Easy Italian Recipes

 MAKES 8 SERVINGS

- 2 cups (1 lb/500 g) sugar
- 3 cups (24 fl oz/750 ml) whole milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup (3 oz/90 g) Dutch- process cocoa powder
- 12 amaretti, finely crushed (about 3/4 cup/2 1/2 oz/75 g)
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

This creamy custard dessert was originally baked in a bowl, chilled, and then unmolded before serving. The Piedmontese call the rich, chocolaty custard bonèt, which means small, round cap in the local dialect.

Have ready an 8-inch (20-cm) round ceramic or glass baking dish. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 cup (8 oz/250 g) of the sugar and 1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60 ml) water and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. As soon as the sugar dissolves, stop stirring and wash down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water. Continue to cook until the mixture boils and begins to turn brown around the edges, then gently swirl the pan over the heat until the syrup is an even golden brown. This will take about 5 minutes. Immediately pour the caramel into the reserved dish and swirl to coat the bottom evenly. Set aside; the caramel will cool and harden.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F (165°C).

In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the milk, stirring occasionally, until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Remove from the heat.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the remaining 1 cup sugar until blended. Stir in the cocoa, crushed amaretti, rum, and vanilla until combined. Gradually pour in the hot milk while whisking constantly.
Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into the caramel-lined dish. Place the dish in the center of a large shallow baking pan, and carefully pour very hot water into the pan to reach about halfway up the side of the dish.

Bake the custard until the top is set but the center is still soft and jiggly when the dish is shaken, about 50 minutes. Carefully transfer the dish to a rack and let cool slightly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
To serve, run a small knife around the inside edge of the dish. Invert a flat serving plate on top of the dish, and then invert them together. Lift off the dish and serve at once, cut into wedges.

Buon appetito !

 MAKES 12 FRITTERS

- 12 hazelnuts (filberts)
- 1 3/4 cups (9 oz/280 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup (3 oz/90 g) granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup (3 fl oz/80 ml) whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Canola oil for deep-frying
- 2 oz (60 g) milk chocolate, cut into 12 chunks
- Confectioners' (icing) sugar for dusting

Sweet fritters, called zeppole, are found all over Italy, from cream-filled pastry puffs in Lazio to pine-nut spheres in Emilia-Romagna to brandy- flavored rounds in Abruzzo. Here, a chunk of chocolate and a hazelnut are enclosed in each doughnutlike puff. For a special treat, serve the fritters with hot chocolate
on a cold day.

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325°F (165°C). Spread the hazelnuts in a single layer in a small baking pan and toast in the oven, stirring once or twice, until fragrant, the color deepens, and the skins begin to crack and loosen, about 10 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a towel and rub firmly to remove the skins. Not all of the skins will come off. Set the nuts aside to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and granulated sugar until thick and creamy. Beat in the milk and butter until combined. Pour the liquid ingredients over the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon just until blended.

Pour the oil to a depth of 3 inches (7.5 cm) into a deep, heavy frying pan and heat to 370°F (188°C) on a deep-frying thermometer. Line a platter with paper towels and set it next to the stove.

When the oil is ready, scoop up a rounded tablespoonful of the dough and press a piece of the chocolate and a hazelnut into the center. Then, with a second spoon, shape the dough over the filling to enclose it completely. Push the dough off the spoon into the hot oil, being careful it doesn't splash. Repeat to make a few more fritters, being careful not to crowd the pan. Fry the fritters, turning them once, until nicely browned, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the fritters to the towel-lined platter to drain. Shape and fry the remaining fritters in the same way.

Transfer the fritters to a platter. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the fritters generously with confectioners' sugar. Serve warm.

Buon appetito !