Italian Soft Cookies

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6 Eggs
4 tb Melted shortening
1/2 Box ( 1/2 lb) confectioners Sugar
1 tb Lemon extract
1/4 ts Anise oil or extract
3 tb Baking powder
3 c Flour

FROSTING: Milk, confectioners sugar, colored sprinkles


Beat eggs very well and blend in sugar, melted shortening and flavorings. Sift flour and baking powder and add to mixture to make a soft dough. If to sticky, add a bit more flour for a soft dough. Shape into 2 large fat long rolls and flatten tops with finger tips. Place each on a greased cookie sheet and bake 375F for 20 minutes or light golden.

Cool, frost and slice on the diagonal. For fosting, mix a little milk and powder sugar to make a thin frosting. With pastry brush, brush over cookie rolls and sprinkle with colored sprinkles. Cut when cold.

Italian Chocolate Cookies

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1/2 c shortening
1 c sugar
1/2 c cocoa
8 oz glass jelly
1 c cold coffee
3 ts cinnamon
1 1/2 c chopped nuts
1 c raisins -- optional
3 ts vanilla
1/2 ts salt
4 ts baking powder
4 1/2 c flour


Melt shortening. Add remaining ingredients, in order, with the flour sifted with the salt and baking powder. Drop by teaspoonfuls (or form balls) onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes. Frost, if desired. Makes about 90 cookies.

Italian Pudding

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1/2 lb Ricotta cheese
1/4 c Grated milk chocolate
1/4 c Finely chopped walnuts
2 tb Cream


Put the ricotta, chocolate and nuts into the container of a food processor and blend thoroughly. Add enough cream to make a smooth consistency. Serve with cookies.

Italian Cream Cake

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1/2 c Butter
1/2 c Shortening
2 c Sugar
5 Eggs (separated)
2 c Flour
1 ts Soda
1 c Buttermilk
1 ts Vanilla
1 cn Flaked coconut (3-1/2 oz.)
1 c Pecans (finely chopped)

ICING

8 oz Cream cheese (softened)
1/4 c Butter
1 lb Powdered sugar (sifted)
3 tb Water
1 ts Vanilla
1/3 c Pecans (finely chopped)


Preheat oven to 325F. Cream butter and shortening; add sugar and beat until mixture is smooth. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Combine flour and soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Stir in vanilla. Add coconut and chopped pecans. Fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 8 inch cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool.

ICING: Blend cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add powdered sugar and water, beating until smooth. Add vanilla and blend. Spread between layers and top and sides. Sprinkle top with pecans. NOTE: For more flavor and taste, coconut and pecans may be added between the layers.

Tiramisu Italian Dessert

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Ladyfingers ; 4-ounce pkg
1/2 c Coffee ; brewed espresso
2 tb Brandy
6 ea Egg ; separated
6 tb Sugar
1 1/2 lb Cream cheese
1/2 c Heavy cream
1/4 c Sour cream
4 tb Cocoa ; unsweetened powder


Mix cream cheese, heavy cream and sour cream together in a bowl.

Spread ladyfingers on a large baking sheet. In small bowl combine the coffee and brandy. Sprinkle the ladyfingers with this mixture, set aside.

In medium bowl, beat egg yolks and sugar with electric mixer until thick and lemon colored, 4 to 5 minutes. Add cream cheese mixture and blend on low speed until combined. In a large bowl, beat egg whites, until soft peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a spatula, fold whites into cream cheese mixture.

