Spring Desserts the Italian Way

Spring Desserts the Italian Way

Although we don’t have a traditional winter season here in South Florida, we still love to treat ourselves, and our stomachs, to rich, hearty desserts that keep us warm during the cool winter months. But once the warm weather begins to roll in, and beach season begins to peak over the horizon, it’s the brighter and lighter flavors that we start to crave.

Citrus-based desserts are always the rage during the springtime, and we’ve got two recipes here that are going to drive your palate crazy! In a good way!

The first recipe below makes for great family-time with the kids. Afterall, who doesn’t love making homemade cookies? The second recipe is a more sophisticated dessert, but incredibly tasty none-the-less. So, next time you’re at Doris’, grab the items that you’ll need to try one of these tantalizing treats and let us know what you think.

Meyer Lemon Shortbread Cookie Sandwiches

Ingredienti:

For the Meyer Lemon Curd

  • 1⁄4 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg, plus 2 egg yolks
  • 1⁄4 cup fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
  • 1⁄2 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter

For the Shortbread Cookies

  • 1 1⁄3 cups (6 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 12 tbsp. chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
  • 6 tbsp. sugar
  • 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt
  • Finely grated zest of 2 Meyer lemons

Procedimento:

Make the lemon curd: In a small saucepan, whisk the sugar with the egg and yolks until smooth, and stir in the juice and salt. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the curd begins to thicken, and bubbles start to break the surface, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir the butter into the curd until smooth. Scrape the curd into a small bowl, press a sheet of plastic wrap against the curd, and refrigerate until the curd is chilled, at least 2 hours.

Make the shortbread cookies: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine the flour with the butter, sugar, salt, and zest and beat on medium-low until the dough comes together. Scrape the dough onto a floured sheet of parchment paper and shape into a disk. Lightly flour the dough and cover with another sheet of parchment. Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough until it’s 1⁄4-inch thick and peel off the parchment. Using a 1 3⁄4-inch-round cutter, stamp out dough circles and place 1 inch apart on parchment paper—lined baking sheets, rerolling scraps once to get about 40 rounds total. Chill the baking sheets for 30 minutes.

Heat the oven to 300°. Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake, rotating the sheets front to back and moving them from top to bottom halfway through cooking, until the cookies are lightly golden on the bottom, 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer the sheets to a rack and let the cookies cool completely.

To serve, spoon 1 teaspoon of the lemon curd on the bottom of half the cookies and sandwich with the remaining cookies. Serve immediately or chill for up to 1 hour.

Source – www.saveur.com/meyer-lemon-curd-cookies-emily-luchetti-recipe

Ricotta and Coffee Mousse

Ingredienti:

  • 2 cups store-bought ricotta
  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 1⁄3 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. instant espresso
  • 1 tbsp. powdered gelatin
  • Shaved chocolate

Procedimento:

Purée ricotta in a blender until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.

Whip together heavy cream and sugar in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Set aside.

Bring 1⁄4 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan; remove from heat. Whisk 2 tbsp. of the water with espresso in a small bowl. Whisk remaining water with gelatin in another small bowl until dissolved.

Stir espresso mixture into ricotta, then gelatin mixture; fold in cream in 3 stages. Chill mixture for 1 hour, then transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star tip. Pipe mixture into 6 sundae glasses; refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Garnish with shaved chocolate.

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