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In a small bowl combine the Digestive cookie Crumbs, spices mix and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of your prepared pan (8 inch). Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

“I might not be there for all your battles but you’ll win them eventually. I’ll pray that I’m giving you all that matters so one day you’ll say to me: <<I love my life. I am powerful, I am beautiful, I am free. I love my life. I am wonderful, I am magical, I am me.>> Find the others with hearts like yours. Run far, run free. I’m with you.” Love my life, Robbie Williams

This recipe is linked to my sister Selenia: she has always been crazy about Robbie Williams and when I miss her I listen his best songs.

We have two very strong characters! We got very close when I was in high school and she was in Vicenza.

One of her TOP recipes is the cheesecake, creamy and delicious! Let’s cook it 😉

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ Cheesecake

Ingredients for the cookie crust

• 200 g Digestive cookie
• 60 g melted butter
• 1 g salt
• 5 g spices mix (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg)

Procedure

In a small bowl combine the Digestive cookie Crumbs, spices mix and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of your prepared pan (about 8 / 10 inch). Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

Ingredients for the Cheesecake filling

• 600 g Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1/2 lemon juice
• 180 g granulated white sugar
• 100 g eggs (2)
• 1 g salt

Procedure

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachemnt, (or with a hand mixer) beat the cream cheese, on medium low speed, until smooth, then add the sugar and beat until combined. Add the eggs and the salt, one at a time, beating until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and add the lemon juice. Pour the batter into your pan and smooth the top. Cook for about 1h and 20 min at 110 ° C (230 F).

The cheesecake is ready the next day. I love it with hazelnut cream or with raspberry jam on top!

Remember, #bakeforlife! 😉

Now, we are in autumn and I think that our summer memories warms our hearts in these days. July 27th was our first wedding anniversary and we decided to spend it in the Eternal City, Rome, eternal for its beauty and history. Maybe we feel a little “eternal” too after 10 years of being together and building our story day after day in all its beauty, between ups and downs.

The dessert that best represents us we tried together our first time in Paris, the tarte au citron: the secret is the crunchy pastry crust and the balance between the sweetness of the meringue and the acidity of the delicious lemon cream. I give you my recipe 😉

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ tarte au citron

Ingredients for the pastry crust

• 125 g soft butter (at room temperature)
• lemon zest (1)
• 100 g granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 g salt
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 2 g baking powder

Procedure

In a bowl, with the hand mixer beat the soft butter and sugar until they are smooth and fluffy. Add, first, the beaten egg with the salt, then, the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Cover the pastry crust and put it in a refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Take it out from the fridge and roll out the dough to a thickness of 0,5 cm. Transfer the pastry crust to your pie or tart pan (22 cm) and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan.

Ingredients for frangipane

• 55 g soft butter (at room temperature)
• lemon zest (1/2)
• 55 g powdered sugar
• 43 g yolk (about 2)
• 1 g salt
• 47 g all-purpose flour
• 18 g almond flour
• 35 g egg white (circa 1 )
• 10 g white granulated sugar

Procedure

In a bowl, with the hand mixer beat the soft butter, lemon zest and powdered sugar until are smooth and fluffy; start adding the yolk with the salt, then, the all-purpose flour and almond flour. In another bowl, with the hand mixer beat the egg white and sugar until looks like softly whipped cream. Add the batter in 2 times, then pour half frangipane into the chocolate tart and bake at 170°C (338 F) about 25 min.

Ingredients for lemon cream

• 60 g milk
• 137 g egg
• 50 g granulated white sugar
• 60 g lemon juice
• 125 g white chocolate
• 25 g butter

Procedure

Chop the white chocolate and place it in a tall jug. Heat the milk with the eggs and the sugar in a saucepan until they almost thicken: put the mixture in the jug with the chocolate and blend the cream with the immersion blender, pour in the lemon juice and then the butter. Leave to rest for about an hour.

