Grissini - Thin and Crispy Italian Breadsticks

Ready to impress your guests with these made-from-scratch, deliciously crunchy Italian breadsticks?!?

Imagine. One of these deliciously crispy breadsticks wrapped with savory Italian Prosciutto. Or next to a fancy cheese platter and tasty olives. You can even place some of these breadsticks into a tall glass or in a small vase and make a deliciously edible centerpiece. Everyone will be impressed, especially when they find out you made these from scratch. So remember: go for a rustic look, not perfectly shaped, like store-bought grissini.

The good news, you can wow everybody, without too much effort. Just prepare a simple pizza dough. And as you do for pizza, make sure to knead the dough until smooth and elastic. Store covered in a warm place, and give it enough time for it to rise. Stretch the dough, brush with tasty olive oil, cut it in strips and stretch the breadsticks. At this point you can add different flavors to the grissini, from herbs like chopped rosemary, to poppy or sesame seeds. Make it fun and delicious.
As usual I'm not just going to tell you how easy this recipe is, but I will show you in this video:

Here are a few things to keep in mind, when doing this recipe.
As I always say, please take your time to weight the flour. It makes a huge difference when you pick up the flour with the measuring cup or when you pour it in.
Also your breadstick are handmade, so they won't be perfect and all the same size and thickness. As I said, I like that rustic look. But keep in mind that a thinner breadstick bakes faster. And burn more easily. The end points are a little thicker, and will not be as crispy as the rest. So, don't go too crazy on the rustic :)
Enjoy!

Ingredients: to make about 20 long breadsticks       PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 2 cups (300 gr) of  bread flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
• one package (15 gr) of active dry yeast 
• 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (divided)
• 3/4 cup (175 ml) of warm water
• 1 teaspoon salt 6 gr
• poppy seeds, or sesame seeds (optional)

Preparation time: 45 minutes, plus at least two hours inactive

Directions:
1. In a large bowl mix the flour with the sugar and the dry yeast.

2. Add two tablespoons of olive oil to the flour, and half cup of warm water. Mix with a spoon.

3. Dissolve one teaspoon of salt in a quarter cup of warm water. Add it to the dough, and mix with a spoon first until all the water is absorbed. Move the dough to the counter and knead by hand for a few minutes (maybe 5) until the dough is smooth and elastic.

 Add a bit of water if too hard. Or a bit of flour if too sticky.
4. Make the dough into a ball and cover in plastic wrap and a kitchen towel to keep warm. Let rise for at least an hour.

5. Flatten and stretch the the dough into a rectangular shape about 1/4 inch thick and 14 x 9 inch. Brush with one tablespoon of olive oil.

6. Cover again with plastic wrap and let sit for one more hour or longer.

7. Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C).
Cut the dough on the shorter side in strips, about 1/3 of an inch (1 cm) wide, using sharp knife or a pizza cutter. Stretch each strip to almost double its size or the length of your baking sheet.

If you'd like, you can sprinkle with sesames or poppy seeds, and roll the breadsticks so the seeds stick to the dough.

8. Bake the breadsticks for about 12 minutes. Watch carefully while baking. The time can vary based on the thickness of your breadsticks.
When completely cool, eat or store in an airtight container for up to 2 days

Enjoy :)

Traditional Italian Panna Cotta with Fresh Berry Sauce

Panna cotta is a creamy, delicate and lusciously smooth pure goodness. 

Chilled to perfection and served with a sweet and summery berry sauce.

Let's face it. It's summer and nobody wants to spend too much time in the kitchen baking and sweating next to a hot oven. But there is no reason to give up making amazing desserts just because of the weather. I am NOT going to ... no matter what the thermometer reads!
So this summer, when your sweet tooth is calling you, here is a great recipe to try.
Panna cotta is super easy and fast to whip up. It's a traditional, classic Italian dessert. And as the name suggests ("cooked cream") it just involves bringing to a slow boil a mixture of heavy cream, milk and a couple of other ingredients. No baking in the oven! But you will need to be a bit patient before tasting this dessert. It needs at least five hour (or overnight) in the refrigerator to set and chill.
Today's recipe is the most traditional panna cotta, with a delicate vanilla flavor. You can serve it like I did with berry sauce. Or with chocolate or caramel sauce. Also very delicious!

I just picked up some super sweet, organic strawberries at the market, and so, voila' ... strawberry sauce. A simple puree' of strawberries with a sprinkle of sugar and a splash of lemon juice. And to decorate, more berries! Different color, of course. To make it prittyer and fruity-er.... The eye always wants its part!
You can change it up and make it fun. Use blueberries or raspberries. Or any combination of these. You will love it!

