Sparkling Ink

{ tuscan flavors }

Tuscan atmosphere, people and cuisine leave no one cold. I'm completely smitten with the simplicity and amazing flavors of Tuscan cooking. During the vacation in the Tuscan countryside and Florence, we had lots of incredible food and wine. These are some of my favorite food memories from Tuscany.

A simple breakfast with croissant, homemade apricot jam and cappuccino or homemade espresso (Moka). Lunch is often soup or pasta. Tuscan vegetable and white bean soup (Ribollita) and handmade thick pasta with wild boar sauce (Pici al ragu di cinghiale). The best street food are sandwiches with good quality meat and cheese, and of course the world famous Italian ice cream (Gelato). We made lots of food at home too. Marinated artichokes, zucchini risotto, tomato and garlic spaghetti, pumpkin and chestnut ravioli, mushroom lasagna and tiramisu. A DIY wine tasting. Lots of laughter and many bottles of great wine.

Dinner with all the courses - antipasti (starter), primi (first course), secondi (main course) and dolci (dessert). Chianti Classico, a typical Tuscan red wine. Antipasto platter with different types of meat (Salumi) and cheese like Pecorino, traditional crostini with chicken liver topping (Crostini di Fegatini di Pollo), spinach and ricotta ravioli with sage butter (Ravioli di spinaci e ricotta con burro e salvia), homemade pork sausages and white beans, slow cooked duck, panna cotta and Tuscan almond cookies (Cantuccini) dipped in dessert wine (Vin Santo).

We came home with three bags of Italian food and ingredients and even more of ideas and inspiration. Oh, the effect Tuscany has on you! My stomach and mind are full of simply delicious food.

 

{ italian days }

The days in Tuscany were beautiful, relaxed, happy and delicious. The best thing about the vacation was to share it all with amazing people: the loveliest Juls, and two other dear food blogger friends Sarka and Bethany and their significant others. So much laughter and great memories. Thank you so much for inviting us to your home Juls, and thanks to the whole gang for the unforgettable time. You are wonderful.

{ cinnamon sugar biscotti }

A cup of espresso and cinnamon sugar biscotti. Greetings from Italy!

Ingredients (makes 24)

- 2 cups (5 dl) flour
- 1 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (2 1/2 dl) sugar
- 6 Tablespoons (125 g) butter, room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

{ for top }
- 1 egg for brushing
- 1/4 cup (1/2 dl) sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine flour, cinnamon, cardamom, baking powder and salt. In aseparate bowl, beat soft butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in egg, egg yolk and vanilla extract. Add in dry ingredient mixture and mix just until combined.

Form two flattened bars (a bit more than an inch, 3 cm thick) onto a baking sheet lined wit parchment paper. Brush with lightly beaten egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake at 325 F (160 C) for 35-40 minutes or until the bars are golden and firm to the touch.

Allow the bars to cool for a few minutes. Cut the bars into 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) wide diagonal slices. Flip the biscotti a cut side down and sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake for around 10 minutes until crispy.

{ recipe adapted from joy the baker }

 

{ pumpkin soup with creme fraiche and shrimp }

Welcome November and winter time! This pumpkin soup is a lovely and warming dinner on a cold night. Cuddle up under a blanket and have a bowl of steaming soup, dollop of creme fraiche and a few shrimps. Have a cozy beginning of the week!

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 2 pounds (900 g) pumpkin
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/2 red chili
- 1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 14 ounces (400 g) potatoes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 1/2 cups (6 dl) vegetable stock
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
- coarse salt & pepper
- 1/2 cup (1 1/4 dl) cream

{ on top }
- creme fraiche (or sour cream)
- shrimp

Peel and cut pumpkin into wedges. Remove the seeds and tranfer into an oven dish. Add in finely chopped chili, finely grated ginger and olive oil. Toss to coat evenly. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 30-40 minutes until the pumpkins are soft.

Peel and dice potatoes and onion. Heat butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sautee potatoes and onion for 10 minutes. Pour in stock and simmer until potatoes are soft. Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Add the baked pumpkins and remove the pot from heat. Puree the soup in a blender or using a stick blender. Pour the soup back in the pot. Add in cream, more water if needed and bring to a simmer. Serve with a generous dollop of creme fraiche and shrimp.

 

{ sugared jam fritters }

What are your plans for Halloween and the last weekend of October? We are going to Tuscany for a long weekend to enjoy time with friends, great food and wine. But before my Italian adventures begin, I'm excited to share this recipe with you today.

