E Questo è un Bacio…?

Tags

baci di dama, Biscotti, mandorle, nocciole, quanti modi di fare e rifare

An English version of this post will be found here.

I Baci di Dama sono l’oggetto della sfida di questo mese su Quanti Modi di Fare e Rifare, il gruppo on-line di cucina al quale sono stato felice di aver partecipato per quasi un anno. La ricetta è stata fornita da Artù, il cui bellissimo blog merita una visita per i tanti tipi di specialità regionali che ci regala. Lei ci informa che “i baci di dama sono dolcetti tipici Piemontesi, furono chiamati così perchè la loro forma creata con due calotte semisferiche ricordavano le labbra intente a baciare”.

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You Call That A Kiss?

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Almonds, baci di dama, Biscotti, Biscuits, blanching, hazelnuts, lady's kisses, quanti modi di fare e rifare, skinning, toasting

Una versione italiana di questo post si trova qui.

Baci di Dama, or Lady’s Kisses, are a speciality of the Italian region of Piemonte. Crunchy and nutty, and sandwiched with chocolate, they are traditionally made with hazelnuts, but are also often made with almonds. I couldn’t decide which I fancied most, so I decided to try both.

Ring Biscuits with Cardamom – Ciambelline al Cardamo

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Biscotti, Biscuits, Cardamom, Vanilla

These may not be the most glamourous of biscuits to look at, but waft one under your nose, and you won’t be able to resist the heavenly aroma of cardamom. They have a lovely crunchy texture too, enchanced by their coating of sugar. Think Kulfi (Indian ice cream) in biscuit form.

Rich Almond Biscotti

Tags

Almonds, Amaretto, Biscotti, cantucci

These are a petite variation on traditional Biscotti di Prato (otherwise known as Cantucci or even Cantuccini). But what they lack in size they certainly make up for in flavour, with toasted almonds enchanced by Amaretto and a subtle undertone of aniseed.

Biscotti al Pistacchio

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Biscotti, Biscuit, italian, Pistachio

The crackled outside of these biscuits allows you to glimpse the luscious green interior, in which the subtle flavour of pistachio is enhanced by honey, lemon and vanilla.

Biscotti alle Mandorle Amare

Tags

Almond, Biscotti, Biscuit, bitter apricots, Sicily

For someone with a sweet tooth like mine, one of the highlights of a trip to Sicily is to visit the pasticcerie, or cake shops, with their shelves full of beautifully formed biscuits and cakes. Often they will have n-shaped (or z-shaped) biscuits like these.

When is a Biscotti not a Biscotti?

Tags

Biscotti, Biscotti di Prato, Biscotto, cantucci, Meaning of biscotti

While I rather like the name of my blog, I am aware of a problem with it, and that is in the very word biscotti.

Sicilian-style Almond Biscuits

Tags

Almonds, Amaretti, amaretti morbidi, Apricot kernels, Biscotti, Biscuits, recipe, Sicilian, soft amaretti

With their crisp golden crust and soft almondy interior, these biscuits evoke the flavours and textures of the exquisite confections to be found in the pastry shops of Sicily.