holiday

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

May 14, 2021 by Marisa 28 Comments

Soft and cake-like Lemon Ricotta Cookies made with a quick lemon infused sugar. These fragrantly bright Italian cookies are dipped in a lemon glaze for a delightful all around citrus scent.

They’re incredibly easy to make and you can top them with sprinkles of your choice to suit just about any holiday or other special occasion.

These cookies made with ricotta are extremely popular in Italian households. Especially around the holidays with each family having their own unique way of decorating these lemon flavoured cookies.

They’re inspired by Canadian Living Magazine’s Ricotta Cookies from a holiday issue. I’ve made a few switch ups which will definitely appeal to all lemon lovers.

To achieve an all around citrus taste in the cookie dough, I added lemon zest and made a quick lemon sugar by pulsing together the lemon zest with the granulated sugar in my mini food processor. It’s the same technique I use when baking batches of Ciambelle Cookies as well!

Alternately, if you don’t have a food processor you can skip this step. And simply beat together the butter and sugar with the lemon zest.

I also omitted the baking soda altogether and increased the baking powder from 1/4 teaspoon to a full teaspoon. This yielded a plumper cookie which did not spread out much and does not flatten out. They resembled these perfect little round soft and fluffy pillows.

Also for uniformly round cookies I used a 1 1/2 inch round cookie scoop but you can just as easily measure the dough out with a rounded tablespoon.

I opted out of the cream cheese icing and decided to make a luscious lemon glaze.

They’re extremely soft to the bite, much more so than my Tarallucci al Limone. And they also have a very cake-like texture full of lemon flavour which are sure to appeal to all you die hard cookie fans!

How To Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

1. Pulse together the lemon zest and sugar together in a food processor for about 1 minute. This technique infuses the sugar granules with the citrus scent.

2. Place the lemon sugar and the softened butter in a large mixing bowl.

3. With an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.

4. Add in the egg, ricotta cheese and vanilla extract

4. Beat together until well combined.

5. Add in the sifted dry ingredients consisting of flour, salt and baking powder. And stir the dry ingredients into the ricotta mixture.

6. Scoop out approximately 1 tablespoon of cookie dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet while spacing the cookies 2 inches apart. (use a 1.5 inch small scoop or a tablespoon)

7. Bake in a preheated oven for about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven when pale yellow in colour with golden bottoms. Then simply transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before glazing.

Lemon Glaze For Cookies

This is a simple dairy free lemon glaze consisting of powdered sugar, also known as icing or confectioner’s sugar. And with both the juice and zest of a lemon.

You may need an extra lemon for juicing if your first one does not give out enough juice.

Simply add the powdered sugar, juice and zest in a medium bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine the ingredients until smooth in appearance with no lumps.

You can customize the thickness of the lemon icing or glaze to your taste. Adding less lemon juice to the icing sugar will result in a thicker glaze. Or, if you prefer a thinner glaze try adding a little more lemon juice.

Do keep in mind though that these cookies absorb quite a bit of the icing, especially a day after. So if you want that white glazed appearance make sure the icing is not overly thin.

Can You Freeze Lemon Ricotta Cookies?

I had full intentions to test out whether these ricotta cookies would freeze well because I’m all for baking ahead during the holidays.

However, they lasted 1 full day in my freezer because greedy hands quickly devoured the cookies! They’re that delicious!

Here is what I recommend!

If baking and freezing ahead do freeze the cookies without the lemon glaze.
Thaw and then glaze the cookies the same day you plan to serve them for best appearance.

How to store Italian Ricotta Cookies

Store the cookies in an air tight container and keep in a cool dark place.
They’ll be at their freshest for about 5 days
Or freeze unglazed cookies and then defrost and glaze them on the day you plan to serve them.

Bake them today and tag @marisasitaliankitchen on Instagram so I can see your creation!

This recipe was originally posted Nov 13, 2017 and republished May 14, 2021 with updated content and photos.

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4 from 4 votes

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

These classic Italian Ricotta Cookies are extremely soft and cake-like in texture. They're dipped in a lemon glaze and topped with golden non-pareils.

