Easy Easter cake with ricotta and chocolate

With the lockdown the internet has gone crazy. So many people are cooking and baking in a way that we have never seen before, at least in our lifetime and basic foods like flour and eggs and other staples seem to have disappeared from the shelves. In particular, flour and yeast seem to be the…

Chocolate muffins with light ricotta topping

Where has the time gone?? I can’t believe it is February already. With January out of the way and Valentine approaching a chocolate fix would do us good Here you have a simple chocolate muffin recipe. Inside each muffin I have put a candied cherry but I think the best cherries (as fresh ones are…

Two colour ricotta and chocolate cake

Over the weekend I had friends around. We had a super mega party with tons of food and so much laugh that I was in tears! This is what happens when you are with good genuine friends you feel totally at ease with: all Italians who have been living in England for a long time…

Olive oil & pistachio brownies with reduced sugar

Here it is a fabulous American treat with an Italian twist! My children were nagging me for these for ages so I made them but I decided to swap butter for olive oil and add a bit of a crunchy bite to them using pistachios. Compared to other recipes this one has reduced sugar too.…

Easter chocolate ring cake with mascarpone filling

Let’s talk about CHOCOLATE. It is that time of the year.. it is Easter! By now all diets should have vanished into thin air or at least, we are now probably all allowed a break from them for the Easter holidays. My children are waiting for their Italian Easter eggs! They usually never get very…

Flourless carrot, almond & coconut cake with chocolate

It was snowing in England today. We don’t normally get much snow in the South of England, at least we haven’t had for the past 5 years. That’s why it was such a novelty and so much fun for the children. We were all quite excited really, children and adults alike and when the kids…

Luscious chocolate, espresso and hazelnut cake

Chocolate and hazelnuts are two key ingredients in the recipe of Nutella. Many people love Nutella but these days there are far better quality chocolate spreads on the Italian market. Nutella is far too sugary and it contains palm oil which is certainly not good for you (read about it). Sugar and palm oil are…

Amaretti, ricotta & pear crumble cake with chocolate chips

Ricotta cheese is widely used in Italian cakes. It has a light and moist consistency making it ideal for desserts and cakes. Personally I have always loved ricotta. There is however a big difference between fresh ricotta made at a dairy and the ricotta readily available in supermarkets especially if you want to eat it…

Ricotta cheesecake with New Choc’o Brownie flavour Oreo

Do you fancy an easy sweet treat without having to switch your oven on? Or would you like a dessert to make in advance for your dinner party? I made a cheesecake for my last dinner party and it was a real success; what was really good about it is that I was able to…

Two coloured pumpkin chocolate cake with olive oil

Think of luscious good quality chocolate and of sweet and nutty pumpkin, put them together and you have a match made in heaven! It is school holidays over here in the UK and we have been very busy in the kitchen. Our latest creation was in fact a pumpkin and chocolate cake made with olive…