Recipes From the Italian Baker by Carol Field

8/3/2019 Recipes From the Italian Baker by Carol Field

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174 THE ITALIAN BAKER

Makes 8 to 10 servings

3 to 4 cups (12 to 14 oz / 350 to 400 g) s tale

white bread or raisin bread, crusts trimmed,

cubed

41/4cups (36 oz / 1 kg) milk

5 tablespoons (2.5 oz / 70 g) unsalted butter

3/4cup (5.3 oz / 150 g) sugar

1 cup (6 oz / 175 g) raisins

2 tablespoons (1 oz / 30 g) rum

5 large eggs, beaten

Grated zest of 1 lemon

3/4cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) chopped candied citron

(page 39, optional)

1/4teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon (0.1 oz / 4 g) vanilla extract

Unsalted butter and fine bread crumbs for

the baking dish

Place the bread cubes in a large mixing

bowl. Heat the milk, butter, and sugar in a

saucepan just to a low boil and pour over

the bread cubes. Let stand 2 hours.Place the raisins and rum in a small

bowl; add warm water to cover. Let stand at

least 15 minutes to plump the raisins. Drain,

squeeze the raisins to eliminate excess

liquid, and pat dry. Squeeze the bread dry

and break it up with your hands to a soft,

crumbly mass. Stir the raisins, eggs, lemon

zest, and citron, if using, into the bread.

Add the cinnamon and vanilla and stir

thoroughly. Butter a 2-quart baking dishand lightly coat it with fine bread crumbs.

Pour the bread mixture into the dish.

Baking.Preheat the oven to 375F.

Bake until the top is the golden color of

a hazelnut, 45 to 55 minutes.

Bread-Based Desserts

Torta NicolottaBREAD PUDDING

This old and very popular cake gets its name from the inhabitants of the poorest

neighborhood in Venice, i Nicolotti, who live by begging. They make this very simple

dessert with leftover bread, milk, and a few sweeteners.


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DOLCI


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Crostate 337

Makes one 10-inch tart plus several tartlets

or individual budini(custards); tart makes

8 servings

1/4cup (2 oz / 55 g) unsalted butter, at room

temperature

1/4cup (1.8 oz / 50 g) sugar

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2 cups (17.5 oz / 500) homemade or cannedpumpkin pure

Scant 1/2cup (4 oz / 115 g) milk

1 tablespoon (0.4 oz / 12 g) potato starch or

all-purpose flour

Grated zest of 1 lemon

1/4cup (2 oz / 60 g) rum or Cognac

10-inch partially baked tart shell (pasta frolla I, II,

or III, pages 320323)

3 partially baked tartlet shells (optional)

Cream the butter and sugar by hand with

a wooden paddle or spoon or by electric

mixer until light and fluffy. Add the egg

yolks, one at a time, beating thoroughly

after each addition. Stir in the pumpkin,

milk, flour, lemon zest, and rum. Beat the

egg whites until the peaks are stiff. Fold a

quarter of the egg whites into the pump-kin mixture, and then gently fold in the

remaining whites. Pour the filling into the

tart shell to within 1/2inch of the top. Pour

the remaining filling either into the tartlet

shells or into buttered ramekins.

Baking.Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake

until the filling is set, about 50 minutes

for the tart, about 30 to 35 minutes for the

tartlets, and about 35 to 45 minutes for

the custards. Cool completely on a rack.

Crostata di Zucca PUMPKIN TART

I have to admit that this particular pumpkin dessert is truly myfantasia. Giorgio, the

baker in Venice, was busy one day and told me to take a look at his recipes, whichwere really just a list of ingredients and the most rudimentary instructions. After so

much time spent being beguiled by the imaginations of Italian bakers and the phe-

nomenal desserts they made with a few simple ingredients, I went to work when I

got home to my kitchen on a tart I imagined would be a close cousin to Giorgios.

When I returned to Italy, I told him what I had done. He paused for a very long time,

with a look of some confusion on his face, and then described his crostata di zucca.It

was an extravaganza of two days work, complicated processes, and fondant coverings;

so, although this crostata di zuccais made with the ingredients listed in Giorgios little

book, it is absolutely my invention. Delicate and delicious, this tart has been the finale

for our Thanksgiving dinners for many years.


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Crostate 335

Makes one 81/2-inch tart; 8 servings

DOUGH

1 stick plus 21/2tablespoons (5.3 oz / 150 g)

unsalted butter, at room temperature

(cold if using a food processor)

3/4cup (5.3 oz / 150 g) sugar

3 large egg yolks

About 11/2cups minus one tablespoon

(7 oz / 200 g) all-purpose flour

3/4cup plus 1 tablespoon (3.5 oz / 100 g) fine

yellow cornmeal, preferably organic

1 teaspoon (0.2 oz / 5 g) salt

BY HAND

Cream the butter and sugar in a mix-ing bowl with a wooden spoon until

well blended. Add the egg yolks, one

at a time, mixing thoroughly after each

addition. Sift the flour, cornmeal, and salt

over the mixture and stir just until the

dough comes together. Knead lightly on

a floured surface until the dough is no

longer sticky.

BY MIXER

Cream the butter and sugar with the

paddle until well blended, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating

thoroughly after each addition. Sift in the

flour, cornmeal, and salt, and mix at low

speed; continue mixing until the dough

comes together. Knead lightly on a floured

surface until the dough is no longer sticky.

BY PROCESSOR

Place the flour, cornmeal, salt, and sugar in

a food processor fitted with the steel blade.

Cut the cold butter into small pieces and

scatter over the flour. Process with threeor four pulses until the mixture resembles

coarse meal. Beat the egg yolks lightly. With

the machine running, pour the egg yolks

in a steady stream through the feed tube

and process just until the dough comes

together. You may need to add a little

ice-cold water. Stop the machine as soon

as the dough masses on top of the blade.

