Do you love the Bacio Perugina chocolates as much as I do? It is my all-time favorite Italian chocolate! The flavor of dark chocolate, paired together with my favorite nut, the hazelnut, what could possibly be better? 
 
How about taking that flavor and turning it into the perfect Italian treat for coffee? Pizzelle are a specialty of the Abruzzo region and traditionally made with anise extract or anise seeds. But in the kitchen, it’s fun to experiment and play on classics, and with that in mind, how about preparing some chocolate hazelnut pizzelle? These taste like the cookie version of the Bacio. They’re chocolaty, not at all overly sweet, and have a nice crunch from the ground nuts. While they’re perfect with coffee, tea or hot chocolate, they also go great with a class of wine! 
 
I want to offer you a few tips I’ve learned over the years of baking pizzelle: 

• Always store pizzelle in a traditional aluminum cookie tin. They turn soft if stored in a plastic container. 
• Never store pizzelle in the same tin as other cookies, they will draw in their moisture and turn your pizzelle soft and pliable. 
• Baking powder – more baking powder means a fluffier pizzelle, use less if you want a crisp pizzelle.
• Always make sure your machine is heated fully before dropping your dough. 
• Spray your machine with a little cooking spray for the first pizzelle only, you don’t need to spray it every time.
• If you’re batter is too thin, it will stick to your machine. Add a few more tablespoons of flour, if needed.
• Butter should be slightly cooled so as not to risk scrambling your eggs. 

 
Bacio Perugina Pizzelle
Yields Approximately 32 – 34 Pizzelle
 
Ingredients 
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup cocoa powder 
¼ teaspoon salt
1 ½ - 2 teaspoons baking powder
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted 
¾ cup hazelnuts, ground 
Non-stick cooking spray 
 
Optional topping: 
Powdered sugar for dusting
 
Instructions
1. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder and set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, or using a hand-held mixer, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and sugar until lighter in color, about 2 – 3 minutes. 
3. With the mixer on low, add in the melted butter and whisk until combined.  
4. With the mixer still on low, add the flour mixture and mix until combined. 
5. Turn the mixer off and add in the ground hazelnuts and with a spatula or wooden spoon mix to combine.
6. Heat the pizzelle iron according to instructions. Lightly spray the press with non-stick cooking spray and wipe off. Add about 1rounded teaspoon of batter on each imprint. Press the iron and bake for about 30 – 45 seconds, depending on your press. Remove from press and place on clean towel or cookie cooling rack to cool. They will crisp up as they cool off. 
7. Optional: Dust with powdered sugar, if desired. 

Fall is officially here, which means less outdoor barbequing and the oven gets turned back on! I don’t do much oven cooking in the summer, for obvious reasons. And as much as I love summer weather, fall and winter cooking for me is so much more fun. Less salads and more soups please! 
 
And if you’re looking to have your house smelling delicious and like you’ve cooked all day, I recommend roasting some peppers immediately! Italians love roasted sweet peppers and we use them as a side dish, added to salads, or in a delicious sandwich or frittata. The method and list of ingredients does not vary much and though you could use green, orange or yellow peppers, the red ones are the easiest to peel and the sweetest ones to serve. Since peppers are mostly water, they will wilt substantially once roasted so you will end up needing more than you think. I usually roast about 10 at a time, because, if you’re going to turn the oven on, might as well do so for a bunch of them. Choose peppers that are bright in color, crisp and free of blemishes. And yes, some folks roast them directly on the stovetop over an open flame. I prefer roasting them in the broiler. It’s less hands on, you can roast many at a time, and the aroma will engulf your entire home. 
 
Roasted Red Bell Peppers
Ingredients 
6 – 10 large red bell peppers 
2 – 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sea salt 
1 teaspoon dry oregano
Fresh basil, minced 
1 garlic clove, minced 
 
Instructions
1. Turn oven on to broil and place the rack on the very top shelf. For easier clean up, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. 
2. Rinse the peppers under cold water, dry them with clean paper towels and place them on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Roast peppers in the oven for about 20 minutes, turning the peppers on all sides every 5 or so minutes. 4. When peppers are charred on all sides, remove the tray from the oven and place the entire baking sheet in a large brown bag for a few minutes, this will steam them and make peeling easier. Peel peppers and remove all visible skin and seeds.
5. Cut peppers in strips and place them in a serving bowl. Season the peppers with oil, salt, oregano, basil and garlic. Serve immediately as a side dish, in a sandwich, added to salads, or as you wish. They can be refrigerated for up to 4 days. 

