Tag: Italian Recipes

Healthier Italian Cannoli Cream – Twiins Style

Published on by Twiins in the Kitchen2 Comments

Healthier Italian Cannoli Cream - Twiins Style

  • Servings: 8 Small Cannoli
  • Difficulty: Easy

Today marks a very special milestone birthday for us. To add to our celebration we're making a healthier version of our favorite birthday dessert...Cannoli. We weren't sure how the texture would be effected using part-skim ricotta instead of whole milk ricotta, but as it turned out we were very happy with the results, The texture isn't quite the same but hardly noticeable. Since we didn't want to give up our favorite dessert using part-skim ricotta was a huge success for us. If eating healthier means you think you have to give up your favorites, we proved you don't have to. ❤️❤️

Ingredients

  • 12.5 ounces part-skim milk ricotta (drained for 2 days in the refrigerator to remove all excess liquid)
  • 4 ounces granulated sugar
  • 0.083 ounces vanilla extract
  • 1 tiny drop of cinnamon oil
  • 1 drop Fiori di Sicilia
  • 1/2 Tablespoon candied citron, diced (optional)
  • 1/2 Tablespoon candied orange peel, diced (optional)
  • 1-2 Tablespoons semi-sweet Mini chocolate chips (may substitute with bittersweet chips, depending on your preference.)
  • chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips, your preference, for garnish
  • powdered sugar

Directions

  1. In a medium bowl place the drained ricotta cheese into the bowl, mix to combine with a spatula until smooth. (You can use a stand mixer if you prefer but this is a small batch so it’s not needed)
  2. Add granulated sugar and fold in until dissolved completely. The texture should be smooth, not grainy.
  3. Fold in the vanilla & cinnamon oil.
  4. Blend until incorporated.
  5. Gently fold in the citron, and/or candied orange, and mini chocolate chips.
  6. Place in a pastry bag and refrigerate until ready to pipe into cannoli & serve.
  7. Before piping, cut the tip of the pastry bag large enough to allow the chips to pass through.
  8. Garnish the ends to your liking and sprinkle with a little powdered sugar.
  9. Enjoy!

 

Notes: If making cannoli you can save time by purchasing the pre-made shells from Amazon or Costco.

Do not fill cannoli until ready to serve or your shells will be soggy.

Cannoli Cream Filling can also be used for cakes, cupcakes, and as a pastry filling.

 

 

Fold in and blend all ingredients. Refrigerate overnight or a minimum of 2-3 hours before serving.
Cannoli Cream Filling from Twiins in the Kitchen
Decadent Cannoli Cupcakes – Twiins Style (Gluten-Free)
Gluten-Free Cannoli Cupcake

 

 

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Zucchini Shrimp Boats

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Zucchini Shrimp Boats

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: Easy

With zucchini being so plentiful we’re always trying to come up with new ways to prepare them. Usually, we make zucchini boats stuffed with sausage, and while they are delicious we’ve been trying to incorporate healthier substitutes for sausage & red meat. So, while going through the freezer I found a 2 lb. bag of frozen large uncooked shrimp (from Costco) and decided to make the zucchini boats using the shrimp. This simple recipe came out delicious...mimicking a creamy shrimp scampi minus the pasta. It’s naturally gluten-free and oh so good!😋❤️

Ingredients

  • 4 large zucchini, sliced lengthwise
  • 2 lbs. large shrimp
  • salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons EVOO
  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
  • juice of 1/2 lemon
  •  8 oz mozzarella, shredded
  • 1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese,  grated
  • 2 large tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Cut each zucchini lengthwise in half. Score the inside leaving a bit of an edge, then scoop out zucchini flesh and set aside in a medium bowl.
  3. Place each zucchini in a large casserole dish and drizzle with EVOO. Sprinkle with fresh thyme leaves, salt, pepper, & garlic powder to taste. Bake about 20 minutes in the preheated oven until tender. (Keep oven on because you will return the filled zucchini boats to finish baking)..
  4. While zucchini is baking, heat a large skillet over medium heat, add EVOO.
  5. Add shrimp & season with salt & pepper. Cook until pink 3-4 minutes turning once.   Remove from heat and let cool enough to handle then chop into bite-size pieces.
  6. Add reserved zucchini, tomatoes, and garlic then cook 1-2 minutes more.
  7. Return chopped shrimp to skillet & add heavy cream, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, & lemon juice. Cook until slightly reduced about 3-4 minutes.
  8. Fill the zucchini boats with the shrimp mixture & top with mozzarella and a sprinkle of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Cook until cheese bubbles, about 10 minutes.
  9. Garnish with fresh parsley & more Parmigiano Reggiano. (optional)
  10. Serve immediately and wait for the compliments! ❤️

