Patsy's Italian Family Cookbook (43 page)

My wife Lisa loves to bake, especially at Christmas when she gets together with her mother Josephine to make a huge assortment of beautiful cookies. They always make these simple butter cookies. One of their main attractions is that the kids in the family can get involved rolling the dough into balls. In fact, we call these “yummy cookies” because when our son Joseph was about two, he was “helping” Lisa make the cookies when she noticed that the dough was disappearing. Of course, Joey had been eating the raw dough. His verdict? “It was yummy!”

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1¼ cups sugar

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

One 4-ounce container red or green candied cherries, cut into ½-inch pieces

1.
Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer on high speed until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. One at a time, beat in the egg yolks, followed by the vanilla. Whisk the flour and baking powder together. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour mixture and mix to make a stiff dough. Gather up the dough into a thick disk. Wrap in plastic wrap, refrigerate, and chill and firm slightly, at least 2 and up to 8 hours.

2.
Position the racks in the top third and center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

3.
Using a rounded teaspoon for each cookie, roll the dough between your palms into 1-inch balls. Place the balls about 1 inch apart on the baking sheets. Press a cherry piece in the center of each cookie.

4.
Bake, switching the position of the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking, until the cookies are very lightly browned, 15 to 18 minutes. Let cool on the sheets for 3 minutes, then transfer to wire cooling racks to cool completely. (The cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.)

Fried Bows

MAKES 8 DOZEN COOKIES

It seems that every country has a tradition of fried cookies coated in confectioners’ sugar, and Italy has its version, too. These have been on our family’s Christmas cookie tray for as long as we can remember. You’ll need a ravioli or pizza wheel to cut the strips. These are best eaten the day they are made.

3½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed

1 tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into tablespoon-size pieces

1 cup granulated sugar

5 large eggs, beaten, at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Confectioners’ sugar, for sifting

1.
Whisk 3 cups of the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add the butter and rub it into the dry ingredients with your fingertips until the mixture looks crumbly. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, and add the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Using a spoon, gradually stir into the flour mixture to make a moist dough.

2.
Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Knead, adding as much of the remaining flour as needed, to make a soft, tacky dough that barely sticks to the work surface, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a floured work surface and cover with an inverted bowl for 10 minutes. Knead for about 1 minute more, adding a bit more flour, if needed. Cover the dough and let stand for at least 10 and up to 30 minutes. The dough will still feel tacky, but should be firm enough to roll out; knead in more flour, if needed.

3.
Pour enough oil into a large saucepan to come halfway up the sides, and heat over high heat to 360°F on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a large baking sheet with a double layer of paper towels.

4.
Divide the dough into quarters. Working with one-quarter at a time, roll out the dough into a 6 by 22-inch rectangle about 1/16-inch thick. Using a ravioli cutter, cut into ¾-inch-wide strips. Loosely tie each strip into an overhand knot, with the knot in the middle of each strip. Place on a large baking sheet. Working in batches, without crowding, deep-fry the cookies, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 2½ minutes. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, transfer the cookies
to the paper towel–line baking sheet to drain. Immediately sift confectioners’ sugar through a wire sieve over the warm cookies. Repeat with the remaining dough. (The cookies can be stored, uncovered, at room temperature, for up to 12 hours.) Just before serving, sift a fresh layer of confectioners’ sugar over the cookies.

Everybody’s a Critic

Rapper Puff Daddy is another performer who has enjoyed many meals here. He got very close to my aunt Anna, who was always at the front desk running the ship. Once she asked him for his autograph for her grandchildren. She offered, “They love your music, but I like Frank and Tony a lot better.”

He thought this bald-faced honesty was hilarious. When she died, he send two dozen roses to the restaurant, with the card, “Rest in Peace, Anna—my best critic.”

Panna Cotta with Raspberry Sauce

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Panna cotta means “cooked cream,” but it isn’t really cooked, just heated to dissolve the gelatin. I like the combination of vanilla cream with tart raspberry sauce. One of the great things about panna cotta (besides its flavor and texture) is that it must be made a few hours before serving, so you can give a dinner party knowing that dessert is out of the way and in the fridge.

PANNA COTTA

Vegetable oil, for the ramekins

½ cup whole milk

1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin powder (not quite an entire packet)

2½ cups heavy cream

⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

RASPBERRY SAUCE

2 cups fresh raspberries

2 tablespoons sugar

½ cup cold water

1.
To make the panna cotta: Lightly oil six ½-cup (4-ounce) ramekins.

2.
Pour the milk into a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let stand to soften the gelatin, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, bring the cream, sugar, and vanilla to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the soaked gelatin mixture and reduce the heat to very low. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved (do not simmer), about 2 minutes. Divide the cream mixture among the ramekins. Let cool until tepid. Cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days.

3.
To make the raspberry sauce: Bring the raspberries, sugar, and water to a boil, simmer in a medium nonreactive saucepan, stirring often to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the juices have thickened slightly, about 3 minutes. Let cool. Rub the sauce through a wire mesh sieve into another bowl. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

4.
To serve, run a dinner knife around the inside of each panna cotta. Hold a dessert plate over the ramekin. Hold and invert the ramekin and plate together and give them a sharp shake to unmold the panna cotta onto the plate. Spoon the raspberry sauce over each and serve chilled.

Chocolate and Hazelnut Gelato

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART