Aunt Mary used a wooden spoon when beating the eggs into the flour and butter mixture. You would need to beat each egg well into the mixture. It is quite a workout for the arm muscles. I found using a food processor for incorporating the individual egg was easier on the arm and did just as good a job as a wooden spoon.

The chocolate sauce gives this dessert an elegant finish and you are bound to get raves! Enjoy this dessert which will complement any dinner or can be served alone with a cup of espresso or coffee.

Ingredients:

Serves: 8-12

• 1 cup water
• 1 stick butter
• 1 cup flour
• 4 eggs

Cream Filling:

• 1 pint whipped cream (heavy cream)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Chocolate Sauce:
• 1/2 cup water
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• Liqueur (optional) Creme de menthe, Orange liqueur, Chambord

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°
2. Boil water with butter until completely dissolved.
   
3. Add flour all at one time and stir until flour forms a ball and comes away from side of pot.
   
4. Remove from heat and put mixture into food processor with steel blade in place.
   
5. Add one egg at a time and pulse with each addition until each egg is well incorporated into mixture.
6. Paste should be shiny and not too dry.
7. Drop paste by heaping teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet.
   
8. Bake in 400 °oven for 10 minutes.
9. Reduce temperature to 350°.
10. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until puffs are golden brown and firm to the touch.
11. Turn off oven, prick tops of puffs with a toothpick and leave in oven for additional 10 minutes.
    
12. Cool on rack and fill or store in freezer bag for refrigeration or in freezer for one week and until ready to use.

Cream filling:

1. Beat three ingredients well until soft peaks form.
2. Slice puffs in half and fill bottom half with cream.
   
3. Top with other half.
4. Pour warm chocolate topping over top of puff and serve immediately.
   

Chocolate Sauce Topping:

• 1/2 cup water
• 3 squares unsweetened chocolate
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 4  1/2 Tbs. butter
• 3/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1. In small saucepan combine chocolate squares and ½ cup water. Cook stirring occasionally, over low heat, until chocolate is melted.
2. Add sugar and salt, cook, stirring until sugar is melted and mixture is thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in butter and vanilla. Also stir in liqueur of choice (optional).

One of the many cooking recipes taught in class was called “Haystacks”. This was to teach us how to use a double-boiler and to melt chocolate. Today, I bet this recipe would be referred to as “retro”. Just a few ingredients are needed and now with microwave ovens available we can make this quicker and easier.

I have improvised a little on the original middle school recipe and I call it Chocolate Bird’s Nest Treat and I like making it as an Easter treat for the Easter Basket or as a simple after Easter dinner sweet. It is made with chow mein noodles and you will be surprised at how delicious these noodles are once covered with melted chocolate and peanut butter. So simple to make, great for an Easter treat or anytime and all ages can make this recipe. Wishing you all a very Happy Easter and may all your baskets be bountiful this year!

Ingredients:

Serves: approximately 12 cookies depending on the size you make them

• 1 cup chocolate chips ( 6 oz. pkg.)
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups chow mein noodles
• Jelly beans

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper or parchment paper.
2. Place chocolate chips and peanut butter in a microwave – safe container. Cover with waxed paper. Heat on 50% power for 1 minute.
   
3. Stir thoroughly and heat an additional 1 minute on 50% power.
4. Stir in chow mein noodles until fully coated.
   
5. Spoon by tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheet, press down with spoon to form a nest shape.
   
6. Place two or three jelly beans on each nest.
   
7. Refrigerate until firm. Approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Optional topping: Salted peanuts can be used in place of jelly beans.

As children, most of us would give up eating sweets during those forty fast days. Come Easter Sunday, a full course meal of meat, pasta, and salads and pastries, pies, and cakes were a child’s dream after the 40 days of giving up sweets. I can still smell the aromas coming from the family cooks on the days prior to Easter. They would be preparing for days the scrumptious feast for this special holiday.

One of the pastries I loved, Zeppole, sorry to say is deep fried, but it is a once or twice a year treat and so delicious. It is a Neapolitan Italian treat and is sold at many Italian fairs and feast celebrations throughout America and Europe. This is my Mother’s simple recipe for this Italian delicacy which is always served warm. Enjoy them plain, dusted with confectioners’ sugar, or a drizzle of honey.

Ingredients:

Serves: 6 (Double or triple the ingredients to make more Zeppole)

• 1 pkg Rapid Rise yeast
• 1 1/4 cup All Purpose unbleached flour
• 1 cup water (warm not hot)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Vegetable oil or canola oil

Directions:

1. Pour vegetable or canola oil in a heavy duty saucepan to a depth of 3 inches.
2. In a large bowl empty the package of yeast and slowly add the warm water not hot (110°-115°). Gently stir to dissolve the yeast. Let sit till yeast mixture starts to foam.
3. Add the flour and salt and blend well. The mixture will be stringy and runny.
   
4. Cover and let rise in warm area 1 to 1 ½ hours until bubbly and double in size.
   
5. Heat oil (3 inch deep) in a heavy saucepan. When oil is hot 375° (test by dropping in a little dough. If it sizzles and rises to the top the oil is hot) drop by tablespoon. Fry three or four at a time.
   
6. Fry each side until golden brown. Continually turn Zeppole while frying to evenly brown all over.
   
7. Drain well on paper towels. Serve warm, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, or a drizzle of honey or plain.
   

This was before the Food Network, Rachel Ray, and Martha Stewart. However, Julia Child and the Joy of Cooking cookbook was what most of us were familiar with and tried to duplicate. The one drawback in teaching others was that I was not much of a dessert cook. Italians tend to eat fruit, cheese and nuts for dessert and when they have sweets, it is usually for a special occasion or a guest would bring dessert as a gift to the hostess.

I had to reach out to my family members to teach me their dessert recipes. You can find my Aunt Mary’s cheesecake recipe on this blog as well as those from Aunt Laura. My sister, Natalie, shared this Tortoni recipe with me and it was one that my students truly enjoyed and they always told me of the rave compliments they received when they served it. Tortoni is a frozen Italian dessert which is light and complements any meal when served with a cup of Espresso. I hope you enjoy the simplicity of this delicious dessert.

Ingredients:

Serves: 12

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cups sugar
• Dash salt
• 1/4 cups whole blanched almonds
• Almond extract (1 1/2 tsp.) plus 1/4 tsp
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (whipping cream)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 candied cherries (optional)
• 12 paper cupcake liners

Directions:

1. Separate eggs. (Yolks can be refrigerated and saved). Let whites warm to room temperature. Mix ¼ cup water with the sugar in 1 quart saucepan. Stir over low heat to dissolve sugar. Boil uncovered without stirring till 236
   degrees on candy thermometer (soft ball stage).

   

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place blanched almonds in shallow baking pan: bake just till lightly toasted 8-10 minutes. Chop almonds finely in processor or blender. Turn into small bowl. Stir in 1 ½ tsp. almond extract and set aside.
   
3. Beat egg whites with salt just until peaks form. Pour hot syrup in thin stream over whites, beat constantly till very stiff peaks form. Refrigerate 30 mins.
4. In medium bowl beat cream with ¼ tsp. almond extract and ¾ tsp. vanilla, until quite stiff. Gently fold into egg-white mixture until well combined.
5. Spoon into 12 paper-lined 2 ½ inch size cupcake pan. Sprinkle with almonds, top with candied cherry (optional). Cover with foil. Freeze until firm several hours or overnight. (For longer storage remove from pan, wrap each well. Keeps 1 month in freezer).