Notes: Serve as a main dish with a side salad and crusty bread.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Zucchini Pie

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Zucchini Pie

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Easy

I came across an Italian cooking video which was demonstrating a delicious-looking zucchini pie/casserole. They called it Sformato di zucchine semplicissimo, which translates into Very Simple Zucchini Pie...and simple it is. Since I don't speak Italian, I guessed at the quantities for the ingredients so I channeled my inner Italian and came up with this. These are my approximate measurements and you can use more or less as you go along. Surprisingly, there was no garlic, salt, or pepper and Gary & I loved it. 😋❤️

Ingredients

  • 2 large zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch slices
  • 4 Tablespoons EVOO, divided
  • 1 spring rosemary, leaves removed
  • 1/2 cup 4C seasoned breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 lb provolone Picante cheese, 1/2-inch large cubes (divided) (get this at deli counter, not sliced but whole . Not the hard provolone that you serve with crackers & pepperoni or sausage )
  • 1/2 cup Parmigiana Reggiano grated cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 375ºF.
  2. Slice zucchini into 1/4-inch slices and place in a large bowl.
  3. Add 2 Tablespoons of EVOO and the rosemary leaves to the bowl then make sure the zucchini is coated well.
  4. In a deep-dish pie plate, lightly coat the bottom with 1/2 tsp EVOO and spread around with your clean hand or a pastry brush.
  5. Take a handful of the breadcrumbs and sprinkle on the bottom.
  6. Place zucchini slices all around the dish, slightly overlapping until the bottom is covered.
  7. Sprinkle a little more breadcrumbs all around.
  8. Sprinkle a handful of Parmigiano Reggiana cheese.
  9. Sprinkle 1/2 the cubes of provolone cheese.
  10. Lightly drizzle a little EVOO in a circle going around from outer dish to inner dish.
  11. Repeat steps 5-9.
  12. The last layer is zucchini, Parmigiana Reggiana then all remaining breadcrumbs, add additional breadcrumbs if needed as the top layer should be completely covered
  13. Repeat step 9.
  14. Place pie dish on middle rack and bake about 20-30 minutes. The top should get slightly crusted but not burnt.
  15. Best served immediately by itself or pair with a protein of your choice,

 

Slice zucchini into 1/4″ slices
Combine with EVOO
Toss well with rosemary leaves.
The first layer of zucchini with breadcrumbs and grated Parmigiana Reggiano cheese
Cubed provolone
Sprinkle provolone on top & repeat
Last layer (3rd) is just zucchini, parmigiana reggiano cheese and breadcrumbs topped with EVOO.
So good!
Notes: Recipe adapted from cibodoc.it

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Homemade Wild Finocchietto Liqueur (Fennel)

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We remember our Grandmother Florence always having homemade liqueurs on hand for an after-dinner drink with coffee & dessert, especially around the holidays. Our favorite was Finocchietto (fennel) which she touted as a good digestif drink. We were only allowed a sip for taste…but liked it even then.

On our trip to Italy back in 2018, we had dinner at a farm in Naples. After dinner, we had a choice of Limoncello or Finocchietto. Of course, we chose the Finocchietto and it sure did bring back good memories of Grandma.

After having great success with making our own Limoncello, I decided to send away for the Italian Wild Fennel seeds and make my own.  Teresa and I along with my good friend, Jane Hall, planted the fennel seeds. We watched the seedlings grow big & strong then planted them outside in a side garden my husband Gary prepared for us. They were doing beautifully and even survived Hurricane Florence but low and behold they didn’t seem to survive the deer!!!!!!!  We were pleasantly surprised the following season and proceeded to make our own liqueur. You wouldn’t believe how many umbrella flowers we had with just 2 plants that survived. This year it’s even more! Fennel has a wonderful anise-like/licorice taste and you can use the green fronds to garnish a salad or even infuse with some olive oil. I don’t remove the fennel bulb because it will cause the demise of the plant, although I may this year!

Note:  Harvesting starts towards the end of June through August here in North Carolina. Fennel plants create umbrella-like flower buds similar to Queen Anne’s Lace. I pick the yellow flower umbrellas once the yellow flowers begin to open.

