Buona Pasqua a tutti!

Doing Pasqua like my maternal side this year with these Cuzzupe Calabresi - delicious Easter brioche. My 97 year old Calabrese Nonna gave them the thumbs up.

2 eggs

650gr flour (I used half 00 and half Manitoba)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup milk

75ml sunflower oil

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Rind of a lemon

Method - head to instagram to watch also https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

The dough should be kind of sticky so if yours looks dry add a touch of extra milk. Use flour to work the ball before you let rise the first time (overnight if you like or do it early in the morning and let rise for about 6 hours. Once shaped let them rise for another couple of hours).

Shape them and decorate them with the hard boiled egg and the cross like the traditional ones in the above pic , otherwise shape them into a twist and pop some choc drops in them like the last one like the pic below (just don’t dare call them Cuzzupe afterwards or the internet police will attack)

Oven on 180c until they are dark brown.

Enjoy dunked in some ‘latte e caffe`’ !

Sweet Brioche (Cuzzupe recipe) with Choc Chips

Ingredients -

500gr spaghetti or linguine

2 cloves garlic (whole to remove or crushed - whichever you prefer)

1/4 (or a splash more) cup extra virgin olive oil

1kg clams

approx 400gr ripe cherry tomatoes (or any tomato you have - or none at all if you prefer in bianco)

Salt

Pasta water in case it needs to be added at the end

Watch the instagram reel as a method guide. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcY_45ylU4M/

When the pasta is cooked, grab it with the tongs and move it to the pan with the sauce, without draining it too much so some of the pasta water goes in the pan with it creating a nice sauce.

Eggplant and Ricotta Sandwiches

Ingredients

• About 3 medium size eggplants

• (optional) 3-4 fresh paprika

• 1/2 cup white wine

• 500gr ricotta (drained but not too dry)

• 4 or 5 tablespoons grated parmesan

• salt, pepper

• clove garlic

• 1 tin Mutti cherry tomatoes

• basil

• extra grated parmesan and some breadcrumbs for topping

  
  Prepare ricotta mixture by adding the ricotta, parmesan, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix it until you get a nice smooth creamy mixture.

  Cut the eggplant into cycinders and fry lightly on each side. Remove and set aside to cool.

  For the sauce, put some oil and a clove of garlic in a pan you just friend the eggplant in, gently fry, and then add your fresh paprika and the white wine, let fry for a minute and then add your tin of Mutti cherry tomatoes. Let simmer . Salt the sauce and add some basil.

  While sauce is simmering, prepare your melanzane sandwiches, and once the sauce is cooked (about 20 -30 mintues), place them in the sauce. Top them with some grated parmesan and breadcrumbs and bake in the oven until they are golden brown on top.

Head to my reels on Instagram to watch the process by clicking on the link

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbOPlDelEcr/

Thought I’d salute the last of the cherries with delicious Cherry Ciambella.

It’s simple and really easy to create .

Prep the cherries-

Peel them and pop in a pan with -

3 handfuls of really ripe cherries.

Juice of 1 Orange or a Lemon

2 tablespoons of sugar

Let cool…….

Ciambella

3 eggs

12 tablespoons sugar

12 tablespoons sunflower oil

12 tablespoons self raising flour

6 tablespoons milk

Rind of a lemon (or some vanilla bean if you prefer)

Head to our instagram page to watch the method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/reels/

250 gr butter

2 & 1/2 cups flour 00 (approx)

5 tablespoons zucchero

2 eggs

1 rind of a lemon

2 handfuls macadamia nuts crushed.

Cook on about 180c until golden

Head to reel on instagram to watch method https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/

This is a very easy light version but can be tweeked to your liking. You can add a couple of eggs to the potato mash, but I didn’t for this one. You could also add peas, a little cooked onion if you like, or even substitute the salumi for tuna.

• 1 kg potato - boiled, mashed and a tablespoon of butter added

• 300 g di mozzarella

• 150 g di prosciutto cotto

• About a handful of breadcrumbs

• salt

• pepe

• 80 g di grana padano or parmigiano

Head to the Instagram reel to watch the process. https://www.instagram.com/the_little_italian_school/