Prep Time30 mins

Cook Time14 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Servings:

Calories: 115kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

For The Cookie Dough

1 cup granulated sugar
zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
1 large egg
8 ounces whole milk ricotta cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt I used fine sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
sprinkles or nonpareils for decorating

For The Lemon Glaze

2 1/2 cups icing sugar
zest from 1 lemon
4 to 5 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 3 cookies sheets with parchment paper as this will make for easy release of the cookies and set aside.
Pulse the granulated sugar with the lemon zest in a food processor for about 1 minute so as to infuse the sugar with the lemon scent.
Place the lemon sugar and the softened butter in a large bowl and beat until fluffy.
Beat in the egg, ricotta cheese and the vanilla until well combined.
In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder and stir this into the ricotta mixture.
Using a small cookie scoop of about 1 1/2 inch in size, scoop out the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them about 2 inches apart so that they have room to expand. Or simply measure out a heaping tablespoon if you don't have a cookie scoop.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 12 to 14 minutes or until the bottoms are golden in color.
Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely and in the meantime prepare the lemon glaze.
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE
Place the icing sugar and lemon zest in a medium sized bowl and whisk in the lemon juice 1 tablespoon at a time, until a desired consistency is achieved.
Dunk the top of the ricotta cookies into the lemon glaze and place on a wire rack with a tray underneath to catch any drippings.
Sprinkle with nonpareils of your choice and then allow the lemon glaze to set before serving.

Nutrition

Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

December 15, 2020 by Marisa 33 Comments

Learn how to make a spectacular Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread that is sure to impress family and friends. This homemade sweet bread is loaded with walnuts, dried cranberries and dark chocolate pieces with some aromatic cinnamon flavour in every bite.

There is something so magical by taking a few simple ingredients, which you probably already have on hand and transforming them into an incredibly delicious sweet bread.

In texture this yeast based dough recipe is much like an Italian Panettone but not as dry on the inside. It’s fluffier and more brioche-like!

The filling is a chocolate, cranberry and walnut mixture that once rolled into the dough creates a pretty swirl into each slice.

Alternately you can also spread it with your favourite jam. I’m thinking raspberry jam and then sprinkled with some mini dark chocolate chips would work really well here.

Another wonderful option is Nutella, everyone’s favourite Italian chocolate hazelnut spread!

The Inspiration for this Holiday Star Bread

The inspiration for this gorgeous and delicious holiday bread comes from an old Canadian Living Magazine recipe that I’ve been making for well over 20 years.

I would usually make this sweet bread by slicing and braiding the filled dough into a wreath shape. It was then baked in a springform pan and would greatly resemble a fancy Panettone.

This year I decided to switch it up by tweaking the ingredients and shaping the dough to resemble a star bread. I have to say it did not disappoint at all!

It not only makes a beautiful presentation but…è semplicemente delizioso…it’s simply delicious!

Drizzled with icing or a simple dusting of powdered sugar, this sweet bread makes a spectacular centrepiece for the holidays!

Or just enjoy it on a crispy-cold day, curled up in front of the fireplace with a steaming cup of coffee or tea.

How to make a Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

Punch the dough down and turn it out onto a slightly floured work surface.
Divide the dough into four equal portions.
Work with one piece at a time while keeping the remaining pieces covered with cling wrap so it doesn’t dry out.

Roll out a piece of dough to an 8 to 10 inch circle. ( This will depend on the size of your largest baking sheet as you’ll need some growing space of 2 inches more)
Transfer the rolled out dough to a parchment lined baking sheet.
Spread a third of the filling over the dough, pressing it slightly into the surface of the dough.
Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon over the filling.
Repeat this with the second and third piece of dough.
Then roll out the fourth piece of dough and place it over the 3rd stack of dough. (this one will have NO filling on top)

Once your dough is all rolled out, filled and stacked you are ready to slice into wedges.
First, place a round cookie cutter or glass of about 2 and a quarter inch wide over the centre of the stacked dough.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough all the way through into four equal edges while leaving the cookie cutter or glass in place.

Cut each of the 4 wedges in half making sure to slice all the way through. You now have 8 wedges.
Then cut each of the 8 wedges in half all the way through. You now have 16 wedges all connected to the middle circle.
You’re now ready to twist the wedges.

How to Twist the Chocolate Cranberry Star Bread

This part is a lot easier than it may look.
Grab hold of two pieces of dough that are side by side.
Lift and twist the wedges away from each other, making two whole twists and pinch the edges to seal.
Repeat with the remaining wedges to form the star bread.
Cover with cling wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes.

After the star bread dough has risen for 30 minutes, remove the cling wrap and gently brush the top and sides with a beaten egg.
Bake in the centre of a preheated oven (350*F), for 20 minutes.
When ready the star bread will have a deep golden brown colour.