Ingredients for about 2 liters

  • 2-3 large handfuls of wild fennel flower umbrellas. ( I fill a 32-oz mason jar 1/2 to 3/4 high with the flowers)
  • 1 liter of Everclear (151 proof – grain alcohol) Please do not use rubbing alcohol!
  • 800 grams of sugar (about 3 1/3 to 3 1/2 cups)
  • 2-liter jar that closes hermetically (We used hermetically sealed lemonade bottles from Aldi)
  • Funnel- wide mouth
  • cheesecloth

Instructions

  1. Immediately after picking the flowers, wash and let dry thoroughly on a clean dish towel.
  2. Place all the flowers in the jar and pour the grain alcohol into the jar, making sure all flowers are covered. Close the jar and place it in a dark place for at least 30 days. ( I use my closet)
  3. Keep the bottle out of direct sunlight. All the color will leach out into the alcohol turning the alcohol a green color. No problem if you leave it longer than 30 days.
  4. After the 30 days or longer are up, prepare the sugar syrup.
  5. Make a simple syrup by boiling 1 liter of water with 800 grams of sugar for 15 minutes. Let it cool before the next step. (about an hour)
  6. While the syrup is cooling down, filter the alcohol. Using a wide-mouth funnel, place into another mason jar and place the cheesecloth in the funnel.
  7. Pour the alcohol through the funnel making sure none of the fennel plants get through.
  8. Mix the cooled sugar syrup into the filtered alcohol. Pour into a clean 2-liter hermetically sealing jar (the one you used before is fine, just make sure it’s clean & dry first.
  9. Let it sit another 4-5 days in a cool, dark place.
  10. Now we filter again and bottle.
  11. Put a regular funnel in the bottle with another piece of cheesecloth and pour the mixture into the bottle or use a small ladle so it doesn’t spill everywhere.
  12. There might be some organic matter caught in the cheesecloth. Wash the cloth for re-use.
  13. In a cool dark place, store the bottled fennel for at least another 3 months. The longer it sits the clearer it gets.

 

Italian Wild Fennel growing on the side of Barbara’s house
Almost 7 feet tall!
Another angle of growing fennel that’s 2 years old now
Wash & Dry the umbrella flowers
Place the wash & dried flowers in a 32 oz mason jar
Cover flowers with Everclear 151 grain alcohol
The alcohol starts leaching color after only an hour
Fennel umbrella flower
My bottle from last year with my own label along with new batch

Note: Wild Fennel Liqueur makes a great Wild Fenneltini!

Recipe adapted from cucicucicoo.com

 

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Pasta Fasùl (Pasta Fagioli)

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Pasta Fasùl (Pasta Fagioli)

  • Servings: 6-8 as a main dish
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

Growing up in our Italian American household we could always count on one of our favorite meatless meals on a Friday night...Pasta Fasùl. Depending upon the region of Italy your family is from, you may know it as pasta fagioli or pasta fasùl (fazool). Our grandparents were from Naples and Sicily, which shared the same word for beans, fasùl. Technically this dish is a soup; however, we loved it best when most of the liquid dried up & was topped with lots of grated Pecorino Romano cheese. Our Mom always made this with small or medium-sized pasta shells; however, you can use any small pasta in your pantry as we did tonight. This is a very rustic meal but can be dressed up with the addition of any vegetable you have on hand, i.e. spinach, carrots, zucchini, or escarole. To complete this meal, serve with a side salad. Give it a try on those nights you're pressed for time and let us know how you and your family like it.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. medium or small pasta shells or elbow pasta (we used ditalini as that’s what we had on hand)
  • 10 -12 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 4 cans cannellini beans, do not rinse or drain the liquid
  • 1 cup prepared tomato sauce (preferably homemade or your favorite jar sauce) I also use Hunt’s Tomato Sauce with basil, garlic, and oregano if I don’t have homemade sauce.
  • 1 small can tomato paste plus same can filled with water to dilute (Omit if using Hunt’s Tomato Sauce with basil, garlic, & oregano)
  • salt to taste
  • reserve at least 1 cup cooked pasta water
  • Pecorino Romano grated cheese for topping

