Torta di Mele

I admit that I don't have a rabid sweet tooth.  I *do* like chocolate as much as the next girl and was happy to hear there are medicinal properties to it, but I try to avoid blatant binges.  I don't generally order dessert when dining out because they are just too big, fat-filled, and achingly sweet for me.  When I do go for a dolce, I prefer it to be fruit-based.  I also prefer to make my own so that I can control the type and amount of sugar.

This torta di mele, or apple cake, fits the bill perfectly for me.  Wholesome apples and whole grains combine to make a delicious cake that is nice enough to serve as dessert for guests but also makes a healthy breakfast.  It is naturally conducive to a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top, though I've enjoyed it with a bit of honey-sweetened ricotta, too.

Torta di Mele

1 cup whole grain pancake and waffle mix (I use Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain Pancake Mix)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2/3 cup  sugar (I use Sucanat, a "whole" sugar, but maple syrup can be used, too)

2-3 apples, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Oven: 325 F.

Grease a 9" pie plate.

Beat the eggs until foamy, add the milk, then stir in the sugar.  Add the baking mix and stir until combined; the batter will be stiff.  Fold in the apples and nuts.  Spread the batter into the pie plate.

Bake for 50 minutes, until golden brown and set.  Best when served warm.  It naturally begs for a scoop of vanilla ice cream, but I've also enjoyed it with a dollop of honey-sweetened ricotta on top.

Simplicity - With a Cherry on Top

You may have noticed that I don't post many dessert recipes. I used to bake quite a lot, but got out of the habit while living in Italy, for various reasons. For one, my oven was miniscule so the cookie sheets didn't fit in it. Second, the flour was finer, the butter denser, and the oven temperature fluctuated like a yo-yo, so most of my baking attempts were sadly hindered. Then there is the whole gelato availability issue, meaning that it was just tastier and easier to walk to the gelateria (or pasticceria) for dessert, so why heat up the house and go through the baking frustration in the first place?

But when I had friends over I would prepare a little something to round out the meal. This traditional ricotta dessert comes from a 75-year Ascoli native who said it is a long-standing treat in Le Marche. It makes sense, since fresh ricotta is readily available (almost always made from sheep's milk), as is local honey. Fruit toppings can vary, and Serafino told us that the best winter topping is just a dusting of cocoa.

Folks, it doesn't get any simpler than this, but the flavor combo of these humble ingredients is fantastic.

Ricotta and Honey with Fruit or Cocoa

(Actually, that is about all there is to it, so it seems redundant to give a "recipe"!)

On dessert plates, portion out a heaping spoonful (about 1/3 cup on each plate) of the freshest ricotta cheese you can find. Drizzle with local wildflower honey (about 2 tsp. per portion). Top with chopped fresh fruit, grate on bittersweet chocolate, or dust with cocoa.
My favorite garnish is with fresh sugared cherries: wash a bunch of fresh cherries with the stems still attached. Do not dry. Dip each damp cherry in granulated sugar and set aside to dry. When the dessert is ready, arrange a few cherries on the plate and plop one on top of the ricotta.
Now that I think about it, this would be really nice with cherries that have been soaked in liquor, too!

photo credit: brettneilson

Tiramisu da Francesca

My friend Francesca is golosa (a sweet-tooth). She loves and craves sweets and will gobble up a handful of cioccolatini or polish off a tray of pastries before she realizes how many she has eaten. But while she loves to eat dolci, she doesn't much like to bake them. That's why she makes tiramisu` whenever the need for a homemade dessert arises. No baking required and it is a simple and straight-forward dish to prepare, yet it seems like she spent half the day laboring on it. Give it a try!

Tiramisu` in Italian literally means "pick-me-up" (tirare='to pull or to pick up'; mi=obviously 'me'; and su`='up'), mainly because of the espresso used to soak the ladyfingers, though the booze doesn't hurt any, either! ;) You'll need to find a package of dry ladyfinger cookies, mascarpone cheese, and some fresh ricotta. It's best with espresso or Moka coffee, but you could also use very strong brewed coffee (but don't tell Francesca I said that!) You'll also need a glass serving dish or compote.

Francesca's Tiramisu`

4 eggs, separated
4 TBSP sugar
1 container mascarpone cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
¼ cup rum or brandy (plus another dash for good measure!)
½ cup espresso or strongly brewed coffee
1 package ladyfingers (Savoiardi)
cocoa, dark chocolate

Combine the espresso and rum. Set aside.
Whip the egg whites until stiff. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat 2 of the egg yolks with the sugar. Stir in a dash of rum or brandy. Add the mascarpone and ricotta and blend well. Fold in the egg whites, stirring until it is just combined.

Using a pastry brush, brush both sides of the ladyfingers with the espresso/rum and line the serving dish with them. When the bottom and part of the sides are lined, add half the cheese mixture. Sift a little cocoa on top. Repeat with another layer of coffee-soaked ladyfingers, then the remaining cheese mixture. Sift a little cocoa on top. Use a vegetable peeler to grate the dark chocolate on top if desired.

Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

Granola Fudgies

This is an adaptation of one of my grandma's recipes. These no-bake cookies are perfect for the hot weather, when you want to pack some sweets for a picnic but don't want to heat up the kitchen!

1/4. cup cocoa
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sucanat*
1/2 stick butter
1 1/2 cups granola
1/4 cup sliced almonds or chopped nuts
1/4 cup peanut butter

Place the cocoa in a saucepan and gradually add the milk, stirring well. Stir in the sweetener and the butter and bring to a boil for one minute, stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the peanut butter, the granola and nuts. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper. Refrigerate until firm.

*Sucanat is a whole-cane sugar product, not refining out the essential vitamins and minerals like white sugar does. It's easier on blood sugar level and has a richer taste. Rapadura is another similar sugar product. You can use regular sugar if you prefer, but if you can find Sucanat or Rapadura you should give them a try. They are a "whole food" rather than a refined, naked "food".