This star bread with its filling of chocolate, cranberries and walnuts is a thing of beauty all on its own.

I love it as is with a light dusting of powdered sugar and usually serve it while still warm with the filling all ooey and gooey.

But if you prefer a little extra sweetness you can also serve it with a drizzle of icing.

Two Ingredient quick and easy Icing

For the icing, mix together 1/3 cup of sifted icing sugar with 2 teaspoons of milk.

Drizzle the icing over the top of the star bread.

The bread is at it’s best served the same day while it’s still warm, but can also be wrapped and stored for one day.

Any leftovers the next day, can be portioned out wrapped in paper towels and warmed in the microwave for about 10 to 15 seconds. It will come out tasting like it had just been freshly baked!

Happy Baking!

This recipe was originally posted November 7, 2015 and republished with updated photos and content December 15, 2020.

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Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

This Chocolate Cranberry Star Bread recipe makes a show stopping centrepiece for the holidays. It's studded with walnuts, cranberries and dark chocolate pieces. All it needs before serving is a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

Servings:

Calories: 377kcal

Ingredients

For The Filling

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup dark chocolate pieces
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
3 teaspoons cinnamon

For Brushing Over The Star Bread

1 beaten egg

For Dusting Over The Star Bread

1/3 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Making The Star Bread Dough

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon of the sugar in warm water.
Sprinkle in the yeast and let it stand for 10 minutes or until it turns frothy.
In the meantime, place the milk, remaining sugar, butter and salt in a small pot over a stove top.
Heat the mixture over medium heat and stir till the butter melts.
Set aside and let cool to lukewarm temperature.
Whisk the eggs into the yeast mixture.
Add in the milk mixture and whisk again.
With a wooden spoon, stir in the 3 ¾ cups of flour. (the dough will be slightly sticky)
Transfer the dough to a work surface lightly dusted with flour.
Knead the dough for approximately 10 minutes, while adding in enough of the 1/4 cup of flour as needed to achieve a smooth and elastic dough.
Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and turn the dough to grease all over.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough rise in a draft free area for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Chocolate, Cranberry and Walnut Filling

Prepare the filling just before you're ready to roll out the dough.
In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, corn syrup, cranberries, chocolate pieces and walnuts.
Keep in mind that this mixture will be used to spread over 3 of the rolled out doughs. The top 4th dough will not have any filling.
Set aside while you quarter and roll out the dough.

Rolling And Shaping The Star Bread

First off, punch down the dough and divide the dough into 4 equal pieces.
Work with 1 piece at a time while keeping the remaining pieces covered with cling wrap.
On a lightly floured work surface and dusted rolling pin, roll out one piece of dough to an 8 to 10 inch circle. (This will depend on the size of your largest baking sheet as you'll need some growing space of about 2 inches more)
Transfer the rolled out dough to a parchment lined cookie sheet. (use a very large baking sheet)
Spread a third of the filling over the dough while pressing down lightly into the dough. (It gets messy and sticky but works out well. Simply wash your hands in between rolling the next round of dough.)
Sprinkle one teaspoon of cinnamon over the filling.
Roll out the second piece of dough and place directly over the first.
Top with some of the filling and sprinkle with another teaspoon of cinnamon.
Repeat with the third piece of dough. Roll out and place directly over the second round of dough,
Spread with the remaining filling and cinnamon.
Roll out the fourth piece of dough and place it over the third while pressing down gently. (this one will not have any filling over it)
Now we are ready to slice.
First, place a round cookie cutter or glass of about 2 ¼ inch wide over the centre of the stacked star bread.
With a sharp knife, cut the dough all the way through into four equal wedges while leaving the cookie cutter or glass in place.
Cute each wedge into 2 equal pieces while cutting all the way through. So now you have 8 pieces.
Cut each of the 8 pieces in half. And now you end up with 16 wedges all connected to the middle circle.
We are now ready to twist the wedges.
Grab hold of two wedges of dough that are side-by-side.
Twist the wedges away from each other making two whole twists and pinch the edges to seal.
Repeat with the remaining wedges to form the star bread.
Cover the star bread loosely with cling wrap and set aside in a draft free area for 30 minutes to rise slightly.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Brush the star bread with the beaten egg.
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes.
When ready, the star bread will have a deep golden brown colour.
Let rest for about 30 minutes on a cooling rack.
Then serve while still warm from the oven topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Nutrition

Homemade Vanilla Sugar

November 28, 2020 by Marisa 18 Comments

Learn how to make your own homemade vanilla sugar to use in your favourite cookie recipes or other baked goods. All you need is some granulated sugar, a fresh vanilla bean and a few minutes of your time. So easy!

