Dessert

Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Biscotti

November 13, 2020 by Marisa Leave a Comment

A fun and delicious recipe for Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Biscotti topped with sugar granules. These orange scented, once baked biscotti are made with pasta frolla, which is basically an Italian sweet pastry dough. It renders these Italian filled cookies ever so tender with a crumbly bite.

As family and friends know me well…I LOVE to bake cookies. As you can attest to the many cookie recipes on my blog! So it’s pretty safe to say that this is my favourite time of the year.

These pre-holiday days are a prelude to all the sweet delectable treats just waiting to happen.

So when recently a colleague of mine asked if I had a Nutella cookie recipe…well I knew it wouldn’t be long before one made an appearance here!

These hazelnut biscotti filled with Nutella stand apart from the more traditional twice baked variety.

For one, they’re made with an Italian sweet pastry dough. This type of dough is often used in Italian baking to make crostata, tarts and even cookies.

It’s quite easy to make and you can use a stand mixer, a food processor or simply your hands.

Also, notably different is that the dough is rolled out flat, spread with Nutella, re-rolled into a log and baked once.

Let me tell you friends…the Nutella filling makes for one heavenly hazelnut biscotti recipe.

You’ll find the Nutella’s unique creaminess makes it a perfect spreadable concoction over this rolled out biscotti dough.

How to Make Pasta Frolla for Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Cookies

Place the flour, finely ground hazelnuts, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest in the bowl of a stand mixer.
With the paddle attachment stir to combine.
Alternately, you can use a food processor to follow the same directions. Simply pulse to combine.

Add in the cold cubed butter.
With the paddle attachment, mix on medium low speed until you achieve a coarse sandy consistency. If there’s a few larger pieces that’s ok.

Mix in the slightly beaten eggs along with both the vanilla and amaretto extracts until well combined.
You will have a soft workable dough ready to be divided into two fairly equal portions.

How to Shape Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Biscotti

To shape and fill these Italian rolled cookies is really quite simple.

You’ll need a rolling pin and two sheets of wax or parchment paper to easily shape and roll the stuffed biscotti.

Also have ready a parchment lined cookie sheet standing nearby so you can easily transfer the biscotti logs onto the baking sheet.

Now we’re ready to roll these Italian chocolate filled cookies!

Divide the biscotti dough into 2 portions.
Working with one piece of dough at a time, keep the other piece covered with cling wrap so it doesn’t dry out.
On a work surface, roll out the piece of dough between two sheets of wax paper to approximately 12 inches long, six inches wide and about 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top sheet of wax paper while leaving the bottom sheet underneath the rolled dough. (you’ll be using it to help roll the biscotti log)
Spread some Nutella over the rolled out dough to about a half inch off the edges.

How to Roll Nutella Biscotti

Start rolling the log from the longest width with the help of the wax paper underneath it by lifting the paper up and easing the dough over the Nutella.
Continue rolling by hanging on to the wax paper as you roll.
Seal the edges by pinching the dough together and tucking them underneath.
With the help of the wax paper, lift and transfer the logs onto the prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
Make sure to leave enough room between the 2 logs because they will spread out somewhat.

Brush the biscotti logs with the beaten egg white. This helps the decorative sugar granules to adhere and gives the Nutella biscotti a lovely sheen.
Alternately, you can substitute the decorative granular sugar with Sanding or Turbinado sugar or not.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for approximately 35 minutes.
The Nutella biscotti will be golden brown in colour when ready and will feel firm to the touch.

This is a delicate dough so you’ll need to allow the Nutella cookies sufficient time to cool off before slicing.

I let them cool off by placing the cookie tray directly over a cooling rack for about 20 to 30 minutes.

This way you’ll get nice neat cuts when slicing the cookies.

I wouldn’t recommend a serrated knife for these rolled cookies because they’ll easily break apart.

Do use a sharp sturdy knife with the tip pointed downwards to make swift fluid cuts.

Also, you can slice them at a diagonal or straight up. Diagonally cut biscotti will yield more of an elongated shaped cookie. It’s just a matter of preference!

What can I use instead of Nutella

If you’re not a fan of Nutella…well we might just have to reconsider our friendship!

But all kidding aside, you can replace the Nutella for any chocolate spread of your choice. And nowadays that’s saying a lot as there are so many to choose from.

Peanut butter would also work and is just wonderful in these Chocolate Peanut Butter Biscotti.

