Parmiggiana...a posh one :-)

Super yummy Parmiggiana ! To impress your guests with something yummy and gourmet-style.
Ingredients
For 2 pax

1 round and purple aubergine
Fresh tomatoes sauce
4 slices of creamy tasty cheese
1 bufala mozzarella cheese
Extravirgin Olive Oil

Slice the aubergine into medium thick slices. ( 5-7 mm ish !)
Bread each slice into thin flour.
Fry them into hot oil ( vegetable oil )

Take an oven proof dish and pour in a tablespoon of tomato sauce.
Place a slice of fried aubergine, then add some more tomato sauce, add some mozzarella cheese, add another slice of aubergine, then some more tomato sauce, add more chesse...and so on.

Keep layering aubergines slices, tomato sauce and cheese ( mozzarella cheese and cheese slices). Sprinkle some salt on each layer.

Place in the oven and cook for 15 minute.

Take it off the oven and add some extravirgin olive oil.

Potatoes Soft Bread

This bread is definitely something special ! Has the flavour of potatoes bread but it is soft as pan-brioche ! This is what you'd do to make it:
Ingredients:
150 gr flour
200 gr boiled and smashed potatoes
salt and grated nutmeg
a glass of warm milk
17-20gr of yaest
25 gr of unsalted butter, soft
pinch of sugar
olive oil

In a glass add in : the warm milk, the sugar and yeast. Whip till the yeast melts.
In a bowl add in : the flour, the boiled and smashed potatoes ( better if they are still warm ), the salt, the grated nutmeg (some of it not a whole nutmeg!), the soften unsalted butter.

Mix the ingredients in the bowl.
Add in the liquid obtained mixing yeast ,sugar and milk in the glass.

Knead very well for 10 minutes at least.
Leave to rise for 2 hours.

After 2 hours take the dough and press it down a little, basically you have to deflate it.
Put it back aside and let it rest for 1 more hour.

Take the dough, cut it into small rolls, shape them as you prefer.
Lay them all on a baking tray covered with baking paper.
Brush some olive oil on each roll.

Leave the tray to rest for 35 minutes.

After 35 minute place in the pre-headed oven ( 170-180 degreees ), central rack.

Check every now and then. Rolls must be golden and soft.
Crost will be thing and soft.

These rolls are not sweet at all but resemble pan-brioche, which is a very delicate and nice type of bread.
Enjoy with any kind of food ! :-)

Potatoes Focaccia Bread

I love this one, it has a delicious smell ! Potatoes give a "soft-touch" to any kind of bread and flat bread. Try this one out and you'll agree :-)

Ingredients:

150 gr of flour
100 gr of potatoes flakes or 3 boiled and smashed potatoes
10 gr of table salt
thyme
a glass of milk
15 gr of yeast
1 tablespoon of sugar


in a bowl:
pour in the milk ( warm ) and add in the yeast, salt and sugar.
Whip it a little.
Leave it to rest for 5 minues.

Add in the flour and potatoes flakes ( or boiled ones - smashed !!! )
Knead the mixture for 15 minute.

Place it on a tray to rest and rise for 2 hours.
It will not rise much, that's because of the patatoes. It will not double its size.

After 2 hours cut the dough into 4-5 pieces.
Flat each piece out a little, spread some olive oil on its surface and sprinkle some thyme on.

Place the tray in the oven ( center rack ) pre-heated at 180 degrees, must stay in there for 15-20 mins till the focaccia-breads look golden and soft.

You can either have them plain or sliced and stuffed with coldcuts or cheese :-) Very yummy indeed!

Milk Bread

Soft, light and cute :-) It takes a little more time than other breads to make, but it is very nice and you'd try making it at least once :-)

Ingredients:
300 grams of all flour
30 grams of sugar
10 grams of table salt
180 dl of milk
25 grams of yeast
1 egg



In a bowl add in:
3 tablespoons of flour
the yeast
the milk
mix well and let rest for 30 minutes.


After 30 minute add in the remaining flour, sygar and salt.
Knead it all very well at least for 20 minute.
Put aside to rise for 2 hours.
After 2 hours knead a little more and let it rest for 1 more hour.

Split into tiny balls ( size of an orange) and place on a baking tray with over-paper on.
Whip the egg and spread it on each little dough.

Cook for 25 minutes.

Turkey Slice with black olives

Very easy, very fast and very yummy !!! Can be done with other leftovers that you have in the fridge.