Ingredients for Italian meringue

• 50 g water
• 140 g white granulated sugar
• 27 g white granulated sugar
• 83 g egg white

Procedure

Put the sugar and water into a small saucepan over a medium heat with a thermometer resting in the liquid. Start to slowly whisk the egg whites either in a stand mixer or with a hand-held electric whisk until just starting to foam. Heat the sugar until it reaches 121°C then slowly pour into the egg whites whilst still whisking. Turn the whisk up to full speed and whisk until cooled to room temperature – the meringue is now ready to use.

Pour the lemon cream on the pastry tart and then decorate with the meringue as you like: I modeled the Italian meringue with a spatula and then flamed it a little. The great balance between sweetness and acidity will surprise you: “if it’s love, no one else could do it better”.

Remember, #bakeforlife! 😉

“When we all give the power, we all give the best. Every minute of an hour, don’t think about a rest. Then you all get the power, you all get the best. When everyone gives everything and every song, everybody sings Live, Live is life!” Live is life, Opus

Tiramisu is a typical coffee-flavoured Italian dessert of Treviso origins whose recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts. In the summer time many people replace the bitter espresso coffee with a fruit juice but i’m in love with ladyfingers (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa.

This sweet is perfect for a family dinner, let’s bake it!

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’Tiramisu

Ingredients for ladyfingers (savoiardi)

• 103 gr egg yolk
• 50 gr sugar
• 103 gr all-purpose flour
• 158 gr white egg
• 42 gr sugar

Procedure

Separate the eggs: with your hand mixer beat the egg yolk and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow; in another bowl, whip the white eggs and the sugar until the whites are glossy. Fold the whites into the egg yolk and flour mixture in three additions, mixing only until incorporated. Transfer the batter to your pastry bag and, holding the bag at about a 45 degree angle to the baking sheet, pipe the batter. Bake at 170°C (338 F) about 13 min.

Ingredients for mascarpone cheese cream

• 4 egg yolk
• 100 gr sugar
• 500 gr mascarpone cheese
• 250 gr whipped cream

Procedure

In a large bowl, with your hand mixer, beat the egg yolk and the sugar until the mixture becomes thick and pale yellow; then, add the mascarpone cheese and whipped cream mixing until the cream until it is firm and fluffy.

When the ladyfingers are cold, you can make the tiramisu alternating the biscuit dipped in coffee with a layer of mascarpone cheese cream. The next day is even better but you can taste it after two hours!

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉

“Eso que tú me das, es mucho más de lo que pido. Todo lo que me das es lo que ahora necesito. Eso que tú me das, no creo lo tenga merecido: por todo lo que das te estaré siempre agradecido. Así que gracias por estar, por tu amistad y tu compañía. Eres lo, lo mejor que me ha dado la vida! Con todo lo que recibí ahora sé que no estoy solo, ahora te tengo a ti, amigo mío, mi tesoro!” Eso que tú me das, Jarabe de Palo

Giulia is a childhood friend of mine but we live far away since university: we can met rarely, but we write to each other almost every day sharing everything even if I live in Bolonia and she lives in Alba!

Today’s recipe, linked to her, is an irresistible dought, very simple, without eggs and dairy products because Giulia’s mother has various intolerances. You can bake this dought like a donut, a plumcake or a classic, extremely soft and delicious cake! This recipe is Giulia’s cup of tea, will it become yours too? 😉

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ Marble vegan cake

Ingredients

• 5o0 g soy yogurt
• 40 g evo oil
• 250 g brown sugar
• 1 g salt
• 138 g all purpose flour + 8 g baking powder
• 98 g all purpose flour + 40 g unsweetened cocoa powder + 8 g baking powder

Procedure

In a bowl, with the hand mixer beat the soy yogurt,  the evo oil , the salt and the brown sugar; then, divide the mixture into 2 bowls. In the first bowl, add the flour and the baking powder; in the second bowl, add the flour, the cocoa and the baking powder. When the two doughs are homogeneous, pour them alternately into the chosen mold (22 – 24 cm). Bake at 170°C (338 F) about 40 min.

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉

“So take a chance with me, let me romance with you! I’m caught in a dream and my dream’s come true. So hard to believe this is happening to me, an amazing feeling comin’ through. I was born to love you, with every single beat of my heart. Yes, I was born to take care of you, every single day of my life!” I was born to love you, Freddie Mercury

The Sacher Torte is one of my favorite cakes because the taste is simple and genuine but the procedure is complex. It was the first birthday cake I made to my husband Antonio.

Sacher’s recipe is secret, as much as the recipe of our love, so I decided to make a different Sacher with the chocolate pastry crust.

“I wanna love you, I love every little thing about you. Yes I was born to love you, every single day of my life!”

Stay tuned!

Sara

Sa(ra)cher, I did it my way 😉

Ingredients for the chocolate pastry crust

• 125 g soft butter (at room temperature)
• 100 g granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 g salt
• 200 g all-purpose flour
• 50 g cocoa powder
• 2 g baking powder

Procedure

In a bowl, with the hand mixer beat the soft butter and sugar until are smooth and fluffy. Start adding the beaten egg with the salt, then, the all-purpose flour, the cocoa and baking powder. Cover and place the chocolate pastry crust in a refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Take it out from the fridge, and roll out the dough to a thickness of 0,5 cm. Transfer the pastry crust to your pie or tart pan (22 cm) and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Place the pastry crust in the fridge to chill.

Ingredients for chocolate frangipane

• 55 g soft butter (at room temperature)
• 55 g powdered sugar
• 43 g yolk (about 2)
• 1 g salt
• 35 g all-purpose flour
• 12 g cocoa powder
• 35 g egg white (circa 1 )
• 10 g white granulated sugar

Procedure

In a bowl, with the hand mixer beat the soft butter and powdered sugar until are smooth and fluffy; start adding the yolk with the salt, then, the all-purpose flour and the cocoa. In another bowl, with the hand mixer beat the egg white and sugar until looks like softly whipped cream. Add the batter in 2 times, then pour half chocolate frangipane into the chocolate tart and bake at 170°C (338 F) about 25 min.

When the chocolate tart is cool, add about 150 g apricot jam and chill it to the fridge.

Temper the dark chocolate to create a “crunchy” sheet and lay it on the apricot jam; above, always with tempered chocolate, make the famous sign “Sacher”.

The Sa(ra)cher is ready to taste!

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉

“Every day can be a better day, despite the challenge. All you gotta do is leave it better than you found it. It’s gonna get difficult to stand, but hold your balance. I just say whatever ’cause there is no way around it ’cause. Everyone falls down sometimes, but you just gotta know it’ll all be fine.”  Sunday Best, Surfaces

Traveling is my way to escape from ordinary life, to breathe and discover new places, uses, customs and food. I always wanted to go to Belgium in spring, not only to visit Brussels, the UE capital, but also to go to Liege, “the gaufres home”! There are two different types of gaufres: the Liège gaufres have a thick batter, a longer processing and the “pearl sugar” gives this typical taste and crunchy; Brussels gaufres are simpler and their recipe is more popular, but sometimes “the simple things are the best”!

This recipe is to make “Brussels style” gaufres 😉

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ gaufres

Ingredients

• 170 g milk
• 140 g butter
• 3 g salt
• 160 g all-purpose flour
• 90 g white egg (n.3)
• 20 g granulated white sugar

Procedure

Heat the butter, the milk and the salt in a small pot: when boil it, remove from the heat and add the flour. Beat the white egg and the sugar until looks like softly whipped cream; add the batter in 2 times. Using your gaufrier instruction, makes the best gaufres ever!