Jams also make a perfect substitute and is my choice when baking Italian Bocconotti Cookies which are also made with an Italian pastry dough.

How Long Do Biscotti Keep

Because of the higher fat content in these Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Biscotti they’ll have a shorter shelf life then ones made with a little or no fat.

Biscotti with no fat, such as butters or oils, tend to keep for about a month in an airtight container. Whereas ones with little fat content usually keep for about 2 weeks.

These Nutella filled biscotti are at their freshest stored in an airtight container for up to one week for optimal flavour. However, at my house they only last a few days.

They’re all perfectly delicious and perfectly dunkable.

Happy Baking!

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0 from 0 votes

Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Biscotti

A fun and delicious recipe for Nutella and hazelnut rolled biscotti topped with sugar granules. These orange scented, once baked biscotti are made with a shortcrust pastry dough and have a tender crumbly bite.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time35 mins

Resting time20 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Nutella and Hazelnut Rolled Biscotti

Servings:

Calories: 132kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

2¼ cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole roasted hazelnuts (see notes below) finely ground
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
orange zest from a medium size orange
3/4 cup cold butter cubbed
2 large eggs lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon amaretto extract

Biscotti Filling

2/3 cup Nutella or any hazelnut spread of choice

Topping for Biscotti

beaten egg white from a large egg
1/2 cup sugar granules optional

Instructions

Place the flour, hazelnuts, sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest directly in the bowl of a stand mixer and stir to combine.
Add in the cubed butter and mix together till you get a sandy texture.
Mix in the beaten eggs and extracts until well combined and you have a soft workable dough.
Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces.
Work with one piece at a time while keeping the other covered.
Place one piece of dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper.
Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to approximately 12 inches long and 6 inches wide. And, approximately 1/4 inch thick.
Remove the top parchment paper while keeping the bottom one in place.
Spread half of the Nutella over the dough till about a 1/2 inch from the edge.
Gently start rolling the log from the longest width with the help of the wax paper underneath it by lifting the paper up and easing the dough over the Nutella.
Continue rolling by hanging on to the wax paper as you roll.
Seal the edges by pinching the dough together and tucking them underneath.
With the help of the wax paper, lift and transfer the log onto the prepared baking sheet, seam side down.
Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.
Make sure to leave enough room between the 2 logs because they will spread out somewhat.
Brush the tops of the logs with the beaten egg whites.
Sprinkle the tops of the biscotti logs with the sugar granules.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F., for approximately 35 minutes.
When ready the biscotti logs will have a deep golden brown colour and will feel firm to the touch.
Allow the biscotti logs to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes before slicing into 1 inch slices.
Cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Notes

NOTE: The 1/2 cup of roasted hazelnuts are measured whole and then ground to a fine consistency.

Nutrition

Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

October 29, 2020 by Marisa 46 Comments

These Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting are a two bite marvel and an absolute delicious treat for Halloween. The swirl of orange tinted cream cheese frosting is dipped in a chocolate glaze and topped with sprinkles.

When it comes to Halloween baking, I’m not really much into the creepy, spooky or ghoulish treats. I’m more into something that has the cutesy factor.

These adorable mini brownie bites sure do and some! They’re rich, chocolaty and dense in texture without being overly sweet.

If you are fairly new to baking, you will find them delightfully easy to make. And if piping the frosting seems somewhat intimidating to you, simply give it a try by practicing first.

Set a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper on a counter. Fit any piping tip of your choice into a pastry bag and fill the bag with frosting.

Start piping directly onto your parchment lined cookie sheet. Then simply scrape off the frosting back into the pastry bag and you’re good to go. Easy right!

The brownie recipe comes from one of my favourite magazines, Better Homes and Garden.

I tweaked it somewhat, simply for personal taste, by using a luscious cream cheese frosting.

Then, I tinted the frosting with orange icing colour and switched it up to give it a Halloween flare. I just adore the chocolate and cream cheese combination!

You’ll need 3, 12 hole mini muffin pans to make this recipe. It’s a worthy investment as this recipe is one you’ll be making over and over again.

It’s super easy to make and totally fun! You can also adapt this recipe to suit any occasion of your choice!

How to make mini brownie bites

Place the flour and cocoa powder in a small mixing bowl.
Stir together and set aside while you beat the sugar with the eggs.

In a separate medium sized mixing bowl, add in the sugar and eggs.
Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until thick and pale yellow in colour, about 2 minutes.