Overprocessing will make a tough dough.

Torta di Pere PEAR TART

The top crust of this wonderfully rustic pear tart from Piedmont shifts and settles and

even cracks over the pears beneath it like dry land after an earthquake. The slightlygritty texture of the cornmeal pastry makes a wonderful contrast to the smooth pears

underneath. There is something elementally soothing and satisfying about this down-

to-earth dessert.

continued


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Chilling.Gather the dough into a ball,

wrap it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate

for 20 minutes to 1 hour.

FILLING

2 cups (1 lb / 450 g) full-bodied red wine; a Barolo

or cabernet sauvignon would be perfect

1/4cup (1.8 oz / 50 g) sugar

3 whole cloves

3 thin strips lemon zest

3/4to 1 teaspoon (0.06 to 0.1 oz / 2 to 2.5 g) ground

cinnamon

Cornmeal or finely ground cookie or cake crumbs,for sprinkling (optional)

3 large peeled cooking pears (2 lb / 900 g, weighed

after peeling), cut into fat slices and then cut

crosswise in half

1 large egg, beaten, for the egg wash

Heat the wine, sugar, cloves, lemon zest,

and cinnamon to a boil in a nonreactive

saucepan. Gently boil until reduced to

11/2cups, about 15 minutes. Stir in thepears and cook over medium heat until

tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Strain the pears;

discard the cloves, lemon peel, and cooking

liquid. Cool to room temperature.

Shaping. Cut the dough in half and

return half to the refrigerator. This is a very

delicate dough. Lightly sprinkle flour on

your work surface and then lay one or two

pieces of plastic wrap on it. Put the dough

on the plastic wrap and cover it with a

second layer of plastic wrap. This protects

the dough as you roll it with your rolling

pin into a circle 1/4inch thick. Butter

an 81/2-inch tart pan very thoroughly.

Remove the top layer of plastic, gently

lift the dough up by the bottom piece of

plastic wrap, and then carefully invert it

into the prepared pan before removing

the remaining plastic wrap. Trim the edge.

Build up the edge of the bottom pastrywith the trimmings rolled into one or two

coils and flattened onto the edge, so that

the edge is substantial enough for the top

pastry to be attached.

Filling and Top Crust. I sometimes

sprinkle a very little cornmeal or cookie

or cake crumbs on the bottom of the tart

shell to soak up the juices from the pears.

Spoon the drained pears into the tart

shell. Again using plastic wrap, roll out theremaining dough into a 1/4-inch-thick

circle and place over the pan. Trim the

overhanging dough, press the two edges

together, and crimp decoratively. Lightly

brush the pastry with the beaten egg.


Bake until golden, 40 minutes. Cool on a

rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Torta di Pere,continued


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Makes one 8-inch cake

2/3cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) raisins

7 tablespoons (3.5 oz / 100 g) unsalted butter,

at room temperature

1/2cup (3.5 oz / 100 g) granulated sugar

1 large egg

12/3cups (8.1 oz / 230 g) all-purpose flour

1/2cup plus 2 tablespoons (2 oz / 60 g)

best-quality Dutch-process cocoa

2 teaspoons (0.4 oz / 10 g) baking powder

1 heaping teaspoon (0.1 oz / 3 g) ground

cinnamon

1 teaspoon (0.1 oz / 3 g) ground nutmeg

1/4teaspoon ground cloves

3/4teaspoon (0.13 oz / 3.5 g) salt

3/4cup plus 1 teaspoon (6.5 oz / 185 g) warm

strong brewed espresso, or 3 tablespoons

instant espresso powder dissolved in 3/4cup

plus 1 teaspoon (6.5 oz / 185 g) hot water

Confectioners sugar

Soak the raisins in warm water to cover

for 15 to 30 minutes; drain. Cream the

butter and granulated sugar with a wooden

paddle or electric mixer until light and

fluffy. Add the egg and beat thoroughly.

Sift all but 1 tablespoon of the flour, the

cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg,

cloves, and salt together. Beat in the flour

mixture alternately with the espresso in

three additions, beginning and ending

with the flour. Toss the raisins with the

remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and fold

into the batter.

Butter and flour an 8-inch cake pan;

pour the batter into the pan and smooth

the top.


Bake until the cake shrinks slightly fromthe side of the pan, 40 minutes; it should

still be slightly moist inside. Cool on a

rack. Invert the cake onto a serving plate

and sift confectioners sugar over the top.

Torta Speziata SPICE CAKE

Spice cake, Italian style, is very moist and tender and is delicious with rum-flavored

whipped cream.


10/11

Copyright 1985, 2011 by Carol Field.

Photographs copyright 2011 by Ed Anderson

All r ights reserved. Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint

of the Crown Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

www.crownpublishing.com

www.tenspeed.com

Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of

Random House, Inc.

Originally published in somewhat different form by Harper & Row Publishers, Inc.,

New York, in 1985.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication

Field, Carol.

The Italian baker : the classic tastes of the Italian countrysideits breads, pizza, focaccia,

cakes, pastries, and cookies / Carol Field ; photography by Ed Anderson. 1st rev. ed.

p. cm.

Includes index.

1. BakingItaly. 2. BreadItaly. 3. PastryItaly. 4. Cooking, Italian. 5. Cookbooks. I. Title.

TX763.F53 2011

641.5945dc23

2011017004

ISBN: 978-1-60774-106-0

Printed in China

Design by Chloe Rawlins

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

First Revised Edition

This book is for John, who has eaten it all.


11/11
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Recipes From the Italian Baker by Carol Field