Proud Italian Cook

Classic Dutch Baby with Cherries and Amaretto

July 1, 2019 by Marie 6 Comments

Cherry season is upon us and I can’t get enough, I’ve been buying bags of them weekly, mainly just for eating but cherries can be used both in sweet and savory dishes as well and cherries just scream summer to me!

Recently I made this delicious Dutch baby pancake filled with plump fresh cherries, the batter flavored with Amaretto and topped off with toasted almonds.

A Dutch baby pancake is excellent to serve for a special breakfast or even a dessert, and it’s quite simple to put together, it uses basic ingredients and the result is a showstopper presentation. I’m thinking this might be nice to serve for a casual breakfast on the 4th of July.

I have to admit I never owned a cherry pitter before, I thought it was too time consuming and messy to use.

Yes, it could get a little messy, but I found pitting them into a bowl with deep sides minimized the juice from squirting everywhere. It was a little trial and error before I figured that out, but once I did the process went really fast.

Pull the stem out, place the cherry in the little cup holder, plunge the handle down and out pops the pit it’s that easy, and by the way the cherries stay fairly intact.

Take a day, pit the cherries then refrigerate them so they’re ready to go, I even tossed them into a salad the other evening but for something on the sweet side you have to make this dutch baby!

The cherries get swirled around with melted butter spiked with Amaretto liqueur, the smell is intoxicating!

Then the prepared batter gets poured in all around the cherries and then into the oven the pan goes, as it cooks the pancake will puff up really high and then when taken out it settles down and leaves you with this bejeweled looking pancake.

Sprinkle with toasted almonds and powdered sugar.

You can drizzle syrup or honey on top, add whipped cream or even a scoop of ice cream.

Either way it’s all amazing!

Follow Proud Italian Cook on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.

5.0 from 2 reviews

Classic Dutch Baby with Cherries and Amaretto

Recipe adapted from Sunset Magazine

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 cups, pitted fresh bing cherries
¼ cup of butter
1 Tablespoon Amaretto liqueur, or (1/4 to ½ teaspoon of almond extract)
½ cup of toasted, sliced almonds
¾ cup of flour
¾ cup of whole milk
3 large eggs
2 Tablespoons, sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or vanilla
powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

Heat oven to 425F.
For The Batter:
Whisk together, eggs, flour, milk, salt, sugar and vanilla bean paste until nice and smooth, or you can whizz it in a blender.
In a heavy, 10 to 12 inch oven proof pan like a cast iron, melt the butter on stove top.
When butter is melted add the cherries and the Amaretto liqueur. (or almond extract).
Saute the cherries in the butter and Amaretto for around 2 minutes, stirring them gently.
Pour the batter into the pan with the cherries, then place the pan into the preheated oven.
Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and puffy.
Remove pan from oven and sprinkle with the toasted almonds, the pancake will sink down and settle into the pan.
Slice and serve with syrup, honey, whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream.

6 Comments Filed Under: Fruit Tagged: amaretto, bing cherries, dutch baby, puff pancake

Perfect Potato Salads for Summer Entertaining

June 26, 2019 by Marie 6 Comments

Way back in 2007 when I started this blog I posted an Italian potato salad, fast forward almost twelve years later ( still can’t believe it’s been that long!) and I still continue to make it.

Italian potato salad is such a classic dish, it’s the perfect side so it’s great for parties, picnic’s and celebrations. There’s no mayo involved so no need to worry about anything spoiling as it sits out at your party.

The photo above is a crowd size amount that I made for a family cookout that I was having. Don’t get caught up on amounts and exact measurements when making this, it’s a simple process it’s all about visual balance and your taste preference as far as seasonings go.

I used those teeny red, white and blue potatoes, I like the different colors, but you can certainly use all red which is more a traditional Italian potato salad.

Since 2007 I’ve changed up my recipe a bit. I always use to boil my potatoes but now I roast them. Don’t get me wrong, boiling is fine but I much prefer the taste of a roasted potato, plus I don’t like the texture of a some what mushy potato, but again, that’s just my preference, but I would encourage you to try it this way by roasting the potatoes, plus I think the presentation looks much nicer.

1. The ingredients in my Italian potato salad are: Roasted potatoes, some sliced, some whole depending on how big they are, roasted at 425F until fork tender.

2. Steamed green beans, I prefer haricort verts, red onion rings, kalamata olives and sliced cherry tomatoes.

3. Place everything into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper, granulated garlic and oregano, taste as you go to your liking.