Mix in the flour and cocoa mixture, just until smooth.
Add in 1/2 cup of melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared mini muffin tins. I used a 1 and a half inch cookie scoop but you can just as easily use teaspoons to measure out the batter.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F, for about 10 to 12 minutes.
Test for doneness by inserting a wooden skewer in the middle. If it comes out clean, then the brownies are ready.

Place the brownies on a cooling rack.
Allow the brownies to cool in the tins for about 5 minutes before gently releasing them.
Once removed from the baking tins, transfer them back to the rack to cool completely before frosting.

How to make coloured cream cheese frosting

To make the frosting you’ll need:

cream cheese
butter
powdered sugar
vanilla extract
Orange icing colour

Combine the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until combined.

Alternately, you can also use a food processor to mix the frosting ingredients together.

Tint the icing with orange icing colour. Colouring for frostings are sold in a gel form. Don’t use the liquid colourings as those are for cake batters.

A little goes a long way so start with a little bit at a time or, until you get the desired colour. I used approximately 1/8 of a teaspoon.

Use a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting onto each brownie. (I used the 1M tip from Wilton, not sponsored).

You’ll need to refrigerate the frosted brownies for 30 minutes. This will set the frosting and makes it easier to dip into the chocolate glaze which also helps set the glaze.

How to make chocolate dipping glaze

For the chocolate glaze, place 1/4 cup of cubed butter, 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a small sauce pot over low heat and stir until melted and smooth.

Then simply remove it from the heat and stir in the corn syrup.

Set it aside and let it cool for about 10 minutes.

Once cooled dip the top of each brownie, about 3 quarters in, into the chocolate glaze.

Sprinkle the mini brownies with nonpareils and refrigerate till the chocolate is set, for about 15 minutes.

These mini brownie bites with cream cheese frosting store very well in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days.

They’re adorable, fun and oh so yummy!

Happy Baking!

Other Halloween treats you’ll love:

Ossi Di Morto Bones of the Dead

Chocolate Popcorn Halloween Cupcakes

This post was originally published Oct 29 2015 and republished Oct 29, 2020 with updated photos and content.

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5 from 1 vote

Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

These mini chocolate brownies topped with orange tinted cream cheese and dipped in melted chocolate are a delicious two bite marvel. They make a perfect Halloween treat topped with festive sprinkles.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time12 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Mini Brownie Bites with Cream Cheese Frosting

Servings: Mini Brownies

Calories: 150kcal

Equipment

Mini muffin tins

Ingredients

CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

2/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch processed cocoa powder
2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter melted

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

125 grams cream cheese
1/2 cup cold butter
2½ cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon orange icing colour (optional) I used Wilton's gel colour

CHOCOLATE GLAZE

1/4 cup butter cubbed
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
4 teaspoons corn syrup light coloured
Halloween sprinkles optional

Instructions

MINI BROWNIES

Preheat ove to 350 degrees F.
Grease mini muffin pans or line with mini paper cups.
Place the flour and cocoa powder in a small bowl, stir and set aside.
Beat the sugar and eggs together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes or until thick and pale yellow in colour.
Beat in the flour mixture just until smooth.
Add in 1/2 cup of melted butter and stir until combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin tins.
Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes or when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool in the pan for about 5 minutes then carefully remove the brownies from the baking pan and transfer on a wire rack to cool completely.

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Combine all the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl and beat until well combined.
Tint the frosting with the orange icing colour. A little goes a long way so start with a little bit at a time and stir till you get the desired shade of orange. I barley used 1/8 of a teaspoon.
Use a large pastry bag fitted with a star tip to pipe the frosting onto each brownie. I use the 1M tip from Wilton.
Refrigerate the frosted brownies for 30 minutes. This will set the frosting making it much easier to dip in the chocolate.

ChOCOLATE GLAZE

Place 1/4 cup of cubed butter and 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate in a small sauce pot.
On low heat, stir until the butter is melted and the chocolate mixture is smooth.
Remove the mixture from the heat and stir in the corn syrup.
Ste the glaze aside to cool for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled, dip the top of each brownie into the chocolate glaze.
Top with the Halloween sprinkles and refrigerate until the chocolate sets. For about 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

These mini brownie bites with cream cheese frosting store very well in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Nutrition

Classic Pizzelle: Italian Wafer Cookies

October 19, 2020 by Marisa 2 Comments

A recipe for Classic Pizzelle Cookies baked in an electric pizzelle press machine. These popular Italian cookies are anise flavoured, with specks of anise seeds throughout the cookie. And for chocoholics, there’s a variation for you as well.

