Carla Hale - The Food of Sicily: Sicilian Cookbook for the Italian Food Lover

To kick things off, we have a delicious Sicilian recipe that even the pickiest of children wont be able to say no to. They are perfect to make during the holiday season.

Makes: 36 servings

Total Prep Time: 1 hour

Ingredients for the dough:

• cup of butter, soft
• cup of white sugar
• cup of light brown sugar
• tsp. of baking soda
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp. of pure vanilla
• tsp. of salt
• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

Ingredients for the filling:

• 1 cup of mission figs, stems removed
• cup of dates, pitted and chopped
• cup of orange juice
• 1/3 cup candied orange peel, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. of white sugar
• 1 tsp. of lemon zest
• tsp. of powdered cinnamon
• 1/3 cup of almonds, blanched and chopped
• 2 Tbsp. of spiced rum

Ingredients for the glaze:

• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 2 to 3 tsp. of lemon juice
• Rainbow sprinkles, for decorating

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl, add in the butter. Beat with an electric mixer for 1 minute or until smooth in consistency. Add in the white sugar, light brown sugar and baking soda. Beat again to mix. Add in the beaten egg, pure vanilla and teaspoon of salt. Beat again until evenly incorporated.
2. Add in the 1 cup of flour. Beat again until just mixed.
3. Divide the dough in half. Form each half into a large rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and set into the fridge to chill for 3 hours.
4. In a saucepan set over medium to high heat, add in the mission figs, pitted dates, orange juice, candied orange, white sugar, lemon zest and powdered cinnamon. Stir well to mix and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to low and cook for 5 to 8 minutes or until the fruit is soft.
5. Remove from heat and add in the chopped almonds and the spiced rum. Stir well to mix. Cover and set aside to cool completely.
6. Heat up the oven to 375 degrees. Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
7. Remove the dough from the fridge. Set aside to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
8. Set a sheet of parchment paper onto a flat surface. Dust the flat surface with flour and roll out on piece of the dough until 10 inches in length. Slice into 10-inch-long slices.
9. Spread of the filling into the center of each dough strip. Roll the dough over the filling and seal the edges. Place onto the baking sheet. Repeat with the second dough piece and filling.
10. Place into the oven to bake for 12 minutes or until light brown. Remove from the oven and slice each strip into 1 inch sized pieces. Transfer onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11. In a bowl, add in the powdered sugar and lemon juice. Whisk well until smooth in consistency. Drizzle the glaze over each piece. Serve.

Make this delicious and traditional chicken soup whenever you are feeling under the weather. It is incredibly simple to make, you will be able to put it together regardless of your cooking skill.

Makes: 10 to 12 servings

Total Prep Time: 2 hours and 55 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1, 4 to 5 pound whole chicken, giblets removed
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 ribs of celery, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 red bell peppers, seeds removed and chopped
• 2 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1, 14.5 ounce can of tomatoes, chopped
• cup of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
• Dash of salt and black pepper
• pound of Ditalini pasta

Directions:

1. In a pot set over medium to high heat, add in the whole chicken, chopped onion, chopped red bell peppers, chopped ribs of celery, chopped carrots, chopped potatoes and can of tomatoes. Stir well to mix.
2. Cover by 1 inch with water and allow to come to a boil.
3. Add in the chopped flat leaf parsley and chopped garlic. Season with a dash of salt and black pepper.
4. Lower the heat to low. Cover and cook for 2 hours or until the chicken begins to fall off the bone.
5. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred. Toss out the skin and bones of the chicken. Place the shredded chicken back into the pot.
6. Prepare the Ditalini pasta according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, drain the pasta and place into a bowl.
7. Use a potato masher and mash the soup until the potatoes are smooth.
8. Pour the soup over the noodles and serve immediately.