Blog - Proud Italian Cook

10 Inspiring Easter Desserts

March 11, 2020 by Marie 1 Comment

Are you looking for some inspiration while planning for your Easter dessert? Well here are 10 of my favorites! Each and very one I have made for family and friends and all have been a big hit!

Let’s start out with this dreamy Limoncello Tiramisu. It’s bright and delicious and the perfect ending to a great meal. This particular recipe can be made in individual parfait glasses or in a 9×13 inch pan like featured above, all you have to do is double the recipe!

Cannoli Pie, I call it a pie because it’s actually a take on another Easter pie that I make.

This special dessert is made in a spring form pan which allows you to press broken cannoli shells easily against the wall of the pan in forming the crust. You can make it a day ahead then adorn the top with all things cannoli, like pistachios, mini chocolate chips and powdered sugar.

Italian Anise Cookies, these are a staple in many Italian homes, usually made often for any type of celebration and holidays. The nice thing about these cookies is the fact that you can decorate them according to whatever occasion it is.

The pastel colors scream winter is gone and spring is upon us! I promise they’ll be the perfect addition to your Easter table.

Olive Oil Chardonnay Pound Cake with Citrus Vanilla Glaze. This recipe has been on my blog since 2013 and I have to say I have a weakness for this cake.

This pound cake has a bright and bold flavorful glaze that mixes three different citrus zests together, and the texture of the cake is amazing, plus I think it gives a pretty awesome presentation.

Easter Lamb Cake. Lamb cakes have been a tradition for years and years at Easter time. Yes, you can buy them at bakeries and grocery stores around the holiday, but have you ever wanted to make your own?

I had a dear friend show me step by step how she makes her old school recipe which she’s been making for over 50 years! Get the kids involved in the decorating it would be a nice tradition to start in your own family as well.

Check out her delicious pound cake recipe that she uses.

Strawberry Tiramisu, I love a rich and creamy tiramisu. You can change up the berries using which ones that you like or even do a mixed berry version.

I have a confession to make, I never make my tiramisu with raw eggs, I prefer it without.

Limoncello Tart. ( Can you tell I love Limoncello?) This one has a crust that’s made with crushed amaretti cookies and it’s served with a blueberry sauce on the side.

It’s an amazing combination and a real show stopper!

Triple Zested Ricotta Cookies. Flavors of lemon, orange and lime are tasted through out every bite of this cookie.

They’ll look nice and pretty set out on your Easter dessert table, everyone loves a ricotta cookie, so light and refreshing!

Easter Italian Rice Pie with Rum Soaked Raisins. Arborio rice and soaked rum raisins nestled in with a mix of mascarpone and ricotta.

My little twist uses a phyllo crust which is very forgiving. The contrast between the creamy and the crunchy is out of this world good!

A very traditional Easter dessert with a little updated twist.

Anginetti, Italian Lemon Knot Cookies. This cookie goes by many names but one thing that remains the same is the taste. Intense lemon flavor with a soft texture to the bite. Another special occasion cookie and just perfect for Easter time.

I hope I’ve given you some inspiration with some of these Easter dessert options.

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1 Comment Filed Under: Cakes, Desserts, Spring, Sweet Tart Tagged: cookies, Easter desserts, lemon, Limoncello, pie, tart, tiramisu

Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey, Lemon and Djon Vinaigrette

February 27, 2020 by Marie 5 Comments

Easter is around the corner and I can’t think of a better side dish to have sitting next to your Easter ham. It’s a potato salad made with those pretty colored fingerling potatoes. It showcases a special creamy vinaigrette made with honey, lemon and Djon. The vinaigrette is the perfect compliment to the fingerlings because their light and mild flesh makes the flavors easy to absorb.

The flavors are bright and slightly tangy with a lighter version of a traditional potato salad. This salad can safely sit out and be served at room temperature because it’s made without mayonnaise, so keep this potato salad in mind for future BBQ’s, parties and picnics.

Adding hard boiled eggs, your favorite olives, parsley and sliced green onions round out all the flavors in this hearty potato salad.

Seek out fingerlings that are about the same size because you want them all to cook evenly together, sometimes you’ll see some larger ones in the mix.

Fingerlings boil up fast so be careful not to overcook them. You want the tip of a knife to go through easily but not so much so that the potato falls apart when poking it. Be mindful of that, so keep checking for doneness so they don’t fall apart and get mushy.

The vinaigrette is dreamy, you might want to double the recipe and have extra in the fridge so you can use it for a bunch of other dishes!

A while ago I ordered these balsamic pearls on line but never got around to using them, since they were lemon flavored I thought they would be a nice addition to this potato salad. This is totally optional, no need to add it to the recipe at all, but they are sort of fun!