Italian pizzelle are thin wafer-like cookies. They’re light, crisp and make a perfect accompaniment to an after diner digestif or just about anytime really!

These Italian wafer cookies are extremely popular during the Christmas and Easter holidays. But they also often make an appearance at other special occasions such as baptisms or communions and family gatherings.

The very first time I made these cookies were with anise seeds harvested from my dad’s garden. Nowadays, I contend myself with the store bought variety since dad’s garden lies mostly dormant.

I have tried many different ones and I must say my absolute favourite is the anise pizzelle speckled with some aromatic anise seeds. Both the anise seeds and extract are my go to flavour choices when making Chocolate Anise Biscotti.

However, if you’re not a fan of anise you can substitute the anise extract and seeds with vanilla, lemon or even almond extract.

Although wonderful all on their own, you can dust them with some powdered sugar for a little extra sweetness. Or not!

Served side by side, both the anise and chocolate variety make a striking combo

Pizzelle Recipe with Butter

Although you can make pizzelle with vegetable or canola oil, I much prefer the richness in flavour of the butter in these thin wafers.

Prep all your Ingredients for Anise Pizzelle

1 and 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon anise seeds
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon anise extract

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, anise seeds and set aside.
In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about one minute, just until thickened.

Reduce the speed to low and add in the melted butter, anise extract and mix just until all ingredients are combined, for about 15 seconds.
Next, add in the flour mixture and also mix until combined for another 15 seconds. Don’t over mix the batter.

If you’re not ready to bake the cookies at this point, you can cover the bowl with cling wrap and refrigerate till ready to bake.

Simply bring the cookie batter to room temperature, for 30 minutes, before baking.

Tips for making perfect Classic Pizzelle

Depending on the type of pizzelle maker you have, you might need to grease the top and bottom grids for easy release of the cookies.

Use a flavourless vegetable oil or melted vegetable shortening.

I used a baking spray and it worked wonders. I only needed to grease the grids once for the entire recipe.

Scoop out approximately 1 and a half to 2 teaspoons of batter onto the hot cookie grids, while placing the batter just a little behind the centre of the patterned grid. This way, when closing the lid, the batter gets pushed forward to the centre yielding a more evenly rounded looking cookie.

I used teaspoons to drop the batter onto the hot grid but you can also use a small cookie scoop.

Close the lid, lock and bake.

My pizzelle press comes with different level settings for browning. I set mine at number 4 and baked the cookies for 60 seconds because I love them golden and crisp.

But if you prefer a lighter colour, reduce the baking time.

If you have a different pizzelle iron, follow the manufacturers instructions.

When ready, use a heat proof spatula to remove the cookies and place them in one single layer on a wire rack to cool.

Don’t worry too much if it spreads out from the outer circle, you can simply round off the edges with a scissor.

Things to do with Pizzelle

These thin Italian cookies can also be transformed into various shapes. Pizzelle, while still warm, can be rolled into cannoli shells and filled with sweetened ricotta.

To form the cannoli shape you’ll need a wooden or metallic dowel. The wooden dowel seen in the photo above actually came with my pizzelle iron but you can just as easily use the handle of a wooden spoon.

You can also sandwich 2 cookies together with ice-cream. Or you can turn a few into wafer cones and edible bowls to be used in a variety of ways.

Turning the wafer cookies into edible bowls is really quite fun to do!

Here I used a small liquor glass to form an edible ice-cream bowl.

Simply invert a cookie while still warm and pliable onto the glass while applying a gentle pressure downwards to shape the cookie. Take care not to crack the cookie and let cool inverted over the glass.

Then when ready to serve, top the cookie bowl with a scoop or two of your favourite ice cream.

Another delicious filling for these edible bowls is freshly whipped up Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Romanoff. This would definitely make an incredibly beautiful dessert to impress family and friends.

A Quick Tip: Lighter coloured cookies are easier to mold or roll than the darker ones. The darker they are, the crispier they get and will easily crack when shaped.

I love pairing and serving both the anise and chocolate cookies together. So if you’re a chocoholic as I am, follow the instructions below to satisfy your chocolate cravings.

Variation: For the Double Chocolate Pizzelle

To make double chocolate cookies, reduce the flour to 1 and a half cups.
Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture.
Add 2 ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate to the sugar and butter mixture.
Omit both the anise seeds and extract.
Add 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract.