Directions

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a Tablespoon of salt then add pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions. Before draining reserve at least 1 cup of the pasta water then drain pasta & set aside in a large bowl.
  2. In a large, deep skillet on medium heat add EVOO. Add smashed garlic & sauté a minute or two but don’t burn.
  3. Add the 4 cans of cannellini beans and stir well until they begin to boil. Lower heat to medium-low and add 4 cans of Hunt’s Tomato Sauce with basil, garlic & oregano OR 1 cup prepared sauce & small can of tomato paste with a small can of water. Add a little of the reserved pasta water if too thick. Combine well and continue to cook for about 10-15 minutes.
  4. If you prefer a soupier pasta fasùl just add more of the reserved pasta water until it’s the consistency you like.
  5. Let sit for 5-10 minutes in a covered pot before serving.
  6. Top with grated cheese & garnish with fresh basil or parsley (optional)

NOTE: To make this meal gluten-free, just substitute any small-sized gluten-free pasta in place of regular pasta.

This dish thickens as it sits so if you want a thinner sauce, add more liquid in step 3-4 while cooking or add extra sauce.

Use 2 small cans for every 2 cans of cannellini beans for a nice thick texture. If you like it more like a soup, use 3 to4 cans.

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Fried Calamari – Gluten-Free

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Fried Calamari - Gluten-Free

  • Servings: 6-8
  • Difficulty: Very Easy

Whenever we go out together for dinner we always order fried calamari if it's on the menu. Unfortunately for Jack, restaurants never make it gluten-free. This leaves him feeling left out and having to settle for soup or salad. We decided to test a gluten-free batch that he would enjoy at home. Turns out they were so good you can't tell the difference. So if any of your loved ones need to eat gluten-free, give this recipe a try. Who needs restaurants when you can serve up a tender batch in no time at all!

Ingredients

  • 1 lb calamari – fresh or frozen & thawed.
  • 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Flour 
  • 2 Tablespoons dried parsley
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt, more or less to taste
  • 1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
  • vegetable oil for frying
  • dipping sauce of your choice (Red Chili Pepper Spread, marinara sauce, chipotle mayo, etc.)

Directions

  1. Rinse under cold water and dry the calamari well using paper towels or a clean dishtowel. Slice into 1/2-inch rings.
  2. In a medium bowl, mix the gluten-free flour and seasonings. Combine well.
  3. Toss rings into the flour mixture to coat well.
  4. Fry small batches at a time in hot vegetable oil for 1½ – 2 minutes; don’t exceed 2 minutes or they will be overcooked & rubbery. They should be a pale golden color.
  5. When cooked, remove quickly to paper towels to drain excess oil then repeat for the next batch.
  6. Serve hot with your favorite dipping sauce or eat them just as they are.

Sliced calamari rings & tentacles
Toss in seasoned gluten-free flour
Rings after flour coating
Frying the tentacles first
Frying the rings
Finished tentacles
Served warm with Red Chili Pepper Spread or your favorite dipping sauce

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Cannoli Shells – Gluten-Free Twiins Style

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Cannoli Shells - Gluten-Free Twiins Style

  • Servings: 40 small cannoli shells
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

It has taken 3 years of experimenting with countless cannoli shell recipes to get the cannoli shells to have the perfect texture, like the New York & Boston bakeries...not too crisp or too hard. We were persistent in trying to make a shell worthy of our cannoli cream. We were disappointed to learn that most of the Italian restaurants along with a lot of bakeries who serve/sell cannoli buy premade shells. It was a daunting journey and we were about to give up and buy the premade but we gave it one more try. Once we got the regular shell recipe to our liking we had to come up with a gluten-free recipe for Jack. We are thrilled to share our gluten-free recipe with you. They are delicious and so worth the effort!

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ c Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free 1 to 1 Flour 
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste 
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine (do not use cooking Marsala)
  • Vegetable oil for frying  to a depth of 3-inches
  • candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer
  • 3-4 qt. saucepan
  •  small/mini cannoli forms
  •  prepared Italian Cannoli Cream, Twiins Style

Directions

  1. Sift the gluten-free flour, sugar, cinnamon, cacao powder, and salt into a large bowl.
  2. Make a well in the center and add the cold butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture has the consistency of coarse cornmeal.
  3. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks, wine & vanilla paste. Add to the flour, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough begins to cling together. It should be lumpy.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it is smooth and satiny and tiny blisters appear on the surface. The blisters mean that the wine is beginning its fermentation in the dough, which will produce a crisp, light shell. Under kneading will result in large, irregular air pockets in the dough that will puff up and explode when they hit the oil.
  5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  6. In a deep heavy-bottomed 3-4 qt saucepan, add enough oil to come to a depth of 3 inches; heat to 375ºF on a deep-fry or candy thermometer. You will need to adjust the heat from time to time to maintain 375º.
  7. After an hour, remove dough from the refrigerator.  Then divide the dough into 4 quarters.
  8. On a floured surface, roll out the dough to approximately 1/16 inch thick and cut it into 3-inch circles with a cookie cutter.
  9. Use a small pastry brush to lightly wipe some vegetable oil around each cannoli tube to prevent dough from sticking to the tube.
  10. Wrap each cutout of dough around the aluminum cannoli tube and seal the edges with a little water. The edges should overlap. Press down to seal well.
  11. Once the oil reaches 372º-375º, use a chopstick to slide through the cannoli tube and gently place it in the hot oil. Fry 2 or 3 at a time, depending on the size of your pan, just be careful as they cook quickly. If the shells are browning too quickly lower temperature to 370º. Temperatures may vary depending on a gas stove or electric so keep an eye on the candy thermometer as it changes quickly.  Use the chopstick to roll the tubes around until golden brown. They will dry a darker color once cooled. Using the chopsticks again, insert into tube and quickly remove to paper towel draped cooking rack to drain excess oil. Don’t worry if the tubes slide off the dough while frying. Just carefully remove the tube with your chopstick.
  12. Use oven mitts or triple folded paper towels to grab the hot tube and gently shake to slide the shell off. Completely cool and store in an airtight container or plastic baggies with a paper towel inside to absorb any excess oil. They will keep several weeks.
  13. To Fill: Do not fill cannoli until ready to serve or your shells will be soggy. Use a large pastry bag with or without a fancy tip. Fill the bag with cannoli cream and squeeze into the shells, filling half of each shell at a time; working from the center out to the ends.
  14. Decorate the ends with chopped pistachios, mini chocolate chips, candied orange peel or candied cherries. Shell ends can also be dipped in chocolate before filling.

Notes: Cannolo (plural: cannoli) The word cannoli means ‘pipes’ – pipes of crispy pastry filled with ricotta cream (the most common), pastry cream, chocolate cream, or pistachio cream.

Recipe adapted from Victoria Granof, Sweet Sicily: The Story of an Island and Her Pastries.

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Cannoli Shells – Twiins Style

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Cannoli Shells - Twiins Style

  • Servings: 40 small cannoli shells
  • Difficulty: Intermediate

It has taken 3 years of experimenting with countless cannoli shell recipes to get the cannoli shells to have the perfect texture, like the New York & Boston bakeries...not too crisp or too hard. We were persistent in trying to make a shell worthy of our Italian Cannoli Cream, Twiins Style. We were disappointed to learn that most of the Italian restaurants along with a lot of bakeries who serve/sell cannoli buy premade shells. It was a daunting journey and we were about to give up and buy the premade but we gave it one more try. We are thrilled to share our recipe with you. They are delicious and so worth the effort! ❤️❤️

Ingredients

  • 1 ¾ c unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/8 tsp cacao powder
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste 
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 2 Tablespoons salted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/2 cup sweet Marsala wine (do not use cooking Marsala)
  • Vegetable oil for frying  to a depth of 3-inches
  • candy thermometer or instant-read thermometer
  • 3-4 qt. saucepan
  •  small/mini cannoli forms
  •  prepared Italian Cannoli Cream, Twiins Style

