Sgroppino Al Limone - Italian Cocktail

Stay cool this summer with this irresistibly smooth Italian cocktail

A refreshing and oh-so easy to make blend of lemon sorbet, chilled vodka and bubbly Prosecco

A must try!

I'm so happy to share this recipe with you today. Not only because I know you will loooove this refreshing cocktail. But mostly because sgroppino is not your common drink that you find in any bar or restaurant around here. This creamy, lemony and boozy drink originates in Venezia - Italy, where (as you probably know by now) I was born and raised.
The name "sgroppino" in Venetian dialect means a little something that "unties". In this case, your stomach after a nice, big meal. A palate cleanser, if you like. It's a digestif, alcoholic drink-slash-dessert, generally served after dinner, and not just in summer, but any day of the year... and why not?!? You will see - it's soooo delicious :)

So, if you are looking to entertain this summer, or just have a drink by yourself (... I won't be judging!!) you will want to try this cocktail.  Check this out: only three ingredients, and only a few minutes of your time. All you have to do is blend together some lemon sorbet with cold vodka and Prosecco wine. Yummy, right?!? Serve it right away in chilled flutes and enjoy it!!
For each glass, I used one scoop of lemon sorbet, one tablespoon of vodka and about 2 and a half tablespoons of Prosecco. You can change this up and substitute some of the Prosecco with vodka for a stronger drink.... Or vice-versa. Just make sure to keep the proportion of alcohol to sorbet about the same as in this recipe. This combination gives just the right consistency. Dense and soft. Thick, but not too thick. Almost like the texture of a milkshake or a smoothie.
Check out the video here and you will see exactly what the ideal result should be!!

Ingredients: serving 2            PRINTABLE RECIPE

• 2 big scoops of lemon sorbet (about 6 fl oz = 180 ml)
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vodka (chilled)
• 1/3 cup (80 ml) of Prosecco (Italian sparkling dry white wine - chilled)

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Directions:

1. Chill the flutes, by placing in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, or freezer for an hour or more.
2. In a tall container, add two scoops of lemon sorbet.

 3.Pour in the vodka and the Prosecco. Quickly mix all the ingredients together using a blender, until incorporated and smooth.

The mixture should be dense and soft. Pour the mixture into the flutes and serve immediately.... don't let it melt :)

Homemade Lemon-Poppy Seed Muffins

These lemon-poppy seed muffins are full of a summery citrus flavor,

with a super soft and fluffy texture, and the added crunchiness of the poppy seeds 

Nothing says spring like just-picked, juicy lemons.
Here is Southern California all the trees are blooming with beautiful flowers and lots of fruits. If you are not sure how to use your fresh lemons, here is the perfect idea. These muffins are soft, fluffy and bursting with lemon zest and juice.
This recipe is very easy and quick. You can prepare these muffins in minutes without the use of a blender. To keep the muffins soft and moist is actually recommended to whisk the batter by hand, so that you don't overmix it. And the secret to make the perfect high top of a bakery-style muffin: fill the muffin cups almost to the top with the batter, and bake the muffins at 400 degrees for the first 10 minutes, and lower temperature for the rest. It's that simple!

Here is something new for my blog: I'm super excited to show you my first video recipe for these muffins. You can find it on YouTube here:

Please let me know what you think! All comments are welcomed. 

Ingredients: to make 12 muffins

• 6 tablespoons (80 gr) of unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup (100 gr) of white sugar 
• 1/4 cup (50 gr) of brown sugar
• grated zest of 2 lemons
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) of milk
• 2 tablespoons (20 gr) of poppy seeds 
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• pinch of salt
• 2 1/2 cups (375 gr) of all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon (16 gr) of baking powder 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1 tablespoon of coarse sugar or white sparkling sugar for decorating (optional)

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter, in a double-boiler or in the microwave (about 30 seconds). In a large bowl mix the eggs with the white and brown sugar and the melted butter.

2. Mix in the lemon zest, lemon juice, milk, poppy seeds, vanilla extract and salt.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour with the baking powder and baking soda.

4. Gently mix the dry ingredients into the other mixture, only until combined. Don't over mix or the muffins will come out not as soft.

5. Spoon the batter evenly into 12 paper lined  muffin tins. They should fill almost to the top.

6. Sprinkle with coarse sugar if you'd like. Bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees, and without removing or opening the oven, bake for 15 more minutes, or until golden on top. Test with a toothpick, check if it comes out clean when inserted in the center.

Enjoy!

Blueberry and Ricotta Cheese Bars

A delicious combination of soft cake, sweet blueberries, delicate ricotta cheese, with a lemony twist. 

I'd like to start this weekend with something sweet, fresh and summery!
These blueberry and ricotta bars are perfect! An easy, quick and wholesome dessert. Colorful and fun for the kids. A delicious combination of soft cake, sweet blueberries, delicate ricotta cheese, with a lemony twist.
I baked these bars for a barbecue/pool party at a friend's house. But they are also perfect for any occasion, from breakfast, to kids' morning snack or afternoon tea dessert. A huge crowd-pleaser!

Note: I have been asked about the design of this website. First of all, thank you all for the nice comments and positive feedbacks. And yes, I built it all by myself! I'm quite proud of it :-)
It is a free blogger account that, if interested, you can easily set up on blogger.com. Very user friendly! The template is Awesome Inc. with the blue/grey color scheme. Awesome, right?!?
I did customize many things though, including the font, some colors, template spacing and gadgets, including my new "connect with me" social media buttons. Please let me know if you have any other specific questions. I'm really happy to help you out!

Have a delicious weekend!

Ingredients: to make a 9 x 12 inches cake, cut in about 24 squares
For the bottom cake:                                                  Printable Recipe

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 3/4 stick of butter (soften)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• zest of one lemon
• 1/8 teaspoon (pinch) of salt
• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon of baking powder

For the filling:

• 1 lb of ricotta cheese 
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons of flour 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• juice of one lemon 
• 2 cups of organic fresh blueberries 

Preparation time: 20 minutes to prepare, 50 minutes to bake and a few hours to chill

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, mix the sugar with the eggs until well blended. Blend in the butter (soften - at room temperature).

Step 2: Blend in the rest of the ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, and lemon zest.

Step 3: Grease a  9 x 12 in baking pan with butter and flour. Pour the mixture in the pan, and flatten it as well as you can with a spoon.

                                             

                                             

Step 4: In another bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the filling with the exception of the blueberries, which we'll add at the end.

Step 5: Pour the mixture on top of the first layer of the cake. Flatten it. Sprinkle with the blueberries, and with your hand press them slightly into the mixture, so they won't roll around :-)

Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes. Cool and then refrigerate covered for a few hours or overnight.

                                              

Slice into bars and enjoy!