sugar, fine grain
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 300F degrees. Rack in the middle. Lightly butter or oil a 1-pound loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
Combine the flour, nuts and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. In a separate large bowl whisk together eggs and sugar. Add the flour-nut mixture to the egg mixture and stir until combined. The dough will be quite thick. Scoop into the prepared pan and press the dough into place using damp fingertips. You want to be sure everything is nice and compact, level on top, with no air bubbles hiding in there. Bake for 45-50 minutes - or until the loaf tests done. If you under-cook the loaf at this stage, it makes slicing difficult. Remove loaf from the oven, and turn the oven up to 425F.
Immediately run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the loaf, remove it from pan, and set the loaf upside down on a cutting board. Using a thin serrated knife (or the thinnest, sharpest knife you have), slice the loaf into 1/4-inch thick slices. Place the slices on a baking sheet. brush tops with a bit of olive oil and bake for 3-4 minutes or until the bottoms are a touch golden and toasty. Pull them out of the oven, flip each one, and brush the other side with olive oil. Bake for another 4-5 minutes or until nice and crisp. Let cool.
Makes 1 1/2 - 2 dozen.
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Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe
I threw together this zucchini-flecked ricotta cheesecake when I got home from the farmers' market the other day. The green and yellow squash skins along with a nice amount of chopped dill visually pepper the interior of this savory cake. I used just enough egg to hold things together, creating a simple batter made primarily of ricotta cheese but also flavored with a bit of garlic, shallots, lemon zest, and a few straggler ingredients I found lounging around the kitchen seeking higher purpose. Lighter and less egg-y than a quiche it takes a while to bake, but minimal time ahead of that. I suspect that along with a few sides, it would be a welcome addition to any picnic basket.
Keep in mind this is a ricotta based cheesecake - not one based on cream cheese. The texture is going to be different (and delicious) in its own right.
Zucchini Ricotta Cheesecake
To shred the zucchini use a box grater - most micro planes are too fine, you want shredded zucchini, not mush. Feel free to play around with the "add-in" ingredients - for example, use whatever chopped herbs you like. I had dill on hand, and I like how it tastes with summer squash, so dill it was. I suspect anything from chopped olives, sun-dried tomatoes, or chives, to spices, chopped spinach, or corn could work here. Also, when I have the time and inclination I'll drain the ricotta through cheesecloth to get even more moisture out of the cake, but to be honest, most times I won't bother. Lastly, I use a springform pan here, but you could use an equivalent baking dish or deep tart pan as well.
2 cups zucchini, unpeeled & grated
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
2 shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
zest of one lemon
2 large eggs, well beaten
1/3 cup goat cheese, crumbled
drizzle of olive oil
Preheat oven to 325F degrees, racks the middle. Butter/oil a 7-inch springform pan.
In a strainer, toss the shredded zucchini with the salt and let sit for ten minutes. Now aggressively squeeze and press out as much moisture as you can. Set aside.
In the meantime, combine the ricotta cheese, Parmesan cheese, shallots, garlic, dill and lemon zest in a medium bowl. Stir in the eggs and continue mixing until well combined. Now stir in the shredded zucchini. Fill the springform pan with the ricotta mixture and place on a baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for sixty minutes. If there is any moisture left on top of the cake at this point, carefully use a bit of paper towel to dab it off. Now sprinkle with the goat cheese and return to the oven for another 20 -30 minutes or until the goat cheese is melted and the cake barely jiggles in the center (it will set up more as it cools).
At this point, if the cake is baked and set, but the top isn't quite golden, I'll zap it with the broiler (just about a minute) to get a bit more color on top. Remove from the oven and let cool five minutes, then release the cake from its pan. Cool completely, serve at room temperature drizzled with a bit of olive oil and a few sprigs of dill.
Serves 8.
Italian Custard Cake
Ingredients & Instructions:
1 10-inch angel food cake, cut or torn into pieces approximately 1-1/2 inch square. Put them into a very large mixing bowl and set aside.
Oil a 10-inch tube pan or 9 x 13 x 3 inch rectangular plan. Set aside.
Preparation
Custard Sauce:
In a small bowl put 1/2 cup cold water. Sprinkle 1 envelope (1 tablespoon, 7 grams) unflavored gelatin over the water and set aside.
In a medium size bowl add 6 extra large egg yolks and beat slightly. Add 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup Sherry or dry Marsala wine and 1/4 cup water.
Transfer mixture to a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until custard thickens (thermometer should read 170 degrees). Do not allow to boil.
Remove from heat and immediately strain into a clean bowl. Gently blend in the softened gelatin. Set mixture aside.
Put 2 cups whipping cream into a large bowl and beat until cream begins to thicken. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract plus 1 tablespoon Marsala or Sherry. Beat until creamy-thick. Refrigerate.
Place the bowl of warm custard sauce over a larger bowl with ice covering the bottom. Stir gently with spatula until the custard sauce becomes cold and begins to thicken. Remove custard sauce from ice and fold in the chilled whipped cream.
Pour half of the custard cream mixture over the angel food cake. Using a large spatula, fold the cream into the cake. Add the remainder of custard cream and continue to fold until all the cake pieces are well coated.
Pour into the oiled pan. After half the mixture has been transferred, tap the pan to settle the contents to ensure no air holes are present. Add balance of mixture.
Cover and refrigerate the dessert cake until fully set (6-8 hours or overnight). The cake must be used soon after because the gelatin may not hold more than a day or two.
To Serve:
Whip 1 cup heavy cream (1-1/2 cups if using the rectangular pan) with 1 tablespoon Sherry or Marsala and 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract.