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5 from 2 votes

Classic Pizzelle: Italian Wafer Cookies

Anise and chocolate flavoured, Classic Italian Pizzelle Cookies. These Italian wafer cookies are light, crispy and incredibly easy to make. They can also be turned into edible bowls or cannoli shells.

Cook Time2 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Italian Wafer Cookies, Pizzelle

Servings:

Calories: 101kcal

Author: Marisa

Equipment

Pizzelle Press

Ingredients

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon anise seeds
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoon anise extract

Instructions

PIZZELLE BATTER

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and anise seeds.
Place the eggs and sugar in a separate bowl.
With a hand held mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar for about 1 minute till thickened slightly.
Reduce the speed to low and mix in the melted butter and anise extract for about 15 seconds.
Mix in the flour just until combined, beating for about 15 seconds.
Don't over mix the batter.

Prep your pizzelle press according to manufacturers instructions.

I first set my Cuisinart electric press at number 4 and proceed with the recipe.
Grease the top and bottom grids with a non stick spray and preheat.
Spoon out 1 ½ to 2 teaspoons of batter onto each cookie grid while centring the batter just a little behind the middle of the patterned grid. (when closing the lid the batter gets pushed forward slightly, yielding a more evenly rounded cookie.
Close and lock the lid while crisping the cookies for about 60 seconds.
When ready use a heat proof spatula to remove the pizzelle and transfer to a wire rack (in a single file) to cool completely.
Repeat with the remaining batter.
Store in an airtight container for optimal freshness.
See chocolate variation in the notes below.½

Notes

Variation:

Double Chocolate Pizzelle

Reduce the flour to 1 and a half cups.
Add 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to the flour mixture
Add 2 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate (melted) to the sugar and butter mixture.
Omit both the anise seeds and extract and replace with 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract.

Recipe is adapted from the Cuisinart manual with a slight tweak in the Anise Pizzelle.

Nutrition

Italian Grape Cake Recipe

September 6, 2020 by Marisa 6 Comments

An incredibly moist Italian Grape Cake Recipe made with olive oil and scented with orange zest, almond and a hint of thyme. It’s an Italian-style harvest cake and a simple yet perfect way of baking with grapes.

Fall is fast approaching and with it comes a whole new season of culinary delights.

In Italy, grapes are harvested between the end of August to mid October. During this period it’s quite customary to present a dish or sweet treat with the newly harvested foods.

Alas, since I’m nowhere near Italy at the moment, I look no further than my favourite farmer’s market for the best grapes I could find.

Which now begs the question, have you spotted these Thomcord grapes yet?

Thomcord grapes are a hybrid of the seedless Thompson grapes. They’re very thin skinned and with the sweetest aromatic taste ever.

If not for the fact that they are packaged and sold in clusters while still intact on their vine, one would seriously think these tiny grapes are blueberries.

And much like blueberries the thin skin clings to the grape when bitten into.

And now begs another question! Have you ever baked with grapes before?

If not then all I can say is…oh my goodness…you’re missing out my friend!

When baked these fresh grapes turn a deep purple hue in color with pools of soft jammy goodness.

With this olive oil grape cake, each bite has a burst of sweetness and is complimented with the citrus, almond scent and hint of thyme.

It stays incredibly moist for days and has a lovely contrast in texture with some crunchy sliced almonds scattered over the grape cake.

Lets bake this Italian-style cake shall we!

How to Make an Italian Grape Cake

Start by sifting together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt in a medium sized bowl. And set the flour mixture aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs with the granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in color. About 3 minutes.

Add the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme to the egg mixture. Mix until well incorporated.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.

Fold in 1 cup of grapes with a rubber spatula.

Transfer the cake batter into a greased and floured 9 inch springform pan. Or grease with your favourite baking product.
Scatter the remaining cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds

Bake the grape cake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees F for about 40 minutes.
When ready the cake will be deep golden brown in color and should spring back when touched with your fingertip.
Alternately, you can check for doneness with a small wooden skewer. If a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean then it’s ready.

Remove from the oven and place the cake on a cooling rack. Run a knife along the sides of the pan and allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes before releasing the cake from the springform pan.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar just before serving.
Garnish with sugared grapes if desired. (check instructions below on how to make sugared grapes)

How to Make Sugared Grapes for Garnishing

Making sugared grapes is really quite easy but does require a little patience. Most of the time involved is inactive time.