Ingredients:

• turkey breast slices
  5-6 black olives for each slice
• 1 big golden onion
  grated bread
• salt, pepper
  bacon or pancetta
• 2 teaspoons of grated cheese for each slice of turkey

Smash the black olives a little, place them into a pan with hot oil, add in the big golden onion thinly sliced. Cook till all looks very soft and golden.
Add all in into a bown with the grated bread.
Flat out the turkey slice and spread the mixture, add the grated cheese on.
Roll the slice on itself and wrap it in bacon or pancetta.
Cook in a quite hot pan with oil.
Simple as that :-)

Pretzels !

I love Pretzels, do you ?! It is not the easiest of the recipes but please give it a chance and make it, it is very worth it indeed !

Ingredients:
25 gr of yeast
450 grams of all purpose flour
8 dl of water
1 tablespoon of sugar
3 teaspoons of salt
4 tablespoons of baking soda
some cooking salt


First Step:
In a bowl, add in : the yeast, 200 grams of flour and the sugar.
Mix very well and leave to rest for 20 mins. ( covered with a tablecloth).

Second Step:
To the above mixure add in the remaing flour and the salt. Leave to rise for 1 hour.

Thirt Step:
Take the dough and split it into 8 pieces.
By using your hands, roll out each piece till you get a "very-long-sausage-looking-piece-of-dough" ( nice description eh ?!! ). It should be at leat 35 cm long.
By picturing in your mind a finished Pretzel ( or you'd keep a real picture on your working table!)...try to give it the typical Pretzel shape. It is not that difficult!

Fourth Step:
Boil some water, pour it into a tray with high sides, add in the baking soda. It will start frizzing, it is ok.
Take a Pretzel with the help of a cooking slotted turner and lay it down in the tray with the warm water and soda. Keep it in there for 5-15 seconds. Take it out, lay it down on a tablecloth to absorb the dripping water, afterwards place it on a baking sheet ( buttered or with waxed paper on ).

Sprinkle some table-salt on each Pretzel, or you could use poppyseeds as well.

Bake in a pre-heated oven ( 200 °C) for 20 minutes.

Pretzels !

I love Pretzels, do you ?! It is not the easiest of the recipes but please give it a chance and make it, it is very worth it indeed !

Cupcakes !

Here we go, they are the cutest little things we can make in the kitchen, really :-)
Ingredients:
480 gr of unsalted butter
120 gr all purposes flour
1 sachet of baking powder ( the one designated for sweets )
1 sachet of vanilla extract
120 grams of sugar
1/4 cup ( 1 small glass ) of heavy cream or whole milk
700 gr of icing sugar
grated lemon peel

Mini Cakes Preparation:
Mix well the flour, the sugar ( sugar, not icing sugar!! ),grated lemon peel and the baking powder.

Place the mixure in 12 paper muffin-cases a muffin tray when finished.
Place in the oven for 15 mins. Place aside when cooked.

Buttercream Preparation:
Cream the butter for a couple of minute, till very creamy.
Add in in the mixer the followings : creamy butter , icing sugar, vanilla extract, salt. Mix well on a low speed till sugar and butter are well blended. Increase speed to medium, add in the heavy cream in a thin stream. Whip till buttercream gets very smooth, with a spreading consistency.
Feel free to add more heavy cream /whole milk if the buttercream in not smooth enough.
Add the food colouring you prefer and start decoring your cupcakes !

If you wish to you can freeze the buttercream and reuse it in the future, just take it out of the freezer and let it melt a little at ambience temperature.

Brownies!

Unfortunatelly I do not have "during preparation" pictures, but just some pics of the end result. Anyhow, lets start:
Ingredients:
140 grams semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
120 grams unsalted butter, cut into pieces
15 grams cocoa powder
200 grams granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
100 grams all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
125 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)


Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Rack in the center of the oven.
Butter a 20cm pan ( or use the untistick spray )
Melt the chocolate and butter at "bagnomaria".
Remove from heat and add in the cocoa powder and sugar .
Whisk in the vanilla extract and eggs.
Add in the flour, salt and chocolate chips.
Pour into the buttered pan and bake for about 20-25 minutes, check with a toothpick inserted in the center , if it comes out with a little batter and a few moist clumps clinging to it. Be carefull not to overbake it. Brownies must be soft and with a bit of moisture inside. Remove from oven and let cool.
Serve warm or chilled, best if with a side of vanilla ice-cream !