I Baci di Alice (Alice's kisses)

In a society that privileges adolescence over adulthood, "girls"in their thirties when feel alone adopt different techniques to cheer themselves up : Some go shopping, some chat with her girlfriends..some other bake cookies!

Ingredients : (makes about 50 bite-size cookies)
130 gr butter (a bit more than a stick)
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 small bag (10 gr) Vanilla sugar
2 tablespoons organic oats
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup sugar

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth.
In another bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt - then transfer the mix into the butter cream and keep stirring until a good consistency is reached and the vanilla-cocoa aroma will come out.
At the beginning the mix will appear too powdery but don't worry, it takes a bit of energetic stirring with a wooden spoon and the right consistency will soon come out.
Once you are done with the stirring, you can add the organic oats first and then the chocolate chips.
Pre-heat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius.
Place a baking sheet (ungreased) into a tray. Shape cookies with your hand forming small balls (size is up to you, but I prefer my cookies to be bite-size and small)

Place chocolate ball-shaped cookies into tray. As dough will flatten and spread with the heat, carefully place the cookies about 2 inches apart for each other.
Flatten the cookies slightly with fingertips and bake for about 8 minutes. Don't over-bake!
When ready, the cookies will still be very soft and fragile. Allow them to cool for about 10 minutes before touching.

Australian sausage rolls

A really popular Aussie fingerfood which turns up at parties.

If you are familiar with sushi, you won't have problems in rolling the puff pastry.

Ingredients (makes 24 small bite-size pieces)

6 pre-rolled puff pastry sheet (halved)

1 kg Italian seasoned sausage (ground) - Alternatively you can use minced beef.
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 medium onion (chopped)
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk

seasoning herbs

Pre-heat the oven to 220c.

Lay the puff pastry on your countertop. Pastry sheet usually come interleaved with plastic, which you will leave on at this stage.

Divide the pastry sheet in a half.

Mix together the meat, breadcrumbs, onion, milk and salt and pepper.

Whisk the egg and 2 tablespoons of milk together in a small bowl.

Using your hands, mold out a long line of meat mix down the long edge of the pastry-about 1/2 an inch in from that edge. Roll up, peeling the plastic away as you roll.

Seal the inner edge with a little of the egg mix and cut each roll in a half.

Prick each roll a couple of times with a fork and brush the tops of the rolls with the egg mix, then sprinkle some seasoning herbs on the rolls.

Place in the oven and cook for 5 minutes then reduce heat to 200c and keep cooking for other 20 mins.

Tempura king prawns with sweet chili & lime dipping sauce

There's something so sexy about pulling something warm out of the kitchen. Especially on a first date. Stilettos and frilly apron optional....

Ingredients (makes 25 praws)
vegetable oil for deep frying
25 king prawns, peeled with shells intact and deveined

For the tempura batter:
2 egg yolks
1 1/2 cups ice soda water (seltzer)
1 3/4 cups flour, sifted
salt and white pepper
For the dipping sauce :
fresh coriander
1 cup sweet-chili thai sauce
1 fresh lime (juice)

Using cold water (about 40F) is a must. This keeps the batter from becoming sticky.
Sticky batter results in oily tempura!

Beat the egg and mix with water gradually and stir possibly using chopsticks.
Add flour, stir briefly; that is well enough to coat but leave the lumps and bumps. Season with salt and pepper.
Dip prawns into the batter and deep fry (max 3 at a time) until they turn curl and golden. To fry, use a large pan with a half-inch oil (or more if necessary) and heat on high.
Drain on paper towels.

Magic touch :
serve the prawns on a platter folded by banana leaves (normally available in Asian grocery stores)

Pasta Sfoglia Ripiena (Stuffed puff pastry)

Easy, quick and perfect for the "carnivorous". It can be served with some crunchy steamed vegetable on a side or with mash potatos.
Ingredients:

2 pre-rolled puff pastry sheets
1 Kg ground seasoned italian sausage

olive oil
1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 cup ground Provola (or gouda cheese)

1 cup ragout sauce (your own recipe)
salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven 180 degrees celsius.

Golden the onion in olive oil and stir fry with the sausage, adjusting with salt and pepper.

Add ragout sauce, let the mix thicken, cool down and set aside.

Unroll the lower layer of pastry out on a baking tray (usually pastry comes interleaved with plastic, which I leave on as baking sheet.)*

Spread ground sausage mixture on pastry to form a flat rectangle, then sprinkle the ground provola cheese on top, leaving some room for the folding edges of pastry.

Unroll the upper layer of pastry and place on top of the ground sausage mixture.

Trim and seal edges carefully.

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 20 minutes.

Let cool and cut in large squared portions. Best served warm

* Beware that puff pastry needs to be kept refrigerated and unrolled chilled. By doing so, you will prevent excessive softening of the texture.

Crema di ricotta al caffe' (ricotta and coffee cream)

One of the easiest desserts to make, this delicious combination of ricotta and coffee takes just minutes in the food processor. It may be made a day ahead. (In fact, it tastes even better once the flavors have mellowed.)

Ingredients : (seves 6-8)
1/4 cup very strong espresso
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons sugar
1 pound high-quality whole-milk ricotta
1/3 cup sugar
unsweetened chocolate powder and coffee beans for decorations

In a food processor or blender combine the ricotta, coffee or espresso and sugar.Process for 2 minutes untill the mix appears smooth.
When done, spoon the ricotta mousse into 6-8 small glass goblets or dessert bowls, cover with cling-wrap and refrigerate 8 to 24 hours.
Before serving the cream, sprinkle with some chocolate powder and decorate each bowl with 1 or 2 coffee beans.

frittata ortolana (ovened omelette w potato and zucchini)

An easy and tasty way to use up leftover boiled potatoes, zucchini, leeks or other vegetables.

A frittata can be prepared ahead of time and is good for picnics or fingerfood. Makes a wonderful meal with crusty Italian bread and a tomato salad.

Can be served warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients: (serves 2-4)
1/2 minced onion
3 tablespoons full cream milk
1 cup peeled diced potatoes
1 medium-sized zucchini, cubed small
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
4 eggs, light beaten
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
aromatic herbes (french-provencal mix)
Salt and pepper to taste

peel and dice the potatoes. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil, and cook the potatoes until soft but firm. Drain. Or use leftover, cooked potatoes, diced.

In another pan, golden the onion, then add diced zucchini and diced potatos. Adjust with salt and pepper.

In a bowl, beat the eggs with salt, pepper, olive oil,grated cheese and milk.

Join potatos and zucchini with the egg and transfer the mix in a squared baking tray, previously folded with baking paper. (no greasing is needed)

Bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15-20 mins.

Let cool and cut in squared dices.