World Recipes

Italian Green Bean Salad

1 pound green beans
Vinaigrette Dressing
Lettuce (optional)
2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 small onion, sliced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Ripe olives

Remove ends from beans. If beans are large, cut French style into lengthwise strips. Heat beans and 1 inch of salted water, using 1/2 teaspoon salt to 1 cup water, to boiling. Cook uncovered 5 minutes. Cover and cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, French style 5 to 10 minutes; drain.

Prepare Vinaigrette Dressing. Pour over warm beans and toss. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Remove beans to lettuce-lined plate with slotted spoon. Add tomatoes and onion. Sprinkle with cheese; garnish with olives.

Yields 4 to 6 servings.

Vinaigrette Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil or vegetable oil
2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon prepared dark mustard
Dash of pepper

Mix all ingredients.

Italian Coffee Cake (Panettone)

This is a festive sweet bread which was originally from Milan.

2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped citron
2 tablespoons pine nuts or walnuts (optional)
Butter or margarine, softened

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in sugar, 1/2 cup butter, the eggs, salt, lemon peel, vanilla extract and 2 1/2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in raisins, citron, pine nuts and enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Dough is ready if indentation remains when touched.

Punch dough down; divide into halves. Shape each half into 7-inch diameter round loaf. Place loaves in 2 ungreased 8-inch round layer pans. Cut a cross 1/2 inch deep on top of each loaf. Generously grease one side of a strip of heavy brown paper, about 25 x 4 inches. Fit around inside of pan, forming a collar; fasten with paper clip. Repeat with second loaf. Cover; let rise until double, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake loaves until golden brown, 35 to 45 minutes. Remove paper. Brush tops with butter. Cool on rack.

Makes 2 loaves.

Italian Cheese Bread

1/2 cup margarine, softened
1/2 cup mayonnaise
6 scallions and tops, finely chopped
1 (4 ounce) can chopped ripe olives
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
1 loaf French bread, sliced lengthwise

In a medium mixing bowl, blend margarine with mayonnaise. Add onions, olives, garlic powder and cheese. Mix well. Spread 1/2 mixture on each slice of bread. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes on a cookie sheet or until cheese melts. Cool slightly; slice and serve.

Italian Hot Stuffed Cherry Peppers

1 cup bread seasoned bread crumbs
1 cup olive oil
1 medium size can pitted black olives, drained
1 medium size jar or can green olives (no pimentos), drained
1/2 tin anchovies
1 gallon jar hot cherry peppers

Remove tops from the peppers, then seed and rinse; set aside.

In a blender mix the remaining ingredients until well blended. Stuff seeded peppers.

Italian Anise Toast

These are wonderful for dipping into coffee!

3 1/4 cups unbleached flour
2 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt 
6 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
1 bottle anise extract or a few drops of anise oil

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs until well blended. Add sugar. Add melted butter. Add anise extract or anise oil. Add to dry ingredients and mix well. Add 1 cup whole almonds, toasted at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes, if desired.

Form into two loaves on a floured board. Each loaf should be approximately 12 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Bake 1 loaf at a time on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Cut baked loaves into 3/4-inch diagonal slices. Bake slices at 350 degrees F for 6 minutes on each side. Cool.

Italian Love Knots

Posted by LladyRusty at recipegoldmine.com 12/6/2001 11:32 pm

Source: Recipe by Paul Donatelli - from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette August 03, 2000

1 pound (2 cups) margarine (do not use low-fat spread)
3 cups (1 1/2 pounds) granulatedsugar
16 cups (5 1/2 pound) flour
3 ounces anise extract (not anise oil), or orange extract,
    or juice of one orange and grated rind
3/4 cup milk
12 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoons baking powder

Icing
2 pounds powdered sugar
2 tablespoons margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla, almond or lemon extract
1/2 to 1 cup water, heated in microwave or on stovetop

If margarine is coming directly from the refrigerator, microwave a little until soft.

Cream margarine and sugar together for a minute or two.

Add milk, eggs, orange (if using), baking powder and flour. The dough should be soft but not sticky.

On lightly floured board, divide into small (2-inch) balls, then roll into pencils (the size of your finger) and tie into knot.

Put on cookie sheets with parchment paper liner. Bake at 375 degrees F until light brown, maybe 5 to 7 minutes. Watch carefully to keep from burning.

Apply icing when cool.

Icing: Mix together all but the water. Add water gradually to desired thickness. Spread on cookies.

Recipe may be halved.

Servings: 144

Italian Chocolate Cookies

Posted by FootsieBear at recipegoldmine.com

3 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup chopped nuts, raisins or chocolate chips

Mix all in one bowl. Make a well and add:

1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup warm milk

Stir together with wooden spoon. Roll into small balls (like meatballs). Bake at 325 degrees F for 9 minutes - NO LONGER. Let cool.

Glaze and sprinkle with chopped nuts or jimmies.

Italian Seed Cookies

1 cup Crisco
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs plus 1 egg white (divided)
4 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Toasted sesame seeds*

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In medium bowl with electric mixer, blend shortening, sugar, 3 eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla extract. Break dough off in small balls and roll them in your palms to make oval logs about 2 to 3 inches long.

In separate bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Dip logs into egg white and roll in sesame seeds until covered.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen cookies

* Look for toasted sesame seeds in the Asian food section of stores. Two 3.75-ounce jars are plenty. To toast your own sesame seeds, place in a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast until seeds turn light brown, shaking the pan to keep the seeds from scorching.