Simplicity is key with Sicilian cuisine and Chef Michael Bonacini of Gusto TV’s ‘Bonacini’s Italy’ explores just how the region balances simplicity with intensity through flavourful dishes. For dolce, Michael combines spicy with sweet through his tender Spiced Chocolate Cookies (Rame di Napoli). Clove and cinnamon provide the spice, while a glaze of apricot jam, dark chocolate and toasty pistachios rounds out these delicate cookies.

Yields 16

gustotv.com/recipes

INGREDIENTS
Cookie:
2 ¼ cups (540 ml) all-purpose flour
½ cup (120 ml) sugar
3 tablespoons (45 ml) cocoa powder
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) ground cloves
¾ teaspoon (3.75 ml) ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) salt
1 ½ tablespoons (22 ml) baking powder
2 large eggs
5 tablespoons (75 ml) unsalted butter, room temperature
½ tablespoon (7.5 ml) honey
1 orange, zest
2/3 cup (160 ml) milk

Glaze:
½ cup (120 ml) apricot jam
14 ounces (397 g) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
4 ½ tablespoons (68 ml) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (180 ml) chopped pistachios, toasted

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cloves, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder.

Add eggs, butter, honey, zest, and milk and mix with a hand mixer until a uniform, slightly sticky batter forms.

Using a 1 ounce (30 ml) ice cream scoop, scoop batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cookie has darkened in colour, but it still soft.

Remove from oven and let cool.

Place the apricot jam in a small bowl, then brush each cookie with a thin layer of jam.

In a bain marie, melt the dark chocolate and butter until glassy and smooth, then remove from heat.

Flip a cookie over and dip in chocolate until the entire top is coated, then place dipped side up on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a generous amount of pistachios. Repeat until all cookies are glazed and garnished with pistachios.

Leave to dry, then serve.

Chocolate, Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread recipe from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 6, Episode 11

Serves 8

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature plus more to butter pan
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 large ripe bananas peeled and mashed
1/4 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more to butter pan
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
1/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 cup chocolate chunks or chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and set a rack in the middle. Butter and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan, shaking off any excess flour.

In a stand mixer, set with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until completely creamy and smooth, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the egg and give it a minute to mix in. Add the bananas, cream cheese and vanilla, continue mixing for a minute.

Reduce the speed to low, add the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and continue beating for another 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down the sides if need be.

In a small bowl, combine the boiling water with the cocoa powder and stir until well mixed. Add to the mixer and beat for another couple minutes. Lastly, add the chocolate chunks and beat for another minute until fully incorporated.

Scrape into the prepared loaf pan, shake a few times to level the batter. Place into the oven and bake anywhere from 55 minutes to an hour, until a toothpick comes out moist but not wet, the top of bread has browned and is springy to the touch.

Remove from the oven and let cool. Run a butter knife along sides of the pan, turn out onto plate, and then flip onto serving platter, so it is right side up.

Chickpea Poundcake recipe from Pati’s Mexican Table Season 8, Episode 12 “Home Cooking Sinaloa Style”

Serves 10-12

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
For the poundcake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter plus more for greasing the pan
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground canela or true cinnamon
6 eggs separated into yolks and whites
1 cup cooked chickpeas rinsed and pureed*
1/2 cup all-purpose flour plus more to flour cake pan
2 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch kosher or sea salt

For the banana and whipped cream topping:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
5 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar divided
1/2 teaspoon ground canela or true cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 bananas peeled and sliced into thick rounds

INSTRUCTIONS
To make the poundcake:
Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°Line a 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, then grease the bottom and sides with butter and sprinkle with flour, shaking off any excess flour.

In the bowl of a mixer set with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy, a couple minutes. Incorporate the sugar and cinnamon and continue beating until well mixed and fluffy, a few minutes more. Add the egg yolks and pureed chickpeas and continue beating.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add into the mixer and continue beating until well incorporated and you have a homogenous batter.

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they hold stiff peaks, or do it in the mixer in a clean bowl using the whisk attachment. Fold the egg whites into the chickpea batter gently, until completely incorporated.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out moist but not wet. Cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. Invert from the cake pan onto a plate, then invert from the plate onto a platter so the cake is right side up.

To make the banana and whipped cream topping:
Whip the heavy whipping cream along with the 3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar until it holds stiff peaks.

In a small bowl, combine the 2 remaining tablespoons confectioners’ sugar with the cinnamon.

Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the banana slices and cook on one side until caramelized and brown, about 2 minutes. Flip and brown on the other side. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Serve a slice of cake with the browned bananas and a dollop of the whipped cream. Shake the cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar mixture on top using a small sieve or fine-mesh strainer to sprinkle evenly.

*Note: When rinsing the chickpeas, remove as much of the outer skin as possible, as this creates a smoother puree.

Tiger Pound Cake uses sour cream to make the cake moist. Use ice cream scoops to plop the chocolate batter on the orange batter as a swirling mechanism.

Serves 10

patijinich.com

INGREDIENTS
2 cups unsalted butter plus more to grease a 10 x 3.5 inch bundt pan
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour plus more to dust the bundt pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch kosher or coarse sea salt
8 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

INSTRUCTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a bundt pan and coat with flour, dusting off any excess flour.

In a stand mixer, beat the butter using the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until soft and creamy, anywhere from 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sugar and continue beating until fluffy and puffy.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the eggs with vanilla and sour cream.

Reduce the mixer speed to low, and take turns adding flour mixture and egg mixture. Continue beating until thoroughly combined, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula if need be. Transfer 1/3 the dough to another bowl, leaving the remaining 2/3 of the dough in the mixer.

In a small bowl, thoroughly combine the hot water and cocoa. With a rubber spatula, fold the cocoa mixture into the 1/3 of the batter set aside in an extra bowl until thoroughly mixed. Set aside.

To the batter left in the mixer, add the orange zest, almond extract and orange juice, and beat until completely mixed.

With two ice cream scoops or measuring cups, alternate dropping the chocolate batter and the orange-almond batter into the bundt pan. When all the batter is in the pan, run a butter knife or a skewer through it to create the marbled look.

Bake the cake for 50 to 60 minutes, until springy to the touch, lightly browned and a toothpick inserted comes out moist, but not wet. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool.

Once cool, run a butter knife around the cake and invert onto a platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve.