Thick Italian Hot Chocolate

 

Thick Italian Hot Chocolate

Rosemary Molloy

4.96 from 173 votes

A mug full of creamy deliciously Hot Chocolate, made with real chocolate and milk, the ultimate Comfort Food.

Prep Time10minutes mins

Cook Time15minutes mins

Total Time25minutes mins

CourseSnack

CuisineItalian

Servings2 people

Calories435 kcal

 

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Ingredients

• 3.5 ounces Dark Chocolate (good quality) (chopped into small pieces)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa unsweetened
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon milk (2% or whole milk/divided)
• 1 teaspoon corn starch

Instructions

 

• In a small bowl whisk until smooth, 1/4 cup milk and cornstarch set aside.
• Sift the cocoa into a medium bowl then add the sugar and whisk together, set aside.
• In a small/medium pot heat 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon milk until boiling reduce heat to low, start whisking and add the milk/cornstarch mixture then add the cocoa mixture slowly while continually whisking until smooth add the chopped chocolate and whisk for approximately 3 minutes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 63mg | Potassium: 611mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 200IU | Calcium: 182mg | Iron: 6.8mg

https://anitalianinmykitchen.com/italian-hot-chocolate/

Pesto Meatballs with Creamy Mascarpone Orzo

Pesto Meatballs with Creamy Mascarpone Orzo

HAT'S FOR DINNE

NOODLES

Pantry

1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup pesto

1/2 tsp chili flakes

2 cups orzo

4 cups chicken broth

2 tbsp neutral oil

Produce

3 cloves minced garlic

1 bunch asparagus

1 lemon

Protein

1 lb ground turkey

1 egg

Dairy

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup mascarpone

3/4 cup grated parmesan, divided

Prep your meatballs

To a bowl, add 1 egg, 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan, 1/2 cup pesto, 1/2 tsp chili flakes and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well. Add 1 lb ground turkey to bowl and use 2 forks in a pull apart motion to incorporate but don't overmix.

Lightly wet your hands and roll mixture into small balls (about half the size of a golfball).

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat and warm 1 tbsp oil. Add meatballs and cook until golden browned on all sides. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

2.

Make your orzo

While your meatballs cook, make your orzo. Heat a small pot over medium heat. Melt 2 tbsp butter, then add 3 cloves minced garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then add orzo and mix. Cook for 1 minute to toast the orzo. Add 4 cups broth and stir. Let cook for 10 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Stir every minute or 2 so it doesn't stick to the bottom, but don't stir too frequently or the orzo will get overly gloopy.

Once cooked, remove from heat and add 1/4 cup mascarpone and 1/4 cup parmesan. Stir and serve.

3.

Make your asparagus

While your orzo finishes up - cook your asparagus. Turn your meatball pan to medium high heat and heat 1 tbsp oil. Add asparagus with a big pinch of salt. Cook for 2-3 minutes until deep green but still firm. Once cooked drizzle with juice of half a lemon.

Serve orzo topped with asparagus, meatballs, more parm, and lemon zest.

https://www.rachelhalldorson.com/recipe/pesto-meatballs-with-creamy-mascarpone-orzo

Sheetpan Lasagna

Sheetpan Lasagna

Ingredients

4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

1 pound taccole pasta or lasagne pasta broken into 2-inch pieces

1 clove garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 (5- ounce) container baby spinach