Line the bottom of an 8-cup souffle dish with half of the ladyfingers. Spread half the cream cheese mixture on the ladyfingers and sift 2 tablespoons of cocoa over the surface. Repeat layers, ending with the cocoa. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours. To serve, spoon onto serving plate. (Tiramisu)

Pita Bread

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Ingredients:
3 heaped cups plain flour
1 tsp. castor sugar
2 cups or less tepid water.
2 tbsp. olive oil.
1 packet active dried yeast
Method:


Sprinkle yeast over it.
Cover and keep for 7-9 minutes.
Sieve flour to loosen.
Add yeast solution to seived flour, knead to a soft lump.
Transfer onto a floured working surface.
Knead until smooth and elastic.
Either knead by hand, or in a foodprocessor.
Place dough into a lightly dusted bowl.
Cover with a moist cloth or cling film.
Slip bowl into a clean polythene bag, twist mouth, keep aside.
Allow dough to rise for 45 minutes or till double in size.
Punch to exude air, divide dough into 10-12 portions.
Roll each portion into a thick round.
Keep aside covered with a plastic sheet or moist cloth for 20 minutes.
Grease a large baking sheet or more than one as required.
Preheat oven to 200C, brush breads with water or milk.
Bake at 180-190 oC for 9-10 minutes till light golden.
It is done when it feels light and hollow from inside.
Cool on racks or serve warm as required.
Making time: 30 minutes (excluding dough rising time)
Makes: 10 breads approx.
Shelflife: 2-3 days at room temperature. Week or more refrigerated

Bahklawa

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Ingredients:
500gms. filo pastry sheets
500 gms. Rendered butter (ghee) melted
500gms. walnuts or pistachios powdered coarsely
200 gms. sugar powdered
1/4 tsp. allspice freshly powdered
1/4 tsp. cinnamon powdered
For Syrup:
300 gms. sugar,
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp. milk
few drops orange blossom essence


Method:


Mix together, sugar, spices and nuts.
Use a flat-bottomed baking tray, into which size of pastry sheet will fit.
Place one sheet in tray, brush with ghee.
Repeat for half the sheet, piling up.
Spread out nut mixture all evenly over piled sheets.
Repeat procedure of sheet and ghee alternating, till all sheets are used.
Brush uppermost sheet with remaining ghee.
Cut in squares or diamonds, using pizza cutter.
Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes at 180oC, or till sheets are crisp and light.
Keep aside to become cold if using hot syrup.
Alternatively, use hot if using cold syrup.
Do not heat both, else dish will get all soggy.
To Proceed:


Use milk to clarify syrup.
Make syrup of sugar and water, till just under one thread consistency. (Refer feature for detail on syrup making)
Add essence, stir.
Strain, pour over cold bahklawa or cool and pour over hot bahklawa.
Making time: 1-1/2 hours
Makes: 20-24 pieces approx.
Shelflife: After syrup is poured, best fresh Separately, 3 weeks or more, refrigerated.

Fondue Savoyarde

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(serves 6)

12 oz. Emmental cheese, shredded
12 oz. Beaufort (or other Gruyere) cheese, shredded
12 oz. Tomme cheese (if you can't find this, substitute with Beaufort), shredded
6 glasses dry white wine (from the Savoy if possible)
1/2 glass kirsch liqueur
1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
white pepper
1 or 2 loaves French bread, wholewheat or white
(amount of bread depends on how hungry you are, figure a large handful per
person. Better too much than not enough)
1 egg

On the day before or the morning of the meal, cube the bread, and leave it
out to let it dry a little.

Rub the bottom and sides of an earthenware pot or cast iron saucepan with the
garlic. Pour wine into pot and place on stove over medium-high heat. Bring
wine to boil, add cheese and stir slowly with a wooden spoon. Before cheese
is fully melted, take pot off the stove and place on a lighted fondue burner.

Season with pepper and add kirsch while stirring. Once cheese has entirely
melted. Serve with bread and fondue forks, stirring occasionally. If cheese
bubbles rapidly, turn down heat.

When cheese is almost gone (maybe 3/4 cup left), break a raw egg into the
pot and stir rapidly with the cheese. After a minute, dump remaining
bread into pot and stir together with cheese and egg. Then turn off the
burner and enjoy what's left.

Options: Wear a beret and listen to a Jacques Brel album. Assess penalties
for losing bread in the fondue.

French Onion Soup

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You start off by making a white stock (fonds blanc)
2 lbs. veal bones
2 chicken carcasses, cut into pieces
1 gal. water
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 celery stalk, sliced
2 leeks, washed well and sliced
6 cracked black peppercorns
4 parsley sprigs
2 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves

Place bones, carcasses, and water in a large stock pot. Bring to a
boil. Reduce heat, skim fat, and add vegetables and herbs. Allow to
simmer for 4-5 hours partly covered, skimming fat as necessary. Strain
well (or just ladle the soup out, leaving the bones, etc. behind).

French onion soup

8 cups fonds blanc
3 cups onion, sliced
2 tbsp. butter
8 tbsp. mixed grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette

Melt the butter on low heat in a large saucepan. Add the onion, and
cook for 30-40 minutes, stirring often, until the onions are soft and
golden brown. Add the fonds blanc, and simmer for 30 minutes. Add salt
and pepper to taste.

In a 375 F oven place 16 1/2-inch slices of bread, cut into ~1-inch
pieces. Bake until golden brown (5-8 mins).

Put the soup into individual serving dishes, top with the croutons and 1
heaping tbsp. cheese each (I find I really need more like 2 tbsp each).
Brown the cheese under a broiler and serve immediately.

Suprise Chocolate Cake

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2 1/4 Cups flour 1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda 1 1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup shortening 3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 cup cocoa
1 cup beer 2/3 cup sourkrout
(chopped, rinsed, and drained)


1. Cream butter and sugar together.
2. Add eggs one at a time
3. Add beer
4. Add cocoa
5. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda and powder.
6. Add to creamed mixture slowly, until all is mixed.
7. fold in sourkrout.
8. Put into a slightly greased 9 by 15 baking pan.
9 Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees F.




1 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 cup confectionery sugar
2 tbsp. cream
1 tsp. vanilla

1. Cream cream cheese
2. Add cream and vanilla
3. Add sugar slowly
4. Spread over top of cake

Sauerbraten (Sour roasted beef)

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Use for 4-6 servings:

1kg piece of beef (e.g. from the upper back hip, no usual roast beef!)
1/4 l vinegar from red whine or a mixture 50:50 red whine and vinegar
2 bay leafs
2 tblsp whole black pepper
2 big onions
1 big carrot
200g potatoes
1/4 l bouillon
2 tblsp creme fraiche (or sour cream)
salt, pepper, oil

1. Place meat in a high dish, fill with vinegar (or mixture)
until covered. Add bay leafs and pepper grains and place dish in the
refrigerator. Leave there for 2-3 days, turn meat around at least once.

2. Get meat out of marinade and dry. Spice meat with pepper all around.

3. Cut onions, carrots and potatoes in little cubes.
Heat oil, place meat in it and roast until brown from all sides.
Add onions until brown, too.

4. Salt the meat, add potatoes and carrots, then the bouillon, and, optionally,
some more red whine (esp. if you used only vinegar before).
Add also a little of the marinade (without leafs and pepper).

5. Simmer for at least 1 1/2 hours on low heat in a closed pot, turn once.

6. Get meat out of the pot and keep warm.
Puree the sauce, let reduce a little. Add creme fraiche or sour creme,
add salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Cut meat into slices, serve.

Traditional side dishes are potatoes or Kloesse (dumplings),
and some vegetable like Rotkraut (that is hot red crabbage).

In some areas of germany, they add raisins and sliced apples to the sauce
so that it gets a more sweet-and-sour taste.

German Chocolate Cake

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(3 layers)

4 oz german sweet chocolate
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 egg yolks
4 egg whites, stiffly beaten
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk

Melt chocolate in boiling water. Cream butter and sugar until
fluffy, add egg yolks, vanilla, and chocolate. Add dry ingredients
alternately with buttermilk. Fold in egg whites. Pour into
three 9" pans, lined on bottoms with wax paper. Bake at 350 for
30-35 minutes. Frost tops with Coconut Pecan Frosting, leaving
sides unfrosted.


Coconut Pecan Filling and Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk
1 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cup coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Combine all except coconut and pecans in a saucepan. Cook
over medium heat, stirring constantly, about 12 minutes.
When mixture thickens, remove from heat. Stir in coconut
and pecans. Cool until spreadable.