Tips:

• 160 g all purpose-flour: 100 g all purpose-flour + 60 g wholemeal flour / buckwheat
• 160 g all purpose-flour: 130 g all purpose-flour + 30 g unsweetned cocoa powder

Remember, #bakeforlife! 😉

“Y para qué llorar, pa’ qué, si duele una pena, se olvida. Y para qué sufrir, pa’ qué, si así es la vida, hay que vivirla. Voy a vivir el momento para entender el destino. Voy a escuchar en silencio, para encontrar el camino. Voy a reír, voy a bailar, voy a gozar, Vivir mi vida!” Vivir mi vida, Marc Anthony

Today, I want share with you my little goal of the last year, the first place like Best Female Pastry chef at WPS in Milan. I always think “I can do more” but sometimes we need to enjoy the personal success because this is unique and it will never come back!

The Baci di Dama recipe is my cup of tea, the best piece of my WPS selection.

“To make a dream come true, you have to open the drawer and not keep it closed.” SB

Stay tuned!

Sara

BrȃnKiss

Hazelnut and cocoa nibs Baci di dama with a layer of Ruby chocolate.

Ingredients for Bacio di Dama:

• 100 g all-purpose flour
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 100 g cold butter
• 100 g hazelnut flour
• 15 g cocoa nibs flour
• 1 g salt
• 10 g sifted hardboiled yolk

Procedure:

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and, using your fingertips, mix until the mixture is crumbly. Chill the “baci di dama” for 1 hour in a refrigerator. Remove from the fridge and roll out the dough to a thickness of 0,3 cm and, using the cookie cutter 4×4, place the “baci di dama” on  oven tray with baking paper  and bake them at 155°C (311 F) for about 8 min.

How to temper Ruby chocolate

Bring the Ruby chocolate more or less at 42 ° C (107.6 F) in the microwave and pour 2/3 of it on the marble table to work it with the steel spatula; add the chocolate in the bowl and if the temperature is 29.5 ° C (85.1 F) you can proceed to create 4cm wide acetate strips (3 mm thick) to cut, as soon as it is slightly crystallized, 4×4 squares.

How to assemble the Brankiss

You can assemble 2 Baci di Dama squares and 1 Ruby chocolate square with a little bit of tempered Ruby chocolate.

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉

“You know what spreads faster than any virus? It’s fear and when it comes to fear, you can either forget everything and run, or you can face everything and rise. I believe we gonna face everything and rise. I believe that we will win. We can lose the battle, but we gon’ win the war.” I believe that we will win, Pitbull

After 2 months, it was strange to go back to work. People are not ready to go out, to smile, to start again: the sun is shining, the flowers are growing up but there is a dark atmosphere.

This is the time to face everything and rise.

My muffins recipe is extremely simple and perfect for everyday baking: these sweets will always make you happy, even after a hard day 😉

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ best ever muffin

Ingredients

• 240 g whole milk plain yogurt
• 2 eggs
• 2 g salt
• 60 g evo oil
• 50 g vegetable oil
• 100 g granulated white sugar
• 100 g light brown sugar
• 260 g all-purpose flour
• 11 g baking powder
• 150 g dark chocolate (chopped)

Procedure

Beat the eggs, the yogurt,  the salt, the sugar and the oil in a large bowl with a whisk (or you can use hand mixer / electric mixer); then, add the flour and the baking powder in 2 times; stir in the chopped dark chocolate.  Fill the muffin cases two-thirds full and bake at 165°C (329 F) for about 25 min.

Tips:

• 260 g all-purpose flour: 160 g all-purpose flour + 100 g wholemeal flour, for wholemeal muffins
• 260 g all-purpose flour: 200 g all-purpose flour + 60 g bitter cocoa, for chocolate muffins
• 150 g dark chocolate: 150 g milk chocolate / white chocolate / dried fruit, for new flavors!

