Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (42 page)

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Vegetable oil, for frying and oiling the serving dish

1 cup honey

Nonpareils (colored sugar sprinkles), for garnish

Maraschino cherries, for garnish

1.
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center and, one at a time, stir in the eggs. Add the vanilla and mix well to make a soft dough. Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth, about 5 minutes. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2.
Working with one half at a time, roll the dough into a ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Cut the dough into ½-inch-wide strips. Roll each strip under the palms of your hands on the work surface to make long pencil-thick ropes. Cut the ropes into ¼-inch pieces. Transfer the dough pieces to a large rimmed baking sheet.

3.
Line another large rimmed baking sheet with a few layers of paper towels. Pour enough oil into a large wide saucepan to come halfway up the sides and heat over high heat to 350°F. Working in batches without crowding, add the dough pieces and deep-fry, turning them as needed, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer to the paper towel–lined baking sheet.

4.
Lightly oil a round serving dish. Heat the honey in a large skillet over medium heat until fluid. Add the balls and stir until completely coated. Spoon the balls onto the baking sheet. Garnish with the nonpareils and cherries. Let cool.

Desserts

Anise Biscotti

Panettone Bread Pudding

Yummy Butter Cookies

Fried Bows

Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

Chocolate and Hazelnut Gelato

Strawberries with Cannoli Cream

Grandma Josie’s Cream Puffs

Rice Pudding Tart with Dried Cherries

Peach Crostata

Apple Fritters

Anise Biscotti

MAKES ABOUT 4½ DOZEN COOKIES

We keep desserts simple at Patsy’s. I think it is because my father worked at a bakery starting when he was six years old, where he learned how much customers love the Old World classics like biscotti and cannoli. (There is a great story about his boss making him whistle all day long so he could tell that the kid wasn’t eating up the profits.) Many of our guest’s meals are finished with a plate of these anise biscotti and an espresso.

3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for shaping the dough

2 teaspoons baking powder

Pinch of salt

1¼ cups granulated sugar

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

3 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk

1½ teaspoons honey

1 teaspoon anise extract

Confectioners’ sugar, for sifting

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer with the paddle attachment until the mixture is light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the whole eggs, followed by the egg yolk, honey, and anise extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture to make sticky soft dough.

3.
Turn out the dough onto a floured work surface and divide into thirds. Shape each portion of dough, coating with flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, into an 11-inch-long log. Transfer the logs to the baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Using floured hands, pat the top of each log to flatten it into a ½-inch thickness.

4.
Bake until the loaves are golden brown and feel firm, about 25 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for about 20 minutes. Transfer the loaves to a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, cut the loaves crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices.

5.
Position a rack about 8 inches from the heat source and preheat the broiler on high. Working in batches, spread the biscotti, cut sides up, on the baking sheet and broil, watching carefully to avoid burning, until lightly browned, about 1 minute. Remove from the broiler, turn the biscotti over, and return to the broiler to brown the other sides. Transfer to wire cooling racks and let cool completely.

Panettone Bread Pudding

MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

Panettone (a golden sweet bread flavored with dried fruit) is a very special holiday gift, and we get quite a few loaves at Christmastime. This creamy pudding is one of my favorite ways to enjoy it.

4 large eggs, beaten

2 cups whole milk

1 cup light cream or half-and-half

½ cup orange-flavored liqueur (Grand Marnier)

½ cup sugar

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for the baking dish

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Finely grated zest of 1 large orange

¼ teaspoon salt

One 1-pound panettone bread, cut into 1-inch pieces

WHIPPED CREAM

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons sugar

½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1.
To make the pudding: Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add the milk, light cream, liqueur, sugar, butter, vanilla, cinnamon, zest, and salt. Add the panettone and stir to evenly moisten the bread cubes. Let stand until the bread soaks up most of the liquid, about 15 minutes,

2.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.

3.
Spread the bread mixture evenly in the baking dish. Place the pan in a larger pan. Place the pans in the oven and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the larger pan. Bake until a knife inserted in the center of the pudding comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the baking dish from the larger pan. Let cool for 15 to 30 minutes.

4.
To make the whipped cream: Whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla with an electric handheld mixer on high speed in a chilled medium bowl until the mixture forms soft peaks. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yummy Butter Cookies

MAKES 10 DOZEN COOKIES