Ingredients: serving 4                   PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 1/4 cup ( 60 ml ) of milk
• 1 envelope (0.25 oz = 6 gr) of powder gelatin - unflavored (6 gr)
• 2 cups (475 ml) of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of sugar
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

For the sauce:

• 8 oz (225 gr) of (organic) strawberries
• 2 tablespoons of sugar
• 1 tablespoon of lemon juice
• other berries (blueberries, blackberries) for decoration

Preparation time: 15 minutes, plus 5 hours inactive
Directions:

1. In a small bowl, add the milk and sprinkle with the gelatin powder. Stir and let stand for about 5 minutes while you do the next steps.

2. In a large pan add the heavy cream, half cup of sugar and the vanilla extract. Bring to a slow boil over medium heat. Don't let the cream boil.As soon as the first bubble appears on the side, and it looks like it starts to boil, remove from the heat.

3. Stir in the gelatin mixture in the cream mixture, and whisk until blended.

4. Divide the cream evenly into 4 ramekins or cups. Cool to room temperature . Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate  for at least 5 hours or overnight.

5. Before serving prepare the strawberry sauce: puree the strawberries with the sugar and lemon juice in a blender. You can eliminate the seeds, but passing the puree through a sieve. Or use it as is, like I did.

6. You can serve the panna cotta in the cups, or inverted into a plate.To do so,  place the cups into hot water (one at a time) for a few seconds. Run a knife around the edges and invert onto a serving plate.

Decorate with strawberry sauce and fresh berries.

Enjoy :)

Homemade Italian Potato Gnocchi with Sage Infused Butter and Crispy Bacon

You no longer need to go to your favorite Italian restaurant to eat these soft and deliciously smooth Italian gnocchi, 
served with sage infused butter and sinfully crispy bacon.
See how easy is to make these dumplings right in your kitchen!

Three basic ingredients and 45 minutes of your time is all it takes to transform a few potatoes in a delicious dinner for your family.
Making traditional Italian gnocchi from scratch is not really hard, as you will see in this step-by-step recipe and my video. But there are a few things that you will need to keep in mind if this is your first time.
The goal is to have soft enough gnocchi (but not mushy) with a smooth texture. To make sure your dumplings will not be hard and too chewy, you need to use the least amount of flour possible in the dough... but enough flour to hold the gnocchi together, so they won't fall apart when dropped in boiling water. The secret to accomplish that: do NOT overcook the potatoes. If you do, the potatoes start absorbing water. More water in the mashed potatoes means more flour needed in the dough. So, watch the potatoes carefully and set your timer.
The second thing you want in gnocchi is a smooth texture. Nobody likes grainy and coarse-y dumplings. All you need to do is mash the potatoes when they are still hot. For this reason I like to peel the potatoes before boiling, so I don't waste time (and burn my fingers!!!) to peel them when hot. AND I cut them in half ... just the right size to fit my ricer. Easy enough, right?!?

You can serve gnocchi in many ways: with Bolognese or a tomato/basil sauce. To bring out the delicate flavor of the potatoes, I like a simpler sauce made with sage infused melted butter, freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and ...why not? Some crispy bacon strips to make this dish irresistible to anyone!

Enjoy :)

Ingredients: 4 medium servings (or 3 large)         Printable Recipe
For the gnocchi:

• 4 large russet potatoes (about 2.2 lb, 1 kg)
• 1 cup (150 gr) of all-purpose flour, plus a couple of tablespoons
• 1 egg
• salt

For the sauce:

• 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
• 5 oz (140 gr) of bacon
• a few leaves of fresh sage
• freshly grated Parmesan cheese, about 1/2 cup

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Directions:
1: Peel the potatoes and cut in half. Place the potatoes in a large enough pot, and cover with cold, salted water. Bring to a boil. As soon as the water boils, lower the flame to medium-low, and cook in a slow boil for about 18 minutes, based on the size of the potatoes. Test with a fork. When ready, you should be able to stick the fork all the way in. Please do not overcook, or the potatoes will start absorbing water.

2: Remove the potatoes promptly from the water, and pass them through  a ricer. Add one egg and the cup of flour.  Don't overdo with the mixing, just combine until the mixture holds together. Add more flour if needed.

3: Move the potato mixture to a clean, lightly floured counter. Take some of the dough at a time, and roll it into a rope about 3/4 inch thick. Cut the gnocchi, about 3/4 inch length. Place the gnocchi over parchment paper, or a lightly floured surface, until ready to serve. Don't overlap the gnocchi or they will stick together.

4. When ready to eat, fry the bacon cut in strips, until crispy. And in a large frying pan, melt the butter with the sage. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Drop the gnocchi - some at the time if necessary. And let cook for about 2 - 3 minutes. You can remove them as soon as they rise to the surface. Add the gnocchi to the frying pan. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese and the bacon strips. Mix well, and serve hot :)

Buon Appetito!