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉

“Da quando all’asilo non volevo che mi lasciassi, a quando nei compiti volevo che mi aiutassi. Mi hai insegnato a stare in piedi e ad incassare i colpi. E se di me ora voglio renderti orgogliosa è perché so che per me hai rinunciato ad ogni cosa. Mai lascerò che qualcuno ci divida e se al mio fianco ti avrò, accetterò ogni sfida. Oh amor de mi vida, sei il mio angelo, fammi da guida.” Amor de mi vida, Sottotono

An italian song to show my love to my mum. This is not my kind of music but the lyric describes a deep connection between mother and son/daughter.

She loves chocolate, so I decided to bake for her an “indulgent dessert“: the perfect brownie.

This Brownie recipe does contain lots of chocolate, so it has a deep chocolate flavor with a wonderfully moist texture. Only for chocolate addicted like me or my mother 😉

And you, what will you bake for the mother’s day?

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ perfect brownie

Ingredients

• 260 g butter
• 400 g chocolate 60%
• 2 g salt
• 4 eggs
• 160 g granulated white sugar
• 160 g light brown sugar
• 27 g unsweetened cocoa
• 80 g all-purpose flour
• 11 g baking powder

Procedure

Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Remove it from heat, add the chopped chocolate and the salt (stirring with spatula). Next, whisk in the cocoa powder, flour and baking powder.

Beat the eggs and the sugar in a large bowl with an hand mixer (or you can use the electric mixer) on high speed until this mixture has tripled in volume, and looks like softly whipped cream. Add the batter in 2 times.  Pour into the prepared pan (26 cm) with baking paper, smoothing the top with the spatula.

Bake at 180°C (356 F) for about 10 min, then, at 150 °C (302 F) for about 20 min. Remove from oven and let it cool on a wire rack. Serve the brownie at room temperature or chilled.

Tips: The quality of the chocolate and the butter you use will affect the taste of your brownie. So, buy the best you can afford!

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉

“In the warrior’s code there’s no surrender: though his body says stop his spirit cries, never. Deep in our soul a quiet ember knows it’s you against you. It’s the paradox that drives us on. It’s a battle of wills in the heat of attack. It’s the passion that kills, the victory is yours alone.”  Burning heart, Survivor

Yesterday I saw one of my favorite movies, ROCKY IV: it’s about freedom and oppression, about machines and men, conflicts that are current even nowadays.

The tart I want to suggest you today is somehow a good compound of how great life can and will be if conflicts and disagreements are solved finding balance and smoothing edges.

“If I can change and you can change, everybody can change.” Rocky Balboa, ROCKY IV

Stay tuned!

Sara

S’ ricotta cream tart

Ingredients for the pastry crust

• 125 g soft butter (at room temperature)
• 100 g granulated white sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 g salt
• 250 g all-purpose flour
• 2 g baking powder

Procedure

In a bowl, with the hand mixer beat the soft butter and sugar until they are smooth and fluffy. Add, first, the beaten egg with the salt, then, the all-purpose flour and baking powder. Cover the pastry crust and put it in a refrigerator for 1 hour to chill. Take it out from the fridge and roll out the dough to a thickness of 0,5 cm. Transfer the pastry crust to your pie or tart pan (22 cm) and, using your fingertips, evenly press the pastry onto the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Put the apricot jam on the pastry crust.

Ingredients for ricotta cream

• 220 g ricotta cheese
• 70 g granulated white sugar
• 1 yolk

Procedure

Whisk all ingretients in a bowl until the cream is smooth. Pour the ricotta cream into the tart pan. Chill the tart in the fridge.

Ingredients for crumble

• 25 g all-purpose flour
• 25 g cold butter
• 25 g granulated white sugar
• 25 g almond flour

Procedure

Place the flour in a bowl with the cold butter and, using your fingertips, mix until it’s sandy; then, whisk the sugar and the almond flour until the mixture is crumbly. Take the tart from the fridge and put the crumble on top. Bake at 170°C (338 F) about 40 min.

Remember, #bakeforlife 😉