Unmold the custard cake onto a serving platter and ice with whipped cream mixture. Garnish the cake with seasonal berries and mint or geranium leaves, or grated chocolate.
Serve with a pitcher of strawberry-raspberry sauce or a thin chocolate sauce.
DIRECTIONS
- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until tender. Drain, and run under cold water to cool. Drain again, and transfer to a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, sour cream and celery root. Stir this into the noodles to coat. Fold in the grapes, turkey and celery. Chill until serving.
- To serve, place a bed of romaine lettuce onto serving plates. Top with the turkey pasta salad.
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1 Cup water
1/4 teasp salt
1 jigger cognac
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1 cake flour
2 Cups cooking oil and 2 Tblsp. olive oil
1/2 Cup confectioners sugar |
Combine the cognac, water and salt in a pan then bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, mix vigorously. Return to the heat and continue mixing.
Place the dough on a surface coated with the olive oil and let cool. Knead and roll the dough on the board absorbing all of the olive oil, the dough will have an elastic texture.
Roll and shape the dough into a rope. Cut into 6" long pieces then shape each into a ring. Prick each with a fork and fry in the oil until golden and crisp. Drain and sprikle confectioner's sugar.
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Home made Ricota Cheese
1 gallon good-quality whole milk
1 quart good-quality buttermilk
Combine both milks into a large nonreactive saucepan over medium high heat, preferably a thick-bottomed pan if you have one. You will need to stir occasionally, scraping the pan bottom, to avoid scorching. Once the milk is hot, stop stirring. You will start to see curds rise and come to the surface. Run a spoon or spatula along the bottom of the pan occasionally to free up any stuck curds.
While the milk is heating, select a sieve or colander with a wide surface area. This will help your curds cook more quickly. Line the colander with a large piece of cheesecloth that has been folded numerous times - until you have about 5 or six layers. Place the lined colander over a large bowl or sink.
When the mixture reaches about 175F degrees, you will see the curds and whey seperate. The curds are the clumpy white mass. Now, remove the pan from heat, and gently begin to ladle curds into the prepared sieve. Pull up on the sides of the cheesecloth to drain off any extra liquid, but resist pressing on the curds. Gather the edges of the cloth, tie or fasten them into a knot and allow them to drain for another 15 minutes minimum. Move to an airtight container and refrigerate if you aren't going to use it immediately. Try to use or eat it within a few days, it really is best that way.
Makes about 4 cups
Struffoli are (they're always referred to in the plural) now an absolute requirement at the end of a Neapolitan Christmas day dinner. However, in introducing them in La Cucina Napoletana, Caròla Francesconi says their inclusion is relatively recent -- Crisci mentions them several times in the book he wrote in 1634, but doesn't include them in his Christmas menu. To make a batch you will need:
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- ** For the dough **
- 3 1/3 cups (400 g) flour
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon grain alcohol
- A chunk of butter the size of a small walnut
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- The zest of a half a lemon, grated
- The zest of half an orange, grated
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pot full of olive oil for frying
- ** For the seasoning (for want of a better term) **
- 3/4 pound (300 g) honey
- 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 ounces diavolilli (tiny, variously colored candied almonds)
- 4 candied cherries, halved
- 2 ounces (50 g) candied orange peel, half finely diced and half cut into fine strips
- 2 ounces (50 g) candied citron, half finely diced and half cut into fine strips
- 2 ounces (50 g) candied melon rind, half finely diced and half cut into fine strips
Preparation:
Continuing with the introduction, the recipe for struffoli is quite old, as is indicated by the presence of variations throughout the Mediterranean Basin -- Ms. Francesconi mentions the Lukumates of the Greeks, and there are also the Precipizi Italian Jews make for Hanukkah.
The recipe:
Combine the ingredients for the dough to make a workable dough, knead it well, and let it sit for at least an hour, covered. Pluck off piece and roll them out under your fingers to form snakes about as thin as your pinkie, and cut them into quarter-inch long pieces. Fry the pieces a few at a time in hot oil until brown, and drain them on absorbent paper. Should the oil start to froth after a bit, and the froth overflow the pot, change the oil.
Take a second, preferably round-bottomed pot and put the honey, sugar and water in it. Boil the mixture until the foam dies down and it begins to turn yellow. At this point reduce the heat as much as possible and add the struffoli and the diced candied fruit. Stir to distribute everything evenly through the honey and turn the mixture out onto a plate. Shape the mixture into a wreath with a hole in the middle, dipping your hands frequently into cold water lest you burn yourself.
Sprinkle the candied fruit strips and the diavolilli over the ring and arrange the cherry halves evenly. Struffoli will keep a week or more if covered, and improves with age.
Note: A reader wrote to say she had problems getting the dough made with 4 eggs and 3 1/3 cups flour to hold together, and wondered if the proportions were correct. They are; Ms. Francesconi calls for 6 eggs and 5 cups of flour for her grandmother's recipe, and Angie, SupEreva's cooking Guide (a native Campanian) calls for 5 and 4 1/5 in her recipe (this works out to an egg per 100 grams flour). The resulting dough will come out stiff, and it will take a fair amount of kneading to distribute the moisture from the eggs (the eggs I've found in Italian markets are generally about the size of the large eggs sold in North America) evenly throughout the flour. If the dough shows no signs of wanting to hold together, add just enough water for it to stay together and no more; it should be stiff. Why the stiffness? As Arthur Schwartz points out in his wonderful book, Naples at Table (Harper Collins), struffoli are essentially pasta dough that's rolled out into snakes, broken into bits, and fried, at which point the pieces puff up, "forming light, crunchy dough nuts." Pasta dough is stiff.
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