Christmas Recipes From Sorrento Italy

Olga Stinga sends Italian Christmas Recipes from Sorrento Italy


Christmas Recipes From Sorrento Italy:

Discovering Sorrento Christmas Tradtions and Learn Italian At Sant'Anna Institute with Olga Stinga

In Sorrento, cooking is a family matter.  In the past, recipes were verbally transmitted from mothers to daughters.

In my family, cooking is a way of life, it is a way for us to connect, share and bond.

My mom still keeps an old copy book where her mother (my beloved Nonna Pasqua) wrote recipes and now I am doing the same.

I have my own copy book where I write recipes, especially the ones for Christmas cakes.

In my family Christmas time means Struffoli and today I'd like to share with you my recipe.

Below you will find the English and Italian versions of my recipe so that you will be able to practice your Italian and, maybe, you will consider a visit to Sorrento to learn Italian at Sant'Anna Institute (www.sorrentolingue.com) where I am the Director and the Head of the Italian Department (with the passion for food and cakes!)

Buon Natale a Tutti, Happy Holidays.....and....See you in Sorrento!

Struffoli
(by Olga's Grandmother, Nonna Pasqua)

Igredients:
1 kg of flour
16 grams of salt
100 grams of sugar
8 eggs
greated zest of 2 oranges and 2 mandarins
120 grams of butter

To decorate:

mixed candied fruit
tails and aniseed mixed
honey orange blossom
orange zest
candied cherries

For Frying:
lard and olive oil (peanut oil)

Method:
Dough flour, sugar, citrus zest, salt and 4 eggs

Stir for a few minutes and then add the butter and the other 4 eggs

Mix all ingredients to obtain a dough.  Work the dough by hand so as to be smooth and elastic.  

Divide the dough in half and then in other parts........

........spinning each piece to obtain sticks not too thick. Flour thoroughly and keeping them close cut small cubes, the size of chickpeas.  

Flour also and gradually pour into a colander, shake until no extra flour.   

Then fry them in hot oil.

Once the struffoli float up in the oil, please take them out of the oil immediately.

Once fried place them on paper towels and let cool.

At this point, add the candied fruit, orange peel and honey.  Mix evenly....and transfer to a plate and then decorate with colored candies, candied cherries and aniseed mixed.

Struffoli are ready!  Delicious!

The Little Black Book: Zia Milina

"My recipe was written in a small black notebook: the recipes’ book of my aunt Melina" 

Olga Stinga shares her memories of her aunt and the wonderful treats she baked.

I hope to feature Olga's shared recipes each month.

Please comment if you know these Italian treats and would like to learn more recipes from

Zia Melina

Pizza di crema

In the past cakes were few and not so many the opportunities to eat them.

For Valentine's Day, when we celebrate St. Anthony in Sorrento, the feast of the patron saint of the city, zia Melina  prepared the pizza cream.

The “Pizza di crema” is the cake that the majority of ladies and housewives were used to prapare on the Sant’Antonino day (14^th February )

Ingredients:

-For the Pastry: 400g flour OO - 200 g sugar - 200g suet or butter- 2 eggs plus one yolk

a pinch of salt - a pinch of cream of tartar.

-For the white cream: 1/2 liter of milk - four yolks - 80g of flour - 160g of sugar -1 grated lemon (sorrento) and a tablespoon of limoncello.

-For the chocolate cream: 1/2 liter of milk -two yolks - 125g of sugar - 50g of cocoa - 2 heaping tablespoons of flour -

a snifter Witch and rum - vanilla - a tablespoon of butter.

-          Sour cherries (here we grow them at home. I  always  add  homemade sour cherries)       

     four  or five biscuits. 

Preparation: mix the flour with the butter, make a fountain in the center and put the eggs and all other ingredients, mix and let it rest in the fridge

Prepare the two creams and cool them.

Spread a layer of pastry, place it in the pan, crumble cookies.  The cookies prevent the pastry from becoming  moist.

Pour a layer of white cream cherries and then the chocolate cream.

Cover with another layer of pastry - Bake at 170/180 degrees for about 40 minutes.

"My recipe was written in a small black notebook: the recipes’ book of my aunt Melina"