Mangia Con Elena

  Italian Crostata (Tart) IG: @mangia.con.elena   Italian Crostata is a classic sweet treat for any occasion. The best thing about this (other than the taste of course) is that you can transform it into a thousand different variations, depending on the filling: fruit , chocolate, custard, and ricotta just to name a few. My favourite crostata filling is apricot jam but any jam works great so feel free to add whichever is your favourite.  It will stay fresh on the counter for a few days. It also freezes well as does the dough (frolla). Growing up my mother made these crostata free form on her baking sheets. Exactly the way she was taught to make them. You can make them free form by laying the dough on parchment paper, adding the jam and pinching the sides to create a lip. Free form or in a tart pan, they are delicious! Ingredients 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour plus more if needed 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 cup sugar 1 large egg (room temperature) 1 large egg yolk (room temperature) 1/2 cup s

Tiramisu  IG: @mangia.con.elena Tiramisu is a traditional Italian cake that  means "pick me up" and it does just that as ingredients of sugar, sweet mascarpone, egg whites, liquor and strong espresso will be sure to give you a jolt.  There are many legends around the history of tiramisu. Some say it was invented in Treviso in the first half of the 1800s by a "maitresse" of a "house of pleasure"  who wanted a dessert to "reinvigorate" the patrons before they returned to their wives. However this decadent dessert came to be does not really matter to me, I am just glad it was created!  My oldest brother is the King of Tiramisu. I don't typically make it because whenever there is a special occasion it is presumed that he will be bringing this dessert. It is delicious and why bother learning how to make it when he does it so perfectly?  My first time making it was for a dessert collaboration on Instagram as I wanted to really give it a go.  When I

  Lemon Ricotta Cookies IG: @mangia.con.elena Italians love lemons. Scroll through any Italian cookbook and guaranteed  you will see many dishes, sweets and drinks that feature lemons as either the main attraction or a flavourful addition.  My love affair with lemon cookies started as a young child. There was always some type of lemon cookie, crostata, ciambellone or torta in our kitchen and these  lemon ricotta cookies were definitely one of my favourites.  I would sneak these out of the freezer and eat them frozen. Take a look at my  previous posts for her lemon ciambellone and her anginetti cookies. Light and fluffy with a sweet lemony glaze that melts in your mouth.  Give these lemon cookies a try and you will fall in love with lemons as well! To make them more festive for the Christmas season you can dip them in sprinkles right after the icing sugar. Ingredients 2 1/4 cups of flour 1 tsp of baking powder pinch of salt 1/2 cup room temperature butter 8 ounces of fresh ricotta- be s

  Nonna's Ice Sugar Donuts IG: @mangia.con.elena Yields: 4-5 dozen       These delicious, lemony cookies are known as anginetti, tarallucci, Italian lemon knot cookies or wedding cookies.  My mom always just called them ciambellette (little donuts).  As children, we loved them and we began to call them simply ice sugar donuts. They became a huge hit with the grandkids and for decades now we have been calling them "Nonna's ice sugar donuts."  They are traditionally served at weddings and symbolize a big hug with a knot for "tying the knot". They were well sought after in our little community. My mother was often asked to make them for a wedding or special occasion.  They also made an appearance at special events and holidays and definitely on our Christmas table.  My mom always had a batch in the freezer ready for afternoon coffee and visitors.  When my children and I would make the long trek up North to visit them, there were always big freezer bags full rea

  Rinfornati Rinfornati di Mandorle We recognize these Italian cookies by the name biscotti. The word biscotti is derived from latin biscoctus meaning "twice cooked. or baked." In Italy, the term biscotti is used to describe any cookie. Italians call these cookies "rifornati", meaning rebaked. If you are in the Tuscan region they call these cookies cantucci. There are many variations of rifornati and a great deal of these variations are not truly Italian. Nonetheless, they are delicious.  These cookies are golden brown, crunchy and hard. They are perfect for dunking into coffee, espresso, hot chocolate  and vin santo! We would eat these after dinner on special occasions and my mom would make lots during the Christmas season to give away as gifts. These are perfect for gift giving! They can be stored in a paper bag in your cupboard for about a week. They can also be frozen in baggies and taken out whenever needed.  Most recipes call for whole almonds. I measure out t