taste
By Channaly Philipp I Epoch Times Staff
Leave it to Italy to have a treasure trove of sweets with a romantic backstory.
Food historian Francine Segan traveled extensively throughout the country while researching for her book “Dolci: Italy’s Sweets.” She spent a good month in Emilia-Romagna, a historically Important and wealthy region.
In the city of Ferrara, she chanced upon tenerina, a tender, moist, flourless chocolate cake with a crackly, meringue-like top. It was created in honor of the wife of King Victor Emmanuel III and so is sometimes called “The Queen’s Cake.”
“The story goes, it’s flourless because the baker was so excited, he forgot to put in the flour,” Segan said. Make sure to adhere to the 19 minutes of baking—no longer—and it is “fool-proof,” she said.
Another romantic classic is baci di dama (or “lady’s kisses”) from the northern Piedmont region, the entry point of chocolate into Italy from Spain. “It became known as a European center for chocolate fora good 100 years,” said Segan.
Hazelnut cookies were always popular in that region, but when chocolate was introduced, the latter took the place of hazelnut butter to seal two cookies together, leading to a fabulous flavor combination. “It’s a baci [kiss] because it looks like a round, sort of Betty Boop-style, ‘20s kiss,” Segan said.
RECIPE
HAZELNUT-CHOCOLATE COOKIES
“DOLCI: ITALY’S SWEETS” (STEWART, TABORI & CHANG)
Just 5 ingredients! That’s why I love Italian food. It’s so simple, yet wonderful.
A dab of rich dark chocolate sandwiched between two buttery hazelnut domes. This little kiss of a cookie, aptly named baci di dama (“a lady's kisses”), melts in your mouth. The simple four-ingredient dough comes together right in the food processor.
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 F. Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast them until lightly golden and aromatic, about 7 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and reserve.
Combine the hazelnuts and 2 tablespoons of the sugar into a food processor and grind until fine. Add the remaining sugar and flour, and process until well combined. Add the cold butter and pulse until combined. The batter will be a dense mass.
Form the batter into two discs, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours until very hard and cold.
Work with one disc of dough at a time, leaving the other in the refrigerator so it stays cold. Pinch off a teaspoonful of the batter and roll into a small ball, about the size of a hazelnut, a little less than 1/2 inch in diameter. Occasionally flour your hands so the dough doesn’t get too sticky as your hands warm it. (The key to nicely rounded cookies is a fairly dry dough.) Put the balls onto the prepared baking sheet, with at least 2 inches of space around each ball. Put the baking sheet into the refrigerator while you prepare the second batch.
Note: Make an even number of balls, as you’ll need two to make one baci.
Bake cookies for about 13 minutes, until just lightly golden. Slide the parchment paper, with the cookies still attached, off the baking sheets and onto a cool surface to stop them from cooking further. Allow them to cool completely before filling.
Meanwhile, put the chocolate into a small bowl and melt it, either in the microwave or over a pot of gently simmering water. Put a dollop of melted chocolate on the flat side of one cookie, and then make a sandwich by pressing another cookie onto the chocolate. Repeat with the rest of the cookies.
Refrigerate for a few minutes so that the chocolate hardens and the cookies stick to it, and then serve.
Cookies can be stored in a sealed container, in a dry cool place, for several weeks.
Reprinted from “DoIci: Italy’s Sweets” by Francine Segan. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011.
RECIPE
TORTA TENERINA, ITALY’S FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
“DOLCI: ITALY’S SWEETS” (STEWART, TABOR & CHANG)
Servings: 8
This flourless cake, which has a crisp, macaroon-like outer layer and a dense, incredibly moist center, is by far one of the best tasting chocolate desserts I’ve ever tried.
As the cake cools, it collapses just a little, creating a pretty webbing on the delicious crust.
It’s made with only five ingredients, so be sure to use only quality chocolate, as it really stands out.
A must-try classic from Ferrara, a city in Emilia-Romagna.
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9 1/2-inch spring form cake pan.
In a large bowl beat ½ cup of the sugar with the egg yolks, using a whisk or electric hand mixer, until creamy and light yellow.
Put the chocolate into a small bowl and melt, either in the microwave or over a double boiler. Cut the butter into small slices and stir it into the chocolate until completely melted.
Add the warm, but not hot, melted chocolate to the sugar-egg mixture and beat until well combined. Mix in the starch.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they begin to become firm, then add the remaining ½ cup sugar and beat until stiff.
Gently fold into the batter, a third at a time, and pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 19 minutes. Not longer!
The cake will be soft in the center, so a toothpick will not come out clean. That’s normal. The cake will dry a little as it cools. Allow it to rest for at least 20 minutes before cutting it.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Reprinted from “Doi& Italy’s Sweets” by Francine Segan. Published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2011.