I think that it’s pretty safe to say that this is by far the easiest recipe you’ll find here on the blog. And one that can be prepared in mere minutes too!

Over the years it has become a staple ingredient in my kitchen. Especially around the holidays. So I always make sure to prepare some way ahead of my baking projects because it needs this valuable time for the flavours to infuse.

In doing so, you’ll be rewarded with the most incredibly fragrant sugar speckled with the little black seeds of the vanilla bean.

What is Vanilla Sugar?

Vanilla sugar is simply that! Two ingredients consisting of just regular granulated sugar infused with the seeds of a vanilla bean.

It’s a simple process of splitting the bean across the pod and extracting the caviar-like seeds and then incorporating the seeds with the sugar.

The hollowed out bean pod is given new life by burying it deep into the sugar mixture to enhance the sweet essence of the vanilla flavour for months to come.

Did You Know?

Did you know that vanilla beans are the second most expensive spice right after saffron? And that’s because vanilla beans are extremely labor-intensive to grow.

Having said that, it’s still widely used from professional chefs to home cooks all over the world as it’s such a versatile spice.

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans

Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans have nothing to do with “bourbon” the alcohol.

The Bourbon vanilla gets its name from Île Bourbon which is now known as Réunion, the region where these long and slender beans were cultivated, cured and also grow in Madagascar and other Islands along the Indian Ocean.

They are by far the most popular and sought after vanilla beans.

They’re moist, pliable and with a sweet buttery scent, making them simply perfect to bake with.

Although the Madagascar bourbon variety is my favourite you can just as easily substitute it with the Tahitian or Mexican vanilla beans.

How to make Vanilla Infused Sugar

With a sharp pairing knife, slice open the vanilla bean along its length.
Spread the bean apart and use the back of a knife to scrape out the seeds.
Combine the sugar and vanilla seeds together in a bowl.
Stir together the 2 ingredients until well dispersed.
You can do this with 2 rubber spatulas. Simply rub together the sugar and vanilla seeds with the spatulas to release the larger clumps.
Alternately, you can also place the sugar and vanilla seeds in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds till thoroughly combined.
Transfer the vanilla sugar into an airtight container and bury the pod deeply into the sugar.

Over time the Vanilla Sugar becomes more and more fragrant. So go ahead and make it a couple of weeks in advance before you start your holiday baking.

Tip of the day: When a recipe calls for the seeds of a vanilla bean, don’t discard the pod.

Rather, give it new life by adding it to your vanilla sugar canister, as this will help to maintain the flavour of your vanilla sugar and refreshes it at the same time.

And continue filling the canister with more granulated sugar as the quantity depletes.

What is Vanilla Sugar Used For?

Vanilla sugar can be utilized in various ways.

You can use it to sweeten coffee or tea and even use it in your next baking adventure. And yes even savoury recipes!

My favourite way of using vanilla sugar is rolling some raspberry filled Butterball Cookies into the vanilla infused sugar. It adds such a sparkly appeal to these buttery cookies.

I also love using it in my Wild Blueberry Lemon Biscotti. The vanilla sugar lends such a wonderful warm fragrance to the twice baked cookies and pairs wonderfully with the white chocolate chips and dried blueberries.

Need a gift idea? You can fill decorative glass jars or bottles with the homemade vanilla sugar. And you can then gift decorated jars to guests as a “sweet” way of saying thank-you. Pun intended!

This Homemade Vanilla Sugar recipe was originally published December 2, 2015 and republished November 28, 2020 with new photos and content.

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Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Prep Time5 mins

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Servings: cups

Calories: 780kcal

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 Vanilla Bean
2 cups granulated sugar

Instructions

Slice the Vanilla Bean down the middle from end to end with a sharp knife.
Using the back of the knife, scrape out the seeds.
Combine the sugar with the vanilla seeds in a medium size bowl and stir until the vanilla seeds are well dispersed.
Alternately, you can use a food processor to speed this up even quicker.
Transfer to an airtight container and bury the pods deeply in the vanilla sugar.
It can be stored indefinitely.
Use in your favorite coffee, tea or desserts.

