Molloy - Authentic italian desserts: 75 traditional favorites made easy

The author and publisher have provided this e-book to you for your personal use only. You may not make this e-book publicly available in any way. Copyright infringement is against the law. If you believe the copy of this e-book you are reading infringes on the authors copyright, please notify the publisher at: http://us.macmillanusa.com/piracy. TO MY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND READERS, THANK YOU. I suppose you are thinking, with a name like Rosemary Molloy, what would she know about Italian desserts? Who would have thought that at the age of 29, I would meet my future husband at a church dance? Not only that, but that he would turn out to be Italian, and I would leave my home, my family, my friends, my job and my country to start a new life.

Not me! And for sure no one who knew me. But, that is exactly what I did. I went from leading an independent life with a pretty good office job in downtown Toronto to picking olives, making wine and bottling my own tomato sauce in a small town outside Rome. I have to be honestsome days I saw it as a new adventure and other days I was down and homesick. The thought that I had made the biggest mistake of my life passed through my mind many times: Why didnt I insist on staying in Canada? But now I thank my wonderful husband, who convinced me to give this Italian life another chance. My early years in Italy were not easy.

Waiting for the mailman to see if someone had written, waiting for the weekly phone call from my momthese were difficult times, but I was lucky to find allies in my mother-in-law and sister-in-law. Not only were they patient with my Italian (or, more specifically, my lack of it), but they also showed me how amazing true cucina casareccia (Italian home cooking) was. For the first time, I tasted tiramisu, homemade pasta, homemade wine and fresh vegetables just picked from the garden. I have always enjoyed cooking, but my enjoyment turned into a passion. And, with the encouragement of a very good friend, that passion became my blog, An Italian in my Kitchen. I love sharing authentic Italian cooking, especially if its on the sweet side.

Italian cuisine is best known for lasagna, pizza and pastabut believe me, there are so many baked goods just waiting to be discovered. And that is exactly what I hope you find in this cookbook, whether you have been to Italy, wish to visit Italy or are Italian (or not), I want to help you discover the sweet side of Italian cooking. Enjoy!

If there was one thing I had to get used to when I moved to Italy, it was breakfast. Italians like to dunk everything in their morning caff latte, and my husband is probably one of the guiltiest. He told me that nothing was ever wasted or thrown away in his home when he was growing up. Even dried bread was soaked in warm milk for breakfast, and if they were lucky, then they might find a homemade cake or a few biscotti.

I dont like dunking, but I do appreciate that Italians have what they call breakfast cakes. They are less moist than what we North Americans are used to, which makes them wonderful dunking cakes or the perfect companions to a morning coffee or tea.

Makes 1 (9-inch [23-cm]) cake 2 cups + 2 tbsp (218 g) all-purpose flour Pinch of salt 1 tsp (6 g) baking powder 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1 cups (256 g) granulated sugar 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla extract cup + 2 tbsp (210 ml) milk 1 tbsp (11 g) unsweetened cocoa powder Powdered sugar (optional) This easy Bundt cake has become one of my go-to cakes whenever we have a craving for breakfast cake. It goes perfectly with a cup of coffee or latte. I have even served it for dessert when company was comingserve it with a scoop of ice cream and its perfect. It is so simple to make and the addition of cocoa gives it a subtle chocolate undertone.

Preheat the oven to 350F (177C), then grease and flour a 9-inch (23-cm) Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and granulated sugar for approximately 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Slowly add the vegetable oil and vanilla, beating to combine. Then, add the flour mixture a little at a time, beating between additions. Add the milk and beat to combine.

Pour two-thirds of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining one-third of the batter and stir until well combined. Spoon the cocoa batter on top of the plain batter and swirl lightly with the tip of a knife. Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely and dust it with powdered sugar (if using) before serving.

Makes 1 (10-inch [25-cm]) roll cake cup + 1 tbsp (56 g) all-purpose flour tsp (3 g) baking powder 4 eggs, separated cup + 2 tbsp (78 g) granulated sugar cup (33 g) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting to cup (110 to 165 g) homemade or store-bought jam I always thought roll cakes were a bit intimidating, but this cake bakes and rolls very easily.

It has a delicious, delicate flavor, and you can change it up every time with a different jam filling, which means it doesnt have to just be for breakfast. Preheat the oven to 350F (177C), then line a 10 x 14-inch (25 x 35-cm) baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. In another medium bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes, then add the flour mixture a little at a time, beating on low to combine. Gently fold in the egg whites until well combined.

Pour the cake batter onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it out evenly with a spatula. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center. Remove the cake from the oven and immediately turn it upside down on a clean kitchen tea towel that has been dusted with the powdered sugar. Gently remove the parchment paper. Starting with the short side of the cake, roll up the warm cake and towel together into a pinwheel. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack, then unroll it carefully and spread the jam on top.

Roll the cake back up, place it on a serving plate and dust it with additional powdered sugar before serving.