Proud Italian Cook

Chocolate Dipped Polenta Biscotti with Amaretto and Anise

December 2, 2018 by Marie 7 Comments

The holiday season is upon us and it’s time to start making some cookies! Each year I love to bake a few different kinds of biscotti, this year these polenta biscotti will make an appearance.

Biscotti are so nice to have around when people stop by to visit, they store very well when baked early on during the holidays and hardly ever lose their crunch factor.

Speaking of crunch factor, these particular biscotti have the addition of fine granules of polenta incorporated into the dough which results in a rustic and crunchy texture.

Almost eleven years ago on this blog I did a post on polenta biscotti but since then I have upgraded both my photos and added a little twist to the original along with more detail for you, so this is my revised version.

As well as the polenta, anise seeds are crucial to this recipe along with a light touch of amaretto liquor which can easily be replaced with almond extract if need be. You can adorn them with dark chocolate or not, but for the holidays and any special occasion or for gifting the dip of chocolate on one end makes for a prettier presentation, and it sure tastes good!

When the logs are finished baking it’s important to let them cool down completely before you slice them for the second baking.

I like slicing them on the diagonal and always use a serrated knife to make clean cuts. Often times I use an old fashioned electric knife that I have and it works wonders for slicing biscotti.

After you’ve baked the individual slices again make sure they are completely cooled before you start to dunk them into the pool of melted chocolate. After dipping just the one end and while the chocolate is still warm, immediately scatter some sliced almonds over the top so they can stick as the chocolate starts to cool.

Leave them on parchment then stick them into the fridge for maybe fifteen minutes so the chocolate can set.

I like to store mine in pretty boxes or tins, preferably rectangle shaped so that they fit nicely, with layers of wax paper in between, just keep them in a cool place and they’ll be fine.

Whether you gift this to someone you love or keep the stash for yourself these polenta biscotti are so worth making!

Get the coffee going, grab a biscotti and enjoy the season!

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

5.0 from 1 reviews

Chocolate Dipped Polenta Biscotti with Amaretto and Anise

Author: Marie

Ingredients

4 cups un-bleached all purpose flour
¾ cup of instant polenta granules
1½ cups sugar
1½ teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons of anise seeds
3 large eggs
½ cup of sliced almonds plus extra for garnishing chocolate
10 tablespoons of melted butter
2 or 3 teaspoons of amaretto liquor or ½ teaspoon of almond extract
dark chocolate chips for melting
¼ teaspoon of vegetable shortening to smooth out the chocolate when melting

Instructions

Melt butter, set aside. Heat oven to 350F
In a large bowl add the flour, polenta, baking powder, anise seed and almonds. Whisk by hand to incorporate.
In a smaller bowl with a hand mixer, beat the sugar with the melted butter and get it throughly mixed, then add in one egg at a time still mixing until light and fluffy, then add the amaretto and combine.
Combine the dry ingredients with the wet mixing with hand beater to get it all incorporated so you're able to form your logs.
If you see some dry crumbles add a tiny bit of milk and gather up the dough.
Once dough is nice and smooth form it into two logs, 9x4 around ¾ inch thick.
Place both logs onto a rimmed parchment lined baking sheet, make sure to flatten down the tops of the logs gently.
Bake logs at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes depending on your oven, then let them cool completely before slicing.
When it's time to slice them, cut on the diagonal being careful with a serrated or electric knife.
Place the slices down on one side and bake them for 5 minutes.
Take them out after 5 minutes, flip them over on the other side, put them back in the oven and bake for another five minutes.
Take them out to check for desired golden color, I did mine for one more additional 5 minutes, ovens vary and so does every ones crunch factor.
Let them cool completely before dunking into chocolate.
MELTING CHOCOLATE
Place some of the chocolate into a microwave proof cup, along with the bit of shortening and check in 20 second increments until its melted, check and stir. You may need to melt more, but a little goes along way.
Take one end of your biscotti and dunk it into the chocolate and immediately onto parchment paper, then scatter your nuts on top.
When finished dunking all your biscotti place them into the fridge for 15 minutes so the chocolate can set.
Enjoy!
This can be stored in tin cans or boxes in between layers of wax paper for a few weeks, if they last that long.

7 Comments Filed Under: Cookies Tagged: amaretto, anise, biscotti, chocolate dipped, polenta biscotti, xmas cookies

Italian Meatloaf

November 25, 2018 by Marie 4 Comments

This is my version of Italian meatloaf, it’s rich and meaty, bursting with flavors of garlic, asiago, herbs and pecorino cheese and it has a tasty red pepper sauce infusing the inside as well as the outside.

What can I say, meatloaf is homey, classic comfort food. This Italian meatloaf is something I make during the colder months. I like eating this with a big Italian salad or maybe roasted potatoes and sometimes the classic mashed, you can’t go wrong with either.

You can slather the top with a red pepper sauce like store bought or homemade, or even just as good a chunky marinara. You’re then going to finish it off with some fresh mozzarella which you’ll stick on at the end for a few minutes just until it starts to melt and ooze out.

You can use whatever ground meat mixture you like, I used all ground beef in mine.

Not only is this delicious for dinner but the next day you can slice it up for sandwiches with some good bread and crunchy lettuce.

FYI, If you’re lucky enough to have a Trader Joe’s near you, sometimes I cheat and buy this fabulous spread, it’s filled with red peppers, a bit of garlic and eggplant and it’s so delicious smeared all over the meatloaf as it bakes, and so convenient!