Nutrition

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies

November 30, 2016 by Marisa 24 Comments

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies…these delicious morsels are a chocolate lover’s dream!

Are you ready to be engulfed with the lovely aromas of holiday baking? I love, love this time of the year and if you do as well then join me because in these coming weeks it’s all about the cookies in my kitchen. So put on some stretchy pants, preheat your ovens and lets start baking!

I am getting you started with these outrageous Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies.

They are by far the most soft and chewy cookies that I have ever baked and that’s saying a lot!

What makes these cookies particularly chewy and moist is the brown sugar and the cream cheese which not only enhances the moistness but also gives the cookies another depth of flavor.

Packed with both melted and dark raspberry chocolate pieces and topped with a drizzle of melted dark chocolate. These cookies will have everyone drooling.

A note about the chocolate

If you can’t come across raspberry chocolate in your area then you can absolutely use regular dark chocolate chips. Just make sure it’s 70% dark chocolate or higher. Dark chocolate contains smaller amounts of sugar and a higher percentage of cocoa. The higher percentage in cocoa, the higher also in dietary fiber. Which simply means you can have more cookies…that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it…lol!

As much as I love this raspberry chocolate, there are also other different flavored chocolates to experiment with. One other that I have tried and found quite delicious was pomegranate dark chocolate. Also intriguing is chipotle dark chocolate!

On another note, this cookie dough is a soft batch dough. To keep the cookies from spreading to much, I chilled the dough for 1 hour. I then used a cookie scoop of 1 1/4 inch size to transfer the dough onto my baking sheet, alternately you can also use a heaping tablespoon. There is no need to roll the cookies with your hands unless you want smooth round tops. I love the rippled appearance of these cookies.

Also, I baked the cookies at 350 degrees F. Using high heat would dry out these moist cookies.

Most noteworthy here, I under bake my cookies. Yes I do! I’ve learnt to do this when it comes to drop cookies.

When your cookies look firm around the edges but still moist in the center, pull them out of the oven. They will have a pretty hump when removed from the oven but leave them to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 to 7 minutes so that they don’t fall apart. As they are cooling they will continue to cook for a minute and slowly deflate somewhat.

Once they are ready to safely transfer to a cooling rack, let them cool completely before drizzling them with the melted chocolate.

As a result of not over baking these glorious Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies you will be rewarded with the most soft, chewy and ever so fudgy tasting cookie!

And furthermore, have fun in your kitchen and don’t forget your stretchy pants…no seriously!

Ciao! Until the next cookie!!

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Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies. These cookies are soft, chewy and have a brownie like interior. A chocolate lover's dream.

Course: Cookie

Servings: dozen

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1/2 cup 125 grams cream cheese, softened (in brick form)
1/2 cup butter softened
1 large egg
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup chopped raspberry chocolate pieces melted (approximately 150 grams)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chopped small pieces chocolate raspberry to stir in the dough (approx. 150 grams)
3/4 cup melted dark chocolate pieces for drizzling.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line 4 cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, butter, egg and both sugars until light and fluffy.
Stir the 1 cup of melted chocolate raspberry and vanilla extract into the batter mixture.
In a separate bowl combine together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Stir the flour mixture into the batter until combined.
Add in the chopped walnuts and the 1 cup of chopped chocolate raspberry pieces and stir to combine.
Scoop out 1 heaping tablespoon measure onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. ( I used a 1&1/4 inch cookie scoop)
Place the cookies about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. (12 cookies per sheet and keep remaining dough chilled)
Bake one cookie sheet at a time for about 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will be firm around the edges and with very soft centers.
Let cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
Once cooled, drizzle the cookies with melted dark chocolate.

Notes

If you don't have 4 cookie sheets, no problem. You can alternate with 2 cookie sheets but remember to let the baking sheets cool complete before proceeding with the next batch.

Easy Roasted Turkey Roulade

November 18, 2016 by Marisa 22 Comments

Easy Roasted Turkey Roulade with butternut squash, kale and spicy Italian sausage makes a crowd-pleasing elegant meal for Thanksgiving or any special occasion.

I have a confession to make! I’ve never cooked a whole turkey and I really don’t know why, except maybe to say that I find it a little bit intimidating to cook a whole bird. I know…crazy right!

Mostly though, my family prefers white meat and if you do as well then you’ll appreciate how easy it actually is to make a turkey roulade such as this one.