To make the sugared grapes for garnishing, you’ll need:

3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup
1/3 water cup

First, we’ll make a simple syrup. Place 1/3 cup of sugar and equal part water in a small stock pot. Heat on medium low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture while turning to coat all over.

Transfer to a wire rack and let the grapes dry for 1 hour.

Then, roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar while taking care to cover the entire surface of the grapes.

Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour so that the sugar adheres to the grapes.

These sugared grapes add a pretty touch and also compliments this grape studded cake. But really, you can use them to garnish any sweet treat. They would also be perfect to serve with cocktails.

If planning ahead you’ll be happy to know that this Italian Grape Cake Recipe will stay fresh for quite a few days. And, it actually tastes better the following day!

It’s moist. Flavourful. And not too sweet. Making it a perfect breakfast cake or a special treat for brunch!

Happy Baking!

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0 from 0 votes

Italian Grape Cake Recipe

An incredibly moist Italian Grape Cake Recipe made with olive oil and scented with orange zest, almond and a hint of thyme. It's an Italian-style harvest cake and a simple yet perfect way of baking with grapes.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Harvest Cake, Italian Grape Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 343kcal

Equipment

9 inch spring form pan

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup almond milk or regular milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
orange zest from 1 medium orange
1 teaspoon thyme leaves optional
2 cups small seedless grapes such as Thomcord, Thompson or Concord divided (1 cup in cake batter and 1 cup to scatter over top)
1/2 cup sliced almonds
powdered sugar for dusting over the cake

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan.
In a medium sized bowl, sift together the all purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or hand held mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the eggs and granulated sugar until thick and pale yellow in colour. About 3 minutes.
Mix in the olive oil, milk, vanilla and almond extracts, zest and thyme until well incorporated.
Switch to the paddle attachment and mix in the flour mixture until well combined.
Fold in 1 cup of the grapes with a rubber spatula.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared pan and level off with the back of a spoon.
Scatter the remaining 1 cup of grapes evenly over the top of the cake.
Sprinkle the top of the cake with sliced almonds.
Bake the cake in a preheated oven for about 40 minutes.
When ready the cake will have a deep golden brown colour and springs back to the touch. Or, if a toothpick inserted inside comes out clean then it's ready.
Remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
Run a knife alongside the edges of the pan and allow to cool for 30 minutes.
Release the cake from the springform pan and cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.
Garnish with sugared grapes or fresh thyme leaves if desired. (see notes below on how to make sugared grapes)

Notes

Ingredients for sugared grapes:

3 small clusters of grapes on the vine or approximately 2/3 cups of plucked grapes.
1/3 granulated sugar plus 1/4 cup
1/3 water cup

Simple Syrup:

Place 1/3 cup of sugar and equal part water in a small stock pot.

Heat on medium low and stir together till the sugar has completely dissolved.

Remove from heat.

With a slotted spoon, dip the grapes in the simple sugar mixture, turning to coat all over.

Transfer to a wire rack and let the grapes dry for 1 hour.

Roll the grapes in the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar while taking care to cover the grapes all over with the sugar.

Return to the wire rack and let dry for another hour so that the sugar adheres to the grapes.

Enjoy as a garnish for decorating sweet treats.

Nutrition

Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Romanoff

August 14, 2020 by Marisa 4 Comments

This recipe for Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Romanoff is an easy-to-make dessert. The ricotta is mixed with mascarpone cheese and some whipped cream. It’s then chilled and topped with drunken strawberries just before serving.

Anytime you’re craving a fuss free treat, whether it be on a hot summer day or simply when feeling too lazy to turn on the oven, this heavenly dessert is it!

For one, it’s incredibly easy to make. In fact the ricotta mixture can be prepped in minutes and then set aside to chill in the fridge for a couple of hours.

This allows the flavours to meld and also allows the mixture to firm up so that it may cradle all those sweet macerated strawberries.

How to Make Ricotta Mousse

To make this luscious concoction you’ll need a few good quality ingredients.

ricotta cheese
mascarpone cheese
whipping cream
sugar
Grand Marnier liqueur

You’ll need a medium sized bowl to beat together the ricotta and mascarpone cheeses along with the sugar and liquor.

Set this cheese mixture aside while you whip some cream in a separate bowl.

Beat the cream until soft peaks form.

Then simply fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture until it’s well incorporated.

Spoon the ricotta and mascarpone mousse into 6 individual serving glasses. Leave some head space to fill with the macerated strawberries.

Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours. The mixture will set and firm up.

If planning ahead, you can make the mousse up to 24 hours before serving.

The serving glasses I used are of a 3/4 cup capacity.

I filled the serving glasses to about 2/3 full as to allow some head space to fill with the macerated strawberries.

If you don’t have small serving glasses then small glass serving bowls would also work.

For an extra special touch you can also get a little more fancy and serve the ricotta mousse in martini glasses or even small cognac glasses.

Although typically French, Strawberries Romanoff is a classic dessert of Russian origin. It was supposedly created by a French chef for the royal family of Imperial Russia.

This fruit dessert is one I turned to over and over again for weekend entertaining when hubby and I where first married.

Back then I would always serve it over scoops of vanilla ice cream. It’s so easy and dreamy to make.

A perfect light dessert after an indulgent meal.

Nowadays, in getting a little more creative, I find it wonderful topped over a luscious ricotta and mascarpone mousse.

How to Macerate Strawberries for Ricotta Mousse

Macerating refers to a technique of combining fruits with a liquor and some sugar. You’re essentially marinating the fruits to soften while soaking up the flavourful liquids.

The strawberries are first washed, patted dry, hulled and then quartered. Or you can slice them rather than quarter them if you so wish.

They are then stirred together with some sugar and as in this recipe, with Grand Marnier liqueur. But really, any other orange-flavoured liqueur would do. Such as Cointreau. Also a flavourful brandy or rum would be great as well.

You may also skip the alcohol altogether and replace it with an equal amount of orange juice, if you so wish.

The amount of time used to macerate the strawberries will greatly depend on the sweetness of the berries.

So as a general rule whenever I use Quebec or Ontario strawberries, which are very sweet, I find 30 minutes time is sufficient.

But if you’re strawberries are less so definitely marinate them for 1 full hour.

Then just before serving, spoon the macerated strawberries over the ricotta and mascarpone mousse. The strawberry juice will make its way into the crevices and makes for some pretty swirls.

You can serve the dessert as is. Or, dress it up with a few fresh berries and some roasted sliced almonds. And of course some mint leaves for a splash of colour and pretty garnish!

So simple and gorgeous! You’ll be making this ricotta mousse with strawberries romanoff over and over again!

More strawberry desserts

If you’re craving more strawberry deliciousness then you may want to try a Crespella with Nutella and Berries.

It’s a perfect weekend breakfast or brunch idea! A thin Italian pancake topped with strawberries, raspberries and blackberries. And, a drizzle of Nutella.

Or you can get a little more fancier with some elegant and individual servings of Mini Strawberry Grapefruit Cheesecakes.

Happy baking or not with this wonderful no bake ricotta mousse recipe!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Romanoff

This Ricotta Mousse with Strawberries Romanoff is an easy-to-make dessert. It's smooth, creamy and wonderfully paired with boozy macerated strawberries.

Prep Time20 mins

Chilling Time2 hrs

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 359kcal

Equipment

6 individual serving glasses
2 medium sized mixing bowls
Hand held mixer

Ingredients

Ricotta Mousse

1 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier liqueur

Strawberries Romanoff

1½ cups strawberries washed, hulled and quartered
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Grand Marnier liqueur
1/4 cup roasted, sliced almonds
mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

Ricotta Mousse

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the ricotta, mascarpone, sugar and the Grand Marnier until well combined.
In a separate medium sized bowl beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the ricotta mixture using a spatula, until well incorporated
Spoon the ricotta and mascarpone mixture, equally, into 6 individual small sized serving glasses while leaving about 1/3 of head space.
Cover the glasses with cling wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours or up to 24 hours if making ahead.

Strawberries Romanoff

About 1/2 hour before serving, stir together the quartered strawberries, sugar and Grand Marnier.
Set aside for 30 minutes to allow the flavours to meld.
When ready to serve, spoon the strawberry mixture over the individual ricotta mousse while distributing it evenly.
Garnish each serving glass with a couple of whole berries the toasted sliced almonds and with a sprig of mint leaves.

Notes

The serving glasses I used are of a 3/4 cup capacity.

I filled the serving glasses to about 2/3 full as to allow some head space to fill with the macerated strawberries.

If you don't have small serving glasses then small glass serving bowls would also work.

For an extra special touch you can also get a little more fancy and serve the ricotta mousse in martini glasses or even small cognac glasses.

Enjoy!

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