Look closely, you’ll see them sitting on the surface.

Feel free to make this salad your own with inspiration of seasonal veggies like asparagus, peas, green beans or even corn, and maybe switching up some herbs and adding some arugula, all would go well with the flavors of honey, lemon and Djon.

I hope you seek out some of those vibrant fingerlings and make this delicious potato salad customized by you!

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Fingerling Potato Salad with Honey, Lemon and Djon

A potato salad you'll eat all year long!

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 lbs. vibrant colored fingerling potatoes, roughly same size and cut in half lengthwise
3 or 4 hardboiled eggs halved or quartered, your choice
½ cup or so of sliced olives, green or black
3 green onions sliced on the diagonal
balsamic pearls (optional)
Vinaigrette ingredients
1 big shallot or 2 small, finely chopped
chopped parsley, a handful
3 tablespoons of Djon mustard
2 tablespoons, lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of white balsamic vinegar
1 heaping tablespoon, honey
⅓ cup or so of good olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Whisk together all of the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl, taste to your liking, maybe you want it sweeter, add more honey, more tart, add a splash more vinegar or lemon juice or even more olive oil, then set aside.
Wash your potatoes really well.
Place them into cold water and let them reach a boil, then turn down heat to a medium simmer.
Test potatoes for doneness you don't want them mushy as stated in the post.
When finished cooking drain them and place the warm potatoes gently into a large serving dish.
Sprinkle in the green onions and olives all around the potatoes and arranging the hard boiled eggs.
Spoon the vinaigrette all over the warm potatoes so that flavors can absorb.
Taste and determine if salt and added pepper is needed, maybe sprinkle in more parsley, onions and olives as well.
Serve best at room temperature

5 Comments Filed Under: Salads, Side Dishes, Vegetables Tagged: easter side dish, fingerling potatoes, honey djon, honey mustard vinaigrette, picnic food, potato salad

Eggplant Parmesan Veggie “Meatballs”

February 21, 2020 by Marie 8 Comments

Who says meatballs all have to be made with meat? Here’s a great veggie alternative that’s made with eggplant. They’re lighter in texture but full of flavor!

These eggplant balls have a little chunk of mozzarella stashed into the center so they totally take on the eggplant parmesan taste through and through.

It’s simple to make with just a few steps like cubing the eggplant then sautéing it with a bit of olive oil and water. You want to make sure that the consistency is nice and soft.

Then you’re going to mash all that eggplant up just to make sure it gets nice and smooth, that’s going to make it really easy to mix with all the other ingredients.

When I make traditional Italian meatballs I always add egg, garlic, breadcrumbs, fresh parsley, pecorino and a bit of red pepper flakes, it’s the same with these eggplant parmesan veggie balls, it takes on those Italian flavors perfectly but without the meat!

Make sure you poke a hole into the center when forming your balls and place a cube of mozzarella inside, this will ensure that the cheese will ooze out just perfectly when you take a bite.

So delicious covered in a pool of warm marinara sauce, the smells and taste of eggplant parmesan is in every bite.

Eggplant parmesan that’s all rolled up into a meatball, what’s better than that? You can eat them with pasta or alone with just a salad and a hunk of bread, or you can make yourself a meatless “meatball” sandwich, it’s all good!

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5.0 from 1 reviews

Eggplant Parmesan Veggie "Meatballs"

Author: Marie

Ingredients

Eggplant, 2 or 3, depending on how large they are. Slice the tops and bottoms off, remove the skin peeling it off in a striped manner, keeping some on and some off, then cut the eggplant into small cubes
1 cup or more of toasted breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ cup or so grated pecorino romano
a small handful, chopped parsley
a few tablespoons, chopped basil
¼ cup water
olive oil
salt and pepper
a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
small cubes of fresh mozzarella to stuff inside
marinara sauce, 1 quart or less

Instructions

Heat oven to 375, spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.
Drizzle the bottom of a heated skillet with olive oil and place the cubes of eggplant inside.
Season with salt and pepper on the eggplant then pour in the ¼ cup of water tossing until the eggplant is cooked and very soft and tender.
Mash the eggplant mix with a potato masher until you get a nice smooth consistency, then let it cool down.
Grab a large bowl and add the cooled down eggplant, breadcrumbs, parsley, basil, pecorino, garlic, salt and pepper to taste and red pepper flakes, mix well.
If mixture seems too wet and more breadcrumbs.
Roll into balls then poke a whole in the center and add your cubed mozzarella making sure it's well inside and gets covered with eggplant mixture.
When all is rolled out place on oiled baking sheet then into the oven for around 20-25 minutes.
Plop the eggplant balls into warmed up marinara when done baking.
They're ready to serve!