Directions

  1. Sift the flour, sugar, cinnamon, cacao powder, and salt into a large bowl.
  2. Make a well in the center and add the cold butter. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture has the consistency of coarse cornmeal.
  3. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolks, wine & vanilla paste. Add to the flour, a tablespoon at a time, just until the dough begins to cling together. It should be lumpy.
  4. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until it is smooth and satiny and tiny blisters appear on the surface. The blisters mean that the wine is beginning its fermentation in the dough, which will produce a crisp, light shell. Under kneading will result in large, irregular air pockets in the dough that will puff up and explode when they hit the oil.
  5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
  6. In a deep heavy-bottomed 3-4 qt saucepan, add enough oil to come to a depth of 3 inches; heat to 375ºF on a deep-fry or candy thermometer. You will need to adjust the heat from time to time to maintain 375º.
  7. After an hour, remove dough from the refrigerator. If using a pasta machine, make sure to flour the machine first. Then divide the dough into 4. Using your hands, flatten the dough into a small square or rectangular shape and pass through the pasta machine on “0”. Continue to pass through making sure to go up a number on the machine with each pass until you get through 5. The dough is now thin enough to cut out the circles using a 3-inch round cookie cutter on a floured surface.  Proceed to step 9.
  8. If you don’t have a pasta machine, on a floured surface, roll out the dough to approximately 1/16 inch thick and cut it into 3-inch circles with a cookie cutter.
  9. Use a small pastry brush to lightly wipe some vegetable oil around each cannoli tube to prevent dough from sticking to the tube.
  10. Wrap each cutout of dough around the aluminum cannoli tube and seal the edges with a little water. The edges should overlap. Press down to seal well.
  11. Once the oil reaches 372º-375º, use a chopstick to slide through the cannoli tube and gently place it in the hot oil. Fry 2 or 3 at a time, depending on the size of your pan, just be careful as they cook quickly. If the shells are browning too quickly lower temperature to 370º. Temperatures may vary depending on a gas stove or electric so keep an eye on the candy thermometer as it changes quickly.  Use the chopstick to roll the tubes around until golden brown. They will dry a darker color once cooled. Using the chopsticks again, insert into tube and quickly remove to paper towel draped cooking rack to drain excess oil. Don’t worry if the tubes slide off the dough while frying. Just carefully remove the tube with your chopstick.
  12. Use oven mitts or triple folded paper towels to grab the hot tube and gently shake to slide the shell off. Completely cool and store in an airtight container or plastic baggies with a paper towel inside to absorb any excess oil. They will keep several weeks.
  13. To Fill: Do not fill cannoli until ready to serve or your shells will be soggy. Use a large pastry bag with or without a fancy tip. Fill the bag with cannoli cream and squeeze into the shells, filling half of each shell at a time; working from the center out to the ends.
  14. Decorate the ends with chopped pistachios, mini chocolate chips, candied orange peel or candied cherries. Shell ends can also be dipped in chocolate before filling.

Notes: Click on the link for our gluten-free version: Cannoli Shells – Gluten-Free Twiins Style

Cannolo (plural: cannoli) The word cannoli means ‘pipes’ – pipes of crispy pastry filled with ricotta cream (the most common), pastry cream, chocolate cream, or pistachio cream.

Recipe adapted from Victoria Granof, Sweet Sicily: The Story of an Island and Her Pastries.

 

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

 

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Mussels Fra Diavolo

Published on by Twiins in the Kitchen4 Comments

Mussels Fra Diavolo

  • Servings: Serves 6-12
  • Difficulty: Easy

About ten years ago Gary requested Mussels Fra Diavolo to be included in our Christmas Eve dinner. Our father & husbands love the hot & spicy sauce the mussels are cooked in. We serve it over linguine or angel hair pasta. It's an easy & quick recipe that you can make as hot as you like (read Note below before step 2) . The lovers of HEAT in your family will definitely enjoy this sauce. 😋 😋

Ingredients

  • 1½ heads of garlic
  • 1/3 cup red wine (optional)
  • 1½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
  • 4 shakes cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 3 (28 oz) cans San Marzano whole tomatoes
  • 1 (28 oz) can crushed tomatoes
  • 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp dried basil
  • 1/4 cup capers, drained (optional)
  • 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted & chopped (optional)
  • 3-4 lbs mussels, cleaned & debearded
  • 1 can sliced Scungilli (optional)
  • 2 shakes of black pepper

Directions

  1. In a 12-inch skillet, heat the EVOO on medium-low.
  2. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, stir well.
  3. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil, capers, olives & wine.
  4. Break up the tomatoes and simmer about 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  5. In the meantime, cook your linguine or angel hair pasta.
  6. Raise sauce heat to medium and add the mussels. Cover & continue cooking another 3-6 minutes more or until mussels are open.
  7. Add the can of sliced scungilli if using. (These are already cooked so they don’t need more than 1 minute in the sauce)
  8. Discard any mussels that do not open.
  9. Serve over pasta & enjoy.

Note: If your not a lover of heat,  sprinkle half the hot red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper first then give it a good stir. Taste it & proceed from there.  You can always add heat but you can’t take it away!

Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below or Tag @twiinsinthekitchen on Instagram and hashtag it #twiinsinthekitchen.

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Our Family Christmas Eve Menu

Published on by Twiins in the KitchenLeave a comment

 

We wish you a Merry Christmas & Happy, Healthy New Year from our family to yours.

 

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Zeppole

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