Desert Roses

Don't they look like beautiful flowers growing on the desert sand...?

Infact, they are lovely little cakes, made with simple ingredients and enriched with some raisins and chopped walnuts. They're friable and nicely fragrant inside and have a crunchy corn flake coat... good with the morning caffelatte or a cup of tea...

Pear&Nutella Tart

...where my homemade pastry is the scenery for the perfect marriage between the juicy and sweet pears of our garden and the Nutella (Italy favourite)...

Ingredients: h.m. pastry made with 200 gr all purpose flour, 100 gr softened butter, 1 egg+1egg yolk, pinch of salt, grated lemon zest; 500-600 gr pears (sliced), 5 tblsp Nutella,

sour cream(and yogurt) sauce made with 200 gr sour cream (or 100 gr s.c.+ 100 gr yogurt), 2eggs, 3 tblsp sugar, vanilla aroma.

Make the pastry: beat butter until soft, add sugar and mix. Add eggs, salt, some grated lemon zest. Finally, add flour and make a stiff dough. Knead lightly. Refrigerate for 30 mins at least.

Place sliced pears in a bowl with a tblsp of sugar and few drops of lemon juice.

Prepare the sauce, beating eggs with sugar. Add aroma, salt and sour cream or s.cream+yogurt mixture.

Now, line a 24 cm flan tip with the pastry. Spread Nutella on the base. Arrange pears on top, in a layer. Pour the sauce. Sprinkle some Demerara sugar and graund cinnamon. Bake for 35 mins in hot oven, until the pastry is golden brown.

Once made this Tart, I had spare sliced pears and sauce, though any Nutella left... So, I made a black pastry for another similar Tart with only a layer of pears and the sour cream+yogurt sauce on top...

The ingredients for the black pastry:

200 gr all purpose flour, 100 gr butter, 70 gr sugar, 1 egg+1 egg yolk, 15 gr cocoa powder, pinch of salt

M&D PIZZA...

Making Pizza last Saturday, I had the idea of a different topping, as if  Margery &Dennis would have come along for dinner...

I virtually offer you a slice of the Pizza, dear Family!...

...with Mozzarella and Stracchino cheese, slices of grilled aubergines and fresh tomatoes, Bresaola and stripes of melon (added after baked)...

for You, my Dear Ones!!!