Homemade jam fritters are our Halloween tradition. Making them takes some time but is really a lot of fun together with family or friends. We gather around the stove and everyone fries a few fritters of their own in different shapes and sizes. Although a bit time consuming, the recipe is surprisingly simple and big enough for sharing. Trick or treat? Have a great Halloween weekend!

Ingredients (makes 30-35)

- 2 cups (5 dl) warm milk
- 1.8 ounces fresh yeast
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 cup (2 dl) sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground cardamom
- 1 egg
- 5-6 cups (12-14 dl) flour
- 3.5 ounces (100 g) melted butter

- vegetable oil for frying
- 3/4 cup (2dl) sugar for coating
- 3/4 cup (2 dl) raspberry jam for filling

Crumble fresh yeast in warm milk and stir until dissolved. You can also use dry yeast as directed on the package. Mix in salt, sugar, vanilla, cardamon and egg. Gradually add in a bit more than half of the flour, and mix with hand. Pour in melted butter. Continue kneading and adding in more flour until the dough comes off the sides of the bowl. Cover with a towel and let raise for 30 minutes until doubled in size.

Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and knead the air bubble out. Divide the dough in half and form two bars. Cut both bars in 15-18 pieces. Form the pieces into balls and cover with a towel. Allow them to raise for 20-25 minutes in a warm place.

Heat about 3 inches (7 cm) oil in a iron or cast iron pot or deep skillet over medium-high heat. Keep the lid nearby in case you need to stifle a grease fire. Test the temperature of the grease with one fritter. It should start browning immediately. In too low temperature, the fritters absorb too much grease and don't get crunchy on the outside. If you have a deep-fry thermometer, around 350 F (180 C) and a bit over is a good temperature.

Working in batches and using a metal slotted spoon, fry 4-5 fritters on both sides for 2 minutes until golden brown. Transfer fritters to a paper towel-lined plate and let drain briefly. Toss the hot fritters in sugar to coat. Spoon jam into a piping bag, puncture a side of a fritter and squeeze jam in the center.

 

{ honey bran mini muffins }

Good morning, foggy lake and the last week of October. And you too friends - hope you had a relaxing weekend! We went to the market place to get winter plants for the balcony, had a lovely Japanese ramen noodle lunch, read Florence and Tuscany travel guides and cookbooks for hours, washed the windows and slept late.

I wanted bake something healthy for the weekday breakfasts. These honey bran mini muffins are true feel-good food. Natural yogurt, whole wheat flour, bran and only very little butter and sugar. The muffins are best warm with a touch of butter and a few flakes of salt crystals. I enjoyed mine with a big cup of coffee.

Ingredients (makes 24)

- 2 cups (5 dl) whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups (3 dl) wheat bran
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 tablespoons cane sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 2 cups (5 dl) yogurt (not fat-free)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup (1 dl) honey
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted
- 1 cup (2 1/2 dl) pecans

Combine flour, bran, salt, baking soda, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, egg, honey and melted butter. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and fold until combined. Add in roughly chopped pecan or nut of your choice. Instead of nuts, dried fruit would also work lovely.

Spoon batter into greased mini muffin tin. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 12-15 minutes until the muffins are golden and cooked through. You can also bake the muffins in a regular size muffin tin - just bake them around 5 minutes longer.

{ recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks }

 

{ ricotta pancakes and maple syrup apples }

We are planning to have a relaxing weekend with some Tuscan cookbooks getting ready for our trip to Italy next week. Weekend is also the time to enjoy a long and lazy breakfast. We have adapted Mr. B's American pancake breakfast tradition into our Sunday morning routine. It's easy to make them fit every season. This recipe for fluffy ricotta pancakes and sticky maple syrup apples is our fall version. Happy weekend!

Ingredients (serves 4)

{ pancakes }
- 9 ounces (250 g) ricotta cheese
- 2/3 cup (125 ml) milk
- 2 eggs, separated
- 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- oil or butter for the pan

{ apples }
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 apples
- 2/3 cup (125 ml) maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Separate egg yolks and whites. Whisk together ricotta, milk and egg yolks. Mix flour and baking powder and add in the batter. In a separate dish, beat egg whites until foamy. Fold the egg whites in until combined. Dollop batter on a large oiled pan or skillet. Cook both sides until golden.

While the pancakes are cooking, prepare the apples. Heat butter in a pan over medium heat. Cut firm apples into thin wedges and transfer to the pan. Measure in 1 tablespoon maple syrup. Saute the apples for 5 minutes until soft and sticky. Add in the remaining syrup and cinnamon. Spoon apples and syrup on pancakes and serve warm.