Hearty, quick, and nutritious, polenta is a wonderful fall dish that is heartwarming as it is comforting. Enjoyed throughout Italy, but a main staple in Northern Italian cuisine, polenta is a wonderful dish for folks following a gluten free diet. Often served with mushrooms, an alternative method is to serve it with sautéed vegetables simply cooked with some olive oil and garlic. Packed with nutrients, this humble peasant dish comes together in just 20 minutes, making it the ideal week-night meal. Spinach and Swiss chard cook quickly, but if you wanted to add sturdier vegetables, broccoli rabe and kale also work wonderfully. Adjust cooking time by adding about 5 minutes when sauteing the vegetables. 
 
Ingredients
4 - 6 cups vegetable stock  
4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped to 1-inch pieces
Sea salt to taste 
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 (10-ounces) bags baby spinach
1½ cups instant polenta
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded Fontina cheese
 
Instructions
1. In a medium soup or stock pot, add the stock and bring it to a full boil over high heat. 
2.Meanwhile, prepare the greens. In a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-low heat, heat the oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, until slightly golden but not burnt. Add the chard, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, until slightly wilted and softened. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of stock from the stock pan if the oil is drying out too quickly. 
3. Meanwhile, prepare the polenta. Gradually add the polenta to the boiling stock, cook according to instructions, generally 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent sticking.
4. Add the spinach to the vegetable pan and using a tong or wooden spoon, pack spinach down. It will wilt down and cook in 1 to 2 minutes. 
5. Remove the polenta from the heat and add the butter, grated cheese, and shredded fontina. Add the polenta to a large serving platter, add the greens on top and serve family style. 

*Recipe originally published from my 30-Minute Italian Cookbook! Grab your copy on Amazon! 

It’s that time of year in Italy. The grapes are being harvested for this year’s wine production! It’s an exciting time, to say the least, as well as a delicious period when the locals are enjoying the bounty the land has to offer. Making wine is no small task, so I will leave that to the pros, but one way I am enjoying the season, even though I am not in Tuscany, is by eating and baking with grapes. One of Tuscany’s most preferred method of baking with grapes is in schiacciata, which is similar to a sweet focaccia. While I love making fall schiacciata, I love this cake just as much. This cake is a bit more, well, cakey, that schiacciata, which tends to be a bit more bread-like and with added rosemary on top, can be a bit savory. This cake is wonderful for dessert, to be enjoyed with coffee or tea, or even for breakfast. Be sure to use small seedless grapes, as anything large will sink to the bottom of the cake. Topping it with a tablespoon of sugar and some slivered almost is purely optional, but they do add a nice touch. Go ahead and make prepare this delicious cake this fall, you will not be sorry. 
 
Fall Harvest Cake 
Ingredients 
2 cups small seedless grapes (Thompson or Concord grapes) 
11/3 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for dusting the grapes) 
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
½ cup + 3 tablespoons sugar
Zest of 1 orange or 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
¼ cup light tasting olive oil (or vegetable oil)
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup milk (whole/skim/2%)
Optional: 1 tablespoon sugar
Optional: 2 – 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
 
 Instructions
1. Pre-heat oven to 350F, grease and flour an 8-inch springform or regular cake pan, or spray it with Pam non-stick spray. 
2. Lightly dust the grapes in 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside. 
3. Whisk together flour, baking powder and baking soda together in a medium bowl, set aside. 
4. In a large mixing bowl, or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3m inutes. Add the zest and vanilla beat until combined.
5. Reduce speed to low and slowly add the oil. Slowly add the yogurt and milk and beat until combined. 
6. Still with speed on low, slowly add the flour just until combined, do not overmix. 
4. Turn the mixer off and add half the grapes into the batter and mix with a spatula. Pour into the pan, and spread evenly. Top the batter with remaining grapes, and very gently press them down with your hand or spatula. 
5. Optional: Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar on top and top with slivered almonds. Bake the bake for approximately 40-45 minutes. Cool before removing from the pan.