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RICE CAKE
Nonna Ada, 88 anni – Bologna
1 liter of milk
150g of arborio rice
400g of granulated sugar
100g of vanilla sugar
150g of ground almonds
150g of amaretti
100g of cedar
1 glass of "bitter almond" liqueur
1 wire of seed oil and
1 sprinkling of breadcrumbs for the pan
Boil the milk, cook the rice slowly and mix from time to time for 40 minutes. Remove from the heat and add both types of sugar, almonds, cedar, eggs, mixing well with a whisk.
Grease a rectangular pan and sprinkle with grated bread. Pour the mixture and put in the oven at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes until the cake becomes golden brown and dry inside (check with a toothpick).Remove from the oven and drizzle with the bitter almond liqueur.
Once cold, place the cake in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours...Grandma reveals that it tastes better the next day!
ZUCCHERINI MONTANARI (Mountain Sugar Cookies)
Nonna Assunta, 89 anni – Quinzano (BO)
MOUNTAIN SUGAR COOKIES:
1 kg of flour
6 eggs
400 gr of sugar
200 g of butter
2 sachets of baking powder (one sachet per 1/2 kg of flour)
Peel of a grated lemon
1 vanilla stick
SUGAR TOPPING:
Dose for every kg of cooked sugary
500 gr of sugar
50 gr of vanilla sugar
Water q.b
Aniseed
1 lemon slice
Place the flour on a pastry board and add the eggs, the sugar, the yeast, the grated lemon zest, the previously softened butter.
Extract the seeds from the pod and incorporate it into the flour.
A sachet of vanillin may be used, if necessary. Knead vigorously until everything is well blended. It will result in a rather substantial dough. The dough can also be made with a mechanical mixer. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for a couple of hours.
Pull the dough with a rolling pin, creating a sheet of pastry about a little less than a centimeter and cut rectangular strips about one cm high and about 8/10 cm long. Roll the dough around a finger making small circles that then you put on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper or buttered, taking care that they are beautiful "straight" and that there remains a hole in the middle (they will look like some tiny donuts). Bake at 180 degrees for 8/10 minutes depending on your oven. Wait until it's cold.
Sugar Topping:
Mix the sugar, the water the aniseed and the lemon wedge (which will then be eliminated).
On a low heat, bring to 107 degrees forming a whitish and thick mixture. It is important to note that it should not boil, remove it from the heat a little before boiling. At this point, gradually add the already cooled sugars and let them mix well on all sides (to do this turn the saucepan, avoid ladles that could damage them). Finally place them on a sheet or baking paper and wait for it to cool. If well sealed, keep their fragrance for a long time.
CANTUCCI
Sig.ra Eleonora, 60 anni - Fiesole (FI)
150gr of almonds
250gr of flour
250g of sugar
½ sachet of vanillin
Zest of 1 orange
½ lemon
½ sachet of baking powder
salt
Peeled, after several dips in boiling water, 150 grams of almonds; let them dry in the oven without making them brown.
Chop coarsely and mix with 250 grams of flour, 250 grams of sugar, half a sachet of vanillin, the grated rind of one orange and half a lemon, a pinch of salt and half a sachet of baking powder. Make a fountain, pour in the center 2 beaten and kneaded eggs.
Bake at 200 degrees and divide the dough into many pieces that will turn into sausages with a diameter of 3 cm. Arrange them from one another in a buttered pan and cook for about 20 minutes. When they have cooled, cut them into slices of 1cm and put them back in the oven at 150 degrees for another 10 minutes.