 

{ lemon and rosemary chicken bake }

Hope your weekend was a relaxing one. We visited my parents, went to the cottage, cooked and baked, and enjoyed the fireplace and good wine. Being outside of the city, we even got a little sneak preview of winter. First snow of the season was early this year. The snow is all gone now but the weekend was gorgeously white.

The colder weather is a great inspiration for cozy bakes and roasts. I love the simplicity of this recipe. Chicken and potatoes roast with lemon, rosemary and garlic simply in one dish, and dinner is ready in less than an hour. This recipe among a few other recipes of mine are featured this months on a brand new online magazine G2Kitchen. The first issue came out Friday, and I'm so happy to be a contributor in this wonderful project all about love for food. Take a look at the fall issue and what the lovely team has put together.

Ingredients (serves 4)

- 8 chicken legs
- 1 lemon
- 1 pound (450 g) potatoes
- 10 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- fresh rosemary
- coarse salt & pepper
- glass of dry white wine

Put chicken legs into a roasting dish. Cut potatoes and lemon into wedges. Add in the wedges and peeled garlic cloves. You can half some of the largest cloves.

Add in olive oil, coarsely chopped rosemary, salt and pepper and toss until all the ingredients are evenly coated. Pour in a glass of dry white wine. Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 40-50 minutes until tender, fragrant and beautifully browned.

 

{ lemon herb butter }

How have you been, friends? The days have been mostly sunny here but the temperatures dropped - it might even snow this week! Many of the herbs on the balcony are still growing strong, so I wanted to preserve their flavor and scent for the winter.

This recipe for homemade herb butter is simple, and you can freeze it in handy small portions for later use. Mix and match herbs to your own taste. We used lemon thyme, rosemary and basil together, and loved the butter with steak or salmon served with steamed vegetables of the season. Try it also stirred in with cooked potatoes, pasta, gnocchi or couscous.

Ingredients

- 10 ounces (280 g) butter, room temperature
- 1-2 sprigs lemon thyme
- 1-2 sprigs rosemary
- small handful basil leaves
- zest of 1/2 lemon
- squeeze of lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt

Allow butter to soften in room temperature. Finely chop the fresh herbs and zest 1/2 lemon. Combine the herbs and zest using a mortar and pestle. In a bowl, mix butter and the herb and lemon mixture until combined. Squeeze in a touch of lemon juice and season with salt. Mix well. You can also use a food processor.

Divide the butter into two parts on plastic wrap, and shaped them into neat rolls. Wrap tightly and twist the ends to seal. Use the butter right away, or store in the fridge up to a week or the freezer up to a month.

 

{ mocha cake }

I'm excited to share this recipe with you today. It is a long time favorite of ours, and it has been tested and perfected over the years. This is a recipe I return to time after time. The frosting is so good!

 

Ingredients (makes 20 pieces)

- 7 ounces (200 g) butter
- 3/4 cup (1.75 dl) milk
- 2 cups (5 dl, 300 g) flour
- 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 cups (3.5 dl) sugar
- 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar
- around 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) strong coffee for spooning on the cake

{ frosting }
- 2 ounces (55 g) butter
- 1/2 cup (1.25 dl) strong coffee
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 15 ounces (425 g) confectioner's sugar
- 3 tablespoon coconut flakes for sprinkling

Melt butter in a sauce pan on medium-low heat. Pour in milk and let warm back up until the ingredients combine nicely. Remove from heat and set aside.

Combine flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. In a separate bowl using an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla sugar until light and airy. Turn down the mixer speed. Taking turns between the two, gradually add in butter-milk mixture and sift in the dry ingredients. Switch to a rubber spatula towards the end. Mix just until combined.

Scoop the batter into a baking dish (9 x 14 inches/22 x 35 cm) lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 F (175 C) for 20-25 minutes until the cake is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. While the cake is in the oven, make coffee. You can use coffee of your choice such as espresso or instant coffee. (I love to use dark roast with a hint of vanilla.) Spoon coffee evenly on the baked cake for moisture.

Prepare the frosting. Bring butter and coffee to a simmer in a sauce pan. Remove from heat and allow to cool a bit. Mix in cocoa powder. Gradually add in confectioner's sugar and stir strongly until smooth. Pour frosting on the cake starting from middle. Sprinkle with coconut flakes. Let the cake set in a cool place before serving.