Aside from being far easier to prepare, it’s also much healthier and made even more so by omitting the skin. But, I’ll have you know that there is no skimping on flavor here. This delicious turkey roulade is packed full of nutrient dense vegetables such as kale and butternut squash and livened up with some spicy Italian sausage.

For some aromatic allure I’ve added fragrant rosemary and sage to both the stuffing and the organic chicken broth.

My intent was to make this recipe more of a step by step tutorial for beginners. However, daylight savings time had other plans for me. I was quickly losing some valuable natural lighting here. But at least I get to show you how a butterflied turkey breast looks like.

Purchasing a deboned, skinless and butterflied turkey breast really simplifies the whole process. All I did was lay it out between two sheets of saran wrap and pounded the meat with a meat mallet to about 1/2 inch thickness. I then spread the stuffing onto the turkey breast to about 1 inch from the borders. Rolled it up…tied it up…and voila!

Here you have a succulent rolled up Easy Roasted Turkey Roulade!

The key to having a moist and tender meat is to baste the turkey every 15 minutes with the chicken broth.

You will be rewarded with a delicious, mouthwatering meal and will make you wish that you had doubled the recipe!

Buon Appetito!

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Easy Roasted Turkey Roulade

Easy Roasted Turkey Roulade with butternut squash, kale and spicy Italian sausage makes an elegant meal just perfect for any special occasion.

Course: supper

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Marisa

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced onion
1 garlic clove minced
1 cup diced butternut squash
2 cups chopped kale
1 teaspoon fresh sage chopped (plus a few whole sprigs for pan)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme plus a few whole sprigs for pan
salt and pepper to your taste
8 ounces spicy Italian sausage casing removed (about 1 cup measure)
1 2 1/2 pounds skinless turkey breast, bones removed and butterflied
2 cups sodium reduced, organic chicken broth

Instructions

LETS MAKE THE STUFFING
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and sauté the onions for a few minutes till the onions are soft.
Add in the garlic, butternut quash, kale, the fresh sage, thyme and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Stir the vegetable mixture and continue to sauté for about 5 minutes or till the butternut squash is soft and the kale has wilted.
Set aside while you prepare the turkey breast.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the butterflied turkey breast between 2 sheets of saran wrap and pound the meat with a meat mallet to about a half inch thickness.
Add the sausage to the vegetable mixture and stir very well until evenly combined, then spread this over the turkey breast to about one inch off the border.
Starting at the shorter end, roll the turkey breast tightly together and tie with 4 equal pieces of butcher's twine at one inch intervals and one longer piece along the length of the stuffed turkey.
Sprinkle the turkey breast lightly with salt and pepper.
Place the stuffed turkey in a shallow oven proof pan (I used the same skillet in which I cooked the vegetables.)
Pour in 3/4 cup of chicken broth into the pan with a few springs of fresh sage and thyme.
Cook the turkey breast for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until an instant-read digital thermometer reaches 155 degrees F.
Baste the stuffed turkey every 15 minutes with the remaining chicken broth so that the meat does not dry out and retains moisture.
When ready, transfer the stuffed turkey breast onto a cutting board and slice into 3/4 inch slices.
(mine yielded 12 slices)
Place the slices onto a serving platter.
Strain the pan juices through a fine sieve and pour the juices over the sliced turkey breast.
Serve while still warm.

holiday

How To Make Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Lemon Glaze For Cookies

Can You Freeze Lemon Ricotta Cookies?

How to store Italian Ricotta Cookies

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

Ingredients

For The Cookie Dough

For The Lemon Glaze

Instructions

Nutrition

The Inspiration for this Holiday Star Bread

How to make a Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

How to Twist the Chocolate Cranberry Star Bread

Two Ingredient quick and easy Icing

Chocolate Cranberry Twist Star Bread

Ingredients

For The Star Bread Dough

For The Filling

For Brushing Over The Star Bread

For Dusting Over The Star Bread

Instructions

Making The Star Bread Dough

Chocolate, Cranberry and Walnut Filling

Rolling And Shaping The Star Bread

Nutrition

What is Vanilla Sugar?

Did You Know?

Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans

How to make Vanilla Infused Sugar

What is Vanilla Sugar Used For?

Homemade Vanilla Sugar

Ingredients

Instructions

Nutrition

Chocolate Raspberry Cream Cheese Cookies

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Easy Roasted Turkey Roulade

Ingredients

Instructions