Many Italians celebrate birthdays and other important events with a large fruit tart made from shortcrust pastry, custard and fresh fruit. Called a ‘crostata alla frutta’ you’ll often find it considered a traditional Italian dessert, and as we’re now in…
Italian desserts are many and varied but one of my favourites is the traditional panna cotta. It’s light and can be adapted to anyone’s taste, served with forest fruits or chocolate, and today we look at panna cotta with amaretti…
There’s nothing like a traditional tiramisù to finish an Italian meal, but the original Italian dessert also lends itself to many variations. Here we present you with a variation of the classic tiramisù: a mascarpone and maraschino mix. It’s definitely…
The crazy Italians have invented a new way to enjoy the indulgence of Italian gelato. Instead of going to one gelato shop and choosing from the various flavours on display, you can buy a “multi-gelataio” cup. This means you get…
There are many Italian cheeses that you can treat yourself to, and often the enjoyment is increased by choosing the right side serve for your cheese. With soft cheeses, aged cheese and everything right down to the simple ricotta or…
Much loved by children and adults alike, fans of Nutella should not be surprised that smaller creatures also find this typical Italian delicacy irresistable. Nutella has a unique flavour such that mice have also been discovered to have a predilection…
This regional Italian dish comes from the south of Italy and is particularly famous in Campania. I was very tempted to write “bloody” cake in the title but thought better of it. In any case, the name “torta di sanguinaccio”…
We’ve got a wonderful Italian winter treat for you with these easy, homemade nutella cookies. With temperatures dropping, there’s nothing like a little chocolate to get you in the mood for snow and lazy Sundays by the fire. These biscuits…
Bustrengo is a delicious cake from Romagna and Marche. Actually it’s most famous recipe is from a small village called Borghi in the hills around Cesena; it seems that every housewife in this old village has her own secret recipe…
The traditional Italian dessert of tiramisu is so simple that it’s one of those great dishes which lends itself to variation. So today we bring you tiramisu with a twist - coconut tiramisu for an Italian Christmas recipe. It’s also…
This yummy Italian Christmas recipe comes from Umbria and is a kind of walnut crunch called “le nociate”. Walnuts are frequently to be found in Italian cooking in various regions, including “nociate romane” from Rome and “copete ternane” from Terni,…
We return to the theme of the great Italian invention, Nutella. When I was a kid at school I used to buy the little packets at the canteen with the mini plastic spatchel which were sold for the pricely sum…
The Italian food festival you’ve all been waiting is nearly here, with Eurochocolate starting on October 16 in the home town of Baci Perugina. Every year, Perugia in Umbria hosts the chocolate festival, and this year opening the festival are…
The Italian Beekeepers’ Association has released a statement that the population of bees in Northern Italy is on the increase. This is positive news after a type of pesticide (neonicotinoids) had decimated the bee population and honey making for years.In…
Italian desserts for summer range from the classic gelato to semifreddo (great if you haven’t got an icecream maker) and they also know how to do a good mousse as well. This Italian recipe uses the traditional product of lemons…
This ricotta cake recipe comes from Sardinia and is a simple Italian dessert recipe made with limited ingredients.Take 600 grams of ricotta, 150 grams of sugar, three eggs and one sachet of saffron. For a stronger and more decisive taste,…
Panettone is Italy’s traditional Christmas dessert, but some people will indulge in Pandoro as well, which is often identified with Easter in Italy as the cake of choice for that season. If you’re like me, you’ll find Italian Christmas desserts…
While an olive oil Easter egg might not have much effect on Italian children who prefer Kinder Surprise Easter eggs, it could be an interesting match for olive oil buffs who also like chocolate.The unusual oil and chocolate match was…
With Michele Ferrero voted the richest Italian in the world, it’s time to find out why. With 9.5 billion dollars, the 82-year-old occupies first place on the Forbes list for his country, and is at 40th place overall.The Ferrero family…
The maritozzo is a small cake of sweetened dough typical of Rome; in the old days, this at least according to some chronicles, the maritozzi were cooked by young girls for their future husbands! Here‘s what you need (and it…
Today we’re going to look at this traditional Italian Christmas recipe from Bologna called the certosino. It’s a kind of cake or sweetbread which is also called panspeziale or ’spiced bread’. It’s made from a series of ingredients including dried…
I tasted this chestnut pie just a few days ago while in Val d’Aosta for a short break and I loved it, so here’s its recipe! Don’t worry, it’s as easy as pie!Ingredients: 500 g chestnut flour; 100 g raisings;…
This recipe comes from Italy’s great Salvatore de Riso pastry chef from the Amalfi Coast. While I have to find myself a recipe for Italy’s pear and chocolate cake, which is just to die for, in the meantime here is…