1 cup part skim ricotta cheese

1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed

1 red onion, diced

4 cups jarred marinara sauce

2 1/2 cups shredded low moisture mozzarella, divided

1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, divided

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Oil a straight sided 12 x 17-inch baking sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil along with the garlic and pepper flakes to the hot pan. Cook, stirring often until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the spinach and the salt and cook, stirring often, until the spinach is almost completely wilted, another minute. Remove the spinach mixture to a strainer and press firmly to remove any excess liquid. Place the spinach in a medium bowl. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, slice up the spinach into chopped pieces. Add the ricotta cheese and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using a paper towel, wipe out the skillet and bring it back to medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan along with the sausage and cook, undisturbed until the sausage is beginning to brown on the first side, about 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, break apart the sausage into bite sized pieces. Continue to cook, stirring often and breaking apart as needed, until the sausage is lightly browned, another 5 minutes. Add the onion to the pan and cook until the onion is fragrant and beginning to soften, another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Be sure it is a large enough pan to allow the pasta to swim freely. Season generously with salt. Cook the pasta for 4 minutes stirring often to avoid clumping. Drain well, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, add the marinara to the pan with the sausage and onion and mix well. Add the pasta water, pasta, 1 cup mozzarella cheese and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese to the same pan and stir to combine.

Spread the entire mixture on the prepared 12 x 17-inch baking sheet. Dollop the pasta with the ricotta-spinach mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1 1/2 cups mozzarella and 1 cup parmesan cheeses. Bake until the pasta is tender, the sauce is bubbly, and the top is lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and serving. Serve with extra warm marinara if desired.

https://giadzy.com/blogs/recipes/sheet-pan-layerless-lasagna

Baci di Dama Cookies

Baci di Dama Ingredients

PLEASE NOTE:

1. This Baci di Dama recipe is made with chopped almonds, which is the most popular version in Italy today. This does not exclude that you can use chopped hazelnuts as well. The recipe does not change.
2. You can even use almond flour (or hazelnut flour) instead of chopped almonds/hazelnuts. Beware, however, that you are going to lose the roasted almond/hazelnut aroma, typical of these Italian cookies.

• 150 g (1 1/2 cups) of “00” flour
• 150 g (1 1/2 cup ) of granulated sugar
• 150 g (1/2 cup) of unsalted cold butter
• 150 g (5,3 oz) of whole almonds (alternatively whole hazelnuts)
• 100 g (3,5 oz) of dark chocolate for the filling

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Kitchen Tools and Equipment

To make Italian Baci di Dama cookies we opted for an electric stand mixer which is really a great help to make the best lady kisses recipe. We recommend KitchenAid, but there are other really great brands.

You need an electric food processor for this recipe to grind the almonds.

You have to toast the almonds in the oven and then bake the cookies, well spaced apart. So we recommend that you use a baking sheet.

Finally, you’ll melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.

Directions

Step 1) – Arrange the almonds on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Toast them at 180° C (350 F) for about 10 minutes.

Be careful, they should not toast so much that they become brown, but only lightly golden, otherwise they turn out bitter. Let them cool completely.

Step 2) – Now transfer the almonds, along with half the granulated sugar, to a bowl.

Grind them at full speed but in pulses, to prevent the almonds from releasing too much oil. You should get a fine, homogeneous flour.

Step 3) – Transfer the chopped almonds to the bowl of your standing mixer. Then add the flour, cold cubed butter and the remaining sugar.

Insert the K-hook and knead the mixture at low speed until the dough is smooth.

Step 4) – Form a loaf and cover in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. After this time, remove the dough from the refrigerator and, with your hands, form small balls about 1 cm in diameter (about 1/2 inch).

It’s essential that the balls are ALL THE SAME SIZE and small. About 4 g in weight each (0.14 oz). The balls should be round and not squashed, otherwise they will flatten a lot during baking.

Place the balls on a baking sheet lined with baking paper about 2 cm (about 1 inch) apart.

Step 5) – Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 170° C (338 F) for 15 minutes. At the end, the cookies should be just golden and clear, but not browned.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. DO NOT TOUCH THEM at this step because thy are still soft. They will solidify as they cool.

Prepare the Chocolate Filling

Step 6) – Meanwhile, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Let it cool a little so that it’s not too liquid but firm enough.

Step 7) – With a teaspoon, scoop out a small amount of chocolate and lay it on top of a cookie, on the flat side. Now stack another cookie on top and let the chocolate solidify, which serve as a “glue” between the two cookies.

Your Italian Baci di Dama cookies are ready! Enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee, they are a sweet treat for any time of the day. 

https://www.recipesfromitaly.com/baci-di-dama-cookies/