5.0 from 1 reviews

Italian Meatloaf

Good old-fashioned meatloaf with an Italian twist

Author: Marie

Ingredients

2 lbs. ground beef or ground meat of your choice
3 garlic cloves minced
½ chopped onion
handful of shredded carrots
handfull of grated pecorino romano
2 eggs
½ cup panko
¼ cup red pepper sauce or marinara thats on the thicker side
¾ cup asiago cheese, diced small
chopped basil and parsley for seasoning
salt and pepper
Additional red pepper sauce or thick marinara, enough to slather the top of the meatloaf
3 slices of fresh mozzarella
Fresh basil for garnish

Instructions

Mix everything together in a big bowl.
Form meat mixture into a loaf.
Place meatloaf into baking dish
Smother with enough red pepper sauce or marinara to cover it from end to end.
Bake at 375F for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until meat thermometer reaches 160.
Last 5 minutes or so place mozzarella on top and let it start to melt and ooze.
Garnish with basil leaves on top of melted mozzarella.

4 Comments Filed Under: Meats, Sauces Tagged: comfort food, Italian style, meatloaf, red pepper sauce

Ciabatta Bread Stuffing With Sausage And Herbs

November 6, 2018 by Marie 6 Comments

Turkey time is here and now is the time to start planning our menus for the big Thanksgiving Day feast. We all have our tried and true recipes that we serve on that day the one’s that our families count on every year, and this is one of mine, my ciabatta bread stuffing with sausage and herbs.

You might think that I use Italian sausage but I don’t. This stuffing is made with good old Bob Evans breakfast sausage, it comes in a roll a pork sausage that’s flavored with sage and other ingredients, I use it every year in my stuffing and I dare not change it for fear of a revolt!

Ciabatta bread is the key to this stuffing, it gives it a nice rustic feel and texture, it’s crunchy and slightly chewy and it holds up well when broth is added to soften.

I like to prep things ahead of time doing as much as I can the day before. You can easily prep the bread which should be day old and not super fresh. After it gets cubed up it gets dried out in the oven on a low temp, then left out overnight.

The sausage of course can be cooked up in advance as well, drained on paper towels and when cooled placed into a container and put into the fridge.

The celery and onions also get prepped and sautéed with a stick of butter, cooled down then place into a zip bag ready to be thrown together with the other ingredients the next day.

The morning of Thanksgiving Day everything gets dumped into a nice big bowl for easy mixing with some additional added ingredients.

Once everything is throughly incorporated and mixed well it goes into a buttered casserole dish which is the way I prefer to make it, however feel free to stuff some into your turkey if that’s how you like it.

Over the years we’ve come to love making three whole breasts out on the grill, everyone in my family prefers white meat, so that gives us plenty for everyone to eat plus leftovers to take home and the bonus of freeing up my oven for the sides.

Crispy, crunchy bites that form all over the top, nicely seasoned with the perfect amount of moisture underneath it all, it’s delicious!

Happy Thanksgiving!

5.0 from 2 reviews

Ciabatta Bread Stuffing With Sausage And Herbs

I usually double or triple this recipe for a crowd but I broke it down as best I could for you for one recipe.

Author: Marie

Ingredients

1½ lb. ciabatta bread, the bottom sliced off if too crusty along with the ends with a serrated knife, then the remaining sliced into 1 inch cubes ( you could use 2 lbs. depending how much you want to make)
1 lb. pork breakfast sausage, like Bob Evans in a roll preferably with extra sage
1 quart box of stock, turkey or chicken, you might use more or less
1 large onion, diced small
6 ribs of celery with leaves, diced small
1½ sticks, unsalted butter
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 finely minced garlic cloves
1 egg, beaten
dried sage, thyme, salt and pepper for seasoning
Sage leaves for garnish

Instructions

PREPPING THE STUFFING THE DAY BEFORE:
Place the cubed bread on a sheet pan and into the oven at 250, turning until all sides are very dried out, remove and set aside.
In a large sauce pan melt the stick of butter add the onions, garlic and celery, sauté on low until soft, let it cool then place into a container or zip bag for the morning of Thanksgiving.
In the same pan you cooked the celery and onions cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces with a wooden spoon and cooking until you see no pink. Place on paper towels to drain, let it cool then place into fridge in a container or zip bag.
THE MORNING OF THANKSGIVING;
In a very large bowl add the dried bread cubes, celery, onion and garlic mixture, chopped parsley and the cooked sausage.
In a small sauce pan add the stock and additional ½ stick of butter, let the butter melt in the stock, don't boil it just warm it.
Then cup by cup add the stock to the big bowl of stuffing ingredients, stirring until moistened not drenched in liquid. Remember you don't want a soggy, mushy stuffing, you want the bread to keep it's shape slightly.
Start to add your dried sage, thyme, salt and pepper, this is a personal taste, so taste as you go everything is cooked.
Start out with teaspoons then taste and stir, adding more, but always taste it.
When you think the moisture is good enough and the seasoning just right stir in the egg until it's all incorporated throughly.
Butter a 9x12 inch casserole dish with deep sides and pour the stuffing mixture into it.
Heat oven to 375F
Cover pan loosely with foil for around 30 minutes then uncover, garnish with sage leaves and let the top crisp up for an additional 20-30 minutes more.