Homebaker’s Cookbook: Baghrir/ Il Ricettario di Homebaker: Crèpes millebuchi

Today’s recipe for Homebaker’s Cookbook is a reinterpretation of baghrir, a bubbly pancake often used as an accompaniment for both sweet and savoury dishes. I wanted to propose you with a sweet version like the one I tasted at the home of my friends Simone and Ramzi. I made an addition of saffron to perfume these pancakes that will drive you crazy. Try them for breakfast, you will love them.

Baghrir
x about 24-30 crêpes

330 g water
180 g homebaker’s pizza and pasta flour 
7 g baking powder
5 g sugar
2 g salt
1 g instant yeast
½ packet of saffron powder

In a large bowl blend all the ingredients except the baking powder and salt.
Stir up with a whisk for about 4 minutes, then cover the bowl with clingfilm and let it rest at room temperature for about an hour.
Add the baking powder and salt.
Stir up for a few seconds, just to mix all the ingredients.
Cover the bowl again with clingfilm and let it rest at room temperature for about 20 minutes.
Take a non-stick pan and heat it.
Do not grease and pour a ladle or a spoonful of mixture.
The mixture will form many bubbles on the surface.
Baghrir are ready when all the bubbles have burst.
They are cooked only on one side so resist the temptation of flipping them over.
Do not overlap the pancakes and store them covered under a towel.
Proceed like this with all the dough.
Baghrir are excellent with butter and honey melted together in a saucepan.

Il Ricettario di Homebaker: Crèpes millebuchi

La ricetta di oggi per il Ricettario di Homebaker è una mia reinterpretazione dei baghrir, o anche chiamati crêpes millebuchi. Una specialità marocchina spesso usata come accompagnamento per piatti dolci e salati, ma io ho voluto proporveli nella versione dolce come quella che ho assaggiato a casa dei miei amici Simone e Ramzi. Ho fatto una aggiunta di zafferano per profumare queste crêpes che vi faranno impazzire. Provatele per la colazione, non vi deluderanno.

Crêpes millebuchi
x circa 24-30 crêpes

330 g acqua
180 g farina homebaker per pizza e pasta 
7 g lievito chimico per dolci
5 g zucchero
2 g sale
1 g lievito di birra
½ bustina di zafferano in polvere

In una ciotola capiente frullate tutti gli ingredienti tranne il lievito chimico e il sale.
Rimescolate con la frusta per circa 4 minuti, poi coprite la ciotola con pellicola alimentare e lasciate riposare a temperatura ambiente per circa un’ora.
Aggiungete il lievito per dolci e il sale.
Rimescolate per pochi secondi, giusto per amalgamare tutti gli ingredienti.
Coprite nuovamente la ciotola con pellicola alimentare e lasciate riposare a temperatura ambiente per circa 20 minuti.
Prendete una padella antiaderente e scaldatela.
Non ungetela e versate un mestolino oppure un cucchiaio abbondante di composto.
L’impasto formerà sulla superficie tante bolle.
Le crêpes sono pronte quando tutte le bolle saranno scoppiate e vengono cotte solo da un lato.
Non sovrapponeteli e conservateli coperti sotto un telo.
Procedete così con tutto l’impasto.
I baghrir sono ottimi con burro e miele fusi insieme in un pentolino.

Homebaker’s Cookbook: Almond and Sesame Biscuits / Il Ricettario di Homebaker: Biscotti alle mandorle e sesamo

Some time ago I discovered reginelle palermitane, very simple but delicious biscuits. This recipe is simply inspired by the original biscuits, which I thought were the result of a mix between wheat flour and almonds an ingredient in fact missing in the original recipe, as found out after a fairly detailed study, nonetheless I decided to put in the mixture to make my own version for Homebaker’s Cookbook. I chose to use homebaker’s farina 400, a flour specific for biscuit baking. Since I started using it in my recipes for biscuits and crackers I keep a package in the pantry…the difference, compared to biscuits baked with all purpose flour, is tangible and all the baked goods resulting are definitely more crisp! These almond and sesame biscuits are not too sweet and are ideal for both breakfast and a coffee break.

Homebaker’s Cookbook: 4 Seeds Crackers / Il Ricettario di Homebaker: Crackers ai 4 semi

 Crispy baked goods have always been an obsession of mine…during the past years I had to face countless disappointments with full trays of grissini and crackers that wouldn’t turn out as crispy as I would have liked them. Stubbornness pays off though, and finally with time I came up for the recipe for perfectly crispy crackers. Ideal for aperitifs or to nibble on during work breaks, especially needed when spending a whole day in front of the computer. A simple and reliable recipe, just top with fresh cheese, two lemon zest, sprinkle with freshly cut chives and you will have a stunning aperitif with zero effort! For today’s Homebaker’s Recipe Book I present you with my tasty 4 seed crackers recipe crackers. Follow me and discover our online shop!

