Zia Delfina's Biscotti al Cioccolato e Cocco

Thanksgiving is the beginning of the joyous and oh so jolly (yay it's Christmas everywhere!!!) season of the year.

I remember when I was a little girl, my Zia Delfina would fill her cucina with all different types of Italian sweets and treats. She would have me help her dip chocolate and coconut on these cookies, and somehow I fell in love with the whole process of making them.   

Now every time I go back to Italy, I relive these sweet memories and make them all over again at our family parties with her.

I made this batch with my Mom for our Thanksgiving family feast. They are simple, sweet, and are sure to be a hit at your next gathering. Buon Appetito! 

 Ingredients  

2 cups all-purpose flour 

2 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 lemon

3/4 stick of butter

2 tsp. baking powder

 3 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk

1 large bag of coconut flakes

 

let's make it

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 9 by 18 baking sheet. 

2. In a bowl, mix together eggs and sugar.

3. Add lemon zest and melted butter into the mixture. 

4. Use a tablespoon to add flour slowly to the mixture. 

5. Finally, add 2 teaspoons of baking powder to the mix.

6. Place the mixture onto the baking sheet, mold it into a rectangle.

7. Bake for 15-20 minutes until it has a touch of color. The cake should be a little soft, leave out to cool. 

 8. In a pan, heat the 3 cups of chocolate chips over the stove. Add milk slowly, continually stirring chocolate.  

9. Once the cake is cooled, cut it into little squares. Then begin to first dip the pieces one by one in the melted chocolate, followed by the coconut flakes. 

10. Place the finished cookies on a plate and keep refrigerated until ready to serve. 

Tres Leches Cake

When the holidays come around I love to be in the kitchen, crank up the radio with Christmas tunes, and cook/ bake up delicious recipes for my family and friends. 

It really is the best time of the year, and for some reason gets me in the spirit to cook and bake even more. This Tres Leches recipe I've been making since I first tried it in high school. It literally means three milks, since it consists of three different types of milk in the recipe. 

I make it when my family comes over or gathering together at a friend's home. It's super sweet, but the perfect ending to a great meal. Family, friends, and little brother approved ;) Buon Appetito! 

 Ingredients  

  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 cup white sugar

5 eggs (separated)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups whole milk

Filling

1 can 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1 can 12 oz. evaporated milk 

Topping

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup white sugar 

1 tsp. vanilla extract

let's make it

 
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease and flour one 9x13 in. baking pan. 

2. In a bowl, sift flour and baking powder together and set aside. 

3. In another bowl, cream the butter and 1 cup of sugar together until fluffy. Separate the eggs, add the egg yolks in butter mixture. Beat egg whites on the side and then add it in the butter mixture. 

4. Add 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract to butter mixture. 

5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture 2 tablespoons at a time. Mix until well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared greased pan. 

6. Bake at 350° F for 30-45 minutes. Once baked, pierce the cake several times using a for.

7. For the filling, combine the whole milk, condensed milk, and evaporated milk together. Once the cake is cooled, pour the mixture onto the cake. Let the cake absorb all of the milk.

8. For the topping, whip the heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract together until thick and fluffy. Spread topping over the cake. Keep cake refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!