4. The dressing is: 3 parts olive oil, 1 part red wine vinegar, 1 t. dijon, 1 garlic clove, 1 t.oregano, salt and pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Whisk it up, drizzle and toss. Place the salad onto a nice platter.

Next is my Red, White and Blue potato salad, perfect for the 4th of July! Again I used those teeny colored potatoes and when you cut them in half the vibrant color really shows through.

1.These are roasted as well in a 425F oven, drizzled with olive oil along with chunks of sweet red bell pepper, finished when fork tender.

2. When they become fork tender, which doesn’t take long, toss them into a bowl and add chopped red onion or shallots, snipped chives, sliced scallions, fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste with lots of grated strands of lemon

3.Whisk up fresh squeezed lemon and olive oil for your dressing and pour it all over and toss, as it sits it just gets better and better as all the flavors start to absorb.

Next up is this Grilled Sweet Potato Salad, If you never grilled sweet a potato you’re missing out. Cooking sweet potatoes this way gives them a crisp charred edge and a slight smokiness that contrasts well with the sweetness of the potatoes, it’s delicious and a nice change.

Preheat grill to medium. Peel sweet potatoes and slice into 1/2 inch thick rounds. Place on a grill that has been sprayed with olive oil spray.
Also on the grill add some colored mini peppers and a couple of ears of corn because these will all be added to the salad along with the sweet potatoes. Remove when tender and slightly charred.
When everything cools down, shuck the corn, slice the mini peppers and toss them into a large bowl with some chopped parsley, green onion and arugula.
Arrange everything onto a pretty platter and drizzle with the dressing.
Honey Mustard Vinaigrette: 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 T. apple cider vinegar, 2 T. Dijon, 1 T. honey, 1 garlic clove, whisk all together. Feel free to double or triple the recipe.

All of these potato salads are a nice addition to your summer buffet table, they can sit out safely and they all taste delicious at room temperature, so enjoy!

Follow me on Instagram to see what else I’m cooking up during the week.

6 Comments Filed Under: Party Foods, Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: 4th of July, grilled sweet potato salad, Italian Potato Salad, potato salad, red white and blue potato salad, roasted potatoes, teeny potatoes

23 Ways to Indulge in Caprese Salads This Summer

June 14, 2019 by Marie

If it’s one thing I look forward to in the warm summer months, it’s caprese salads! What’s not to love? Ripe juicy tomatoes of all different varieties and sizes, dreamy creamy cheese, fragrant garden basil and the best olive oil you can buy to finish it all off.

There’s so many variations of caprese salads this is just the tip of the iceberg, I could go on and on but this post would be extremely long!

Here’s a few of my favorites, some made for parties, get togethers, an appetizer, a lunch, even as an entree with good crusty bread is just enough on a hot summer day.

Mixing the colored green heirlooms with vine ripened red tomatoes makes for a pretty colorful looking platter, break open some burrata, add a drizzle of balsamic glaze, your best olive oil and whole leaves of basil.

I have this huge round platter and I always make this for parties, and you know what? None is ever leftover, everyone is crazy about caprese!

Use different colored heirlooms, not only for flavor but for a nice visual combination as well.

Stack your caprese salads for individual sides or appetizers, this one was also layered with freshly made basil pesto.

Roast some tomatoes, tear open a ball of creamy burrata and grab some bread, this is lunch for me!

Pass out these crostini to your guests and they will go bonkers, they’re crispy, creamy and dreamy topped with slow roasted tomatoes.

Fresh mozzarella or creamy burrata, it’s all good!

Sometimes I might add some avocado into the mix, why not!

Here it is in all it’s glory, just sweet and simple.

Fun to bring to a party, layers of bocconcini, sliced cherry tomatoes all in a row on top of a bed of spinach and arugula, dress it when you get to the party.

Can we talk about this for a minute? If you can find fresh, hand tied, homemade bocconcini like I can, don’t hesitate to buy a big container so you can make this caprese salad, one of my favorites! The flavors are out of this world!

Sometimes I’ll add in some olives, why not?

I’m in love with those pretty colored heirlooms.

No words needed…

Throw a caprese salad on top of nicely grilled eggplant, a wonderful appetizer to munch on.

Look close, there’s a caprese salad in that stack of vegetables, lunch anyone?

Switch up your tomatoes for citrus sometimes, it’s bright and unexpected and especially good in the winter months.

Have you ever had a mango caprese? This one is layered with avocado and mint instead of basil, topped off with chopped pistachios, quite delicious and unique!