Homebaker’s Cookbook: Cavatelli with broccoli and anchovies/ Il Ricettario di Homebaker: Cavatelli con broccoli e acciughe

I wanted to make orecchiette…and I came out with cavatelli! For today’s Homebaker‘s Cookbook recipe I studied a lot, watching several videos and discovering an inspiring woman…Nunzia! The problem is that despite my good manual skills that gesture that might seems so easy to do, dragging a dumpling of dough using the tip of a knife, proved to be very difficult and quite frustrating. So after the first ten orecchiette that believed themselves to be cavatelli, I gave in. But I intend to find a grandmother from Puglia willing to spend several hours with me to teach me all secrets that lay behind the famous pasta. I wonder if this site could be of any help (go and take a look, it is truly wonderful!). Ok, no more chatting…fasten your aprons!

ZZAFF!: Cavollatt montato

 

For the last episode of this season of ZZAFF! I chose a simple but very scrumptious recipe. The base consists in cavollatt, an egg cream that was once consumed as an energy drink because of the amount of sugar and fat contained in it. The cream, alternated with ladyfinger biscuits, results in an excellent dessert that is perfect for the summer season. Cavollatt montato has to rest in the refrigerator and is to be eaten cold.

Tigelle

Street food is now everywhere on the streets of our cities and at every special event around Ticino. A few years ago when I attended Food Immersion Festival I was impressed by Tigella Bella‘s stand but there was so much to say and eat that I realized I had completely forgot to mention them! The thought of these soft flat breads didn’t leave me but only now I had the idea to reinterpret the original recipe. The result? Spectacular! Try them as soon as baked. Warm, soft and fragrant they lend themselves beautifully for a brunch in your backyard!

Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook: Rye Flour Tigelle / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Tigelle con farina di segale

 

Street food is now everywhere on the streets of our cities and at every special event around Ticino. A few years ago when I attended Food Immersion Festival I was impressed by Tigella Bella‘s stand but there was so much to say and eat that I realized I had completely forgot to mention them! The thought of these soft flat breads didn’t leave me but only now I had the idea to reinterpret the original recipe for Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook. The result? Spectacular! Try them as soon as baked. Warm, soft and fragrant they lend themselves beautifully for a brunch in your backyard!

Maroggia’s Mill Cookboo: Sumac Ladyfingers / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Savoiardi al sumac

And we are baking sweets treats all over again at Maroggia’s Mill. For today’s Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook recipe I propose a classic of Italian pastry…slightly modified. Ladyfingers. Who hasn’t got memories of ladyfingers being stocked, packet loads of them, in the pantry? They were always there, ready for mummy to whip up a good old trifle or a tiramisu. I loved to steal a couple while she was busy preparing the chosen dessert. I loved their soft and yielding consistency and slightly spongy inside. Dipped in tea, but very quickly in order not to run the risk of turning the liquid into a cloudy porridge, they reached the peak of gustative enjoyment. Here is a whole new version flavoured with sumac, a spice commonly used in the Middle East which tastes a bit like lemon. I really like it and I find that it lends itself well to both sweet and savoury dishes. These biscuits are ideal for an alternative and light tiramisu, with yogurt and red fruits or for a fresh and summery trifle.

Maroggia’s Mill Cookboo: Sumac Ladyfingers / Il Ricettario del Mulino di Maroggia: Savoiardi al sumac

 

And we are baking sweets treats all over again at Maroggia’s Mill. For today’s Maroggia’s Mill Cookbook recipe I propose a classic of Italian pastry…slightly modified. Ladyfingers. Who hasn’t got memories of ladyfingers being stocked, packet loads of them, in the pantry? They were always there, ready for mummy to whip up a good old trifle or a tiramisu. I loved to steal a couple while she was busy preparing the chosen dessert. I loved their soft and yielding consistency and slightly spongy inside. Dipped in tea, but very quickly in order not to run the risk of turning the liquid into a cloudy porridge, they reached the peak of gustative enjoyment. Here is a whole new version flavoured with sumac, a spice commonly used in the Middle East which tastes a bit like lemon. I really like it and I find that it lends itself well to both sweet and savoury dishes. These biscuits are ideal for an alternative and light tiramisu, with yogurt and red fruits or for a fresh and summery trifle.

ZZAFF!: Amaretti ticinesi

For this month’s ZZAFF! Episode we offer you a recipe for a sweet ticinese treat which often accompanies coffee at the end of a meal. I’m talking about amaretti, slightly bitter biscuits, crumbly on the outside and soft on the inside, which were born from the need to use egg white left over from the preparation of recipes based on yolk, such as panettone or cream custard. Amaretti are very popular all over Italy, where different types of this biscuit can be found. In fact, those from Ticino are different from the best-known Italian amaretti biscuits, which are round and soft (amaretti di Sassello) or crispy (amaretti di Saronno). The term amaretti comes from the bitter taste given by armelline (bitter almonds) which are added in small quantities, but for convenience I used sweet almonds only adding a few drops of bitter almond flavour.