Desserts from the kitchen of Franca Albo Guidoccio:
Pineapple Cheesecake
Ingredients:
2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
8 ounces cream cheese
385 ml sweet condensed milk
19 ounces crushed pineapple
3 ounces pineapple or lemon Jell-O
8 ounces hot water
1/3 pound butter
Procedure:
Refrigerate condensed milk overnight.
Mix graham cracker crumbs with butter.
Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9” x 13” rectangular pan.
Bake for ten minutes at 325o F.
Cool the crust.
Boil water and dissolve Jell-O. Set aside.
Combine cream cheese, crushed pineapple and Jell-O at medium speed.
Use clean mixer spoons to beat condensed milk at medium speed.
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour the mixture into the rectangular pan.
Sprinkle non-butter graham cracker crumbs on top.
Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Servings: 12-15
Blueberry Cheesecake
Ingredients:
½ cup brown sugar
2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¾ cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese (at room temperature)
32 ounces sweetened whipped cream
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 ½ cups frozen blueberries
Procedure:
Combine brown sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and butter.
Press into the bottom of a 9” x 13” rectangular pan.
Bake for ten minutes at 325o F.
Cool the crust.
Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice.
Add whipped cream and fold in blueberries using a wooden spoon.
Pour mixture into the pan.
Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Servings: 15
Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients:
½ cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
4 cups flour
2 cups milk
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups blueberries
Grated peel and juice of one orange
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 350o F.
Grease muffin tins with butter or margarine.
Mix oil, sugar, eggs, orange peel and juice with the electric mixer.
Gradually add milk, flour and baking powder.
Add blueberries.
Stir using a wooden spoon, not the mixer
Drop mixture into tins.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.
Yield: 24 muffins
Banana Muffins
Ingredients:
3 large ripe bananas
¾ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375o F.
Grease muffin tins with butter or margarine.
Mash bananas.
Add sugar and slightly beaten egg.
Add melted butter.
Continue mixing and gradually add dry ingredients.
Drop mixture into tins.
Bake for 20 minutes.
Yield: 12 muffins
Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1 ¾ cups sugar
1/3 cup warm milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Procedure:
Place oven wires near the bottom of the oven.
Preheat oven to 350o F.
Grease a tube pan.
Beat eggs.
Add sugar and continue beating.
Heat the milk and add to the mixture.
Gradually add flour and beat at high speed.
Continue beating and add baking powder and vanilla.
Pour mixture into the tube pan.
In the oven, place a pot of water beside the pan (for steam).
Bake for 50 minutes.
Servings: 15
Zucchini Cake
Ingredients:
3 cups grated zucchini
¾ cup oil
½ cup chopped walnuts
½ cup chopped raisins
1 grated orange
5 eggs
2 cups sugar
3 ½ cups flour
3 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 375oF.
Grease a 9” x 13” rectangular pan and a loaf pan.
Sift flour and all dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, combine all other ingredients using an electric mixer.
Add sifted ingredients and continue to mix well.
Pour mixture into pans.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Servings: 25-30
Ice Cream Roll
Ingredients:
5 eggs
6 ounces sugar
Neapolitan ice cream (rectangular box)
6 ounces flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Sprinkling of icing sugar
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 325oF.
Cover the 13” x 9” baking pan with waxed paper and grease with shortening.
Beat eggs and sugar using electric mixer.
Continue mixing and gradually add flour and baking powder.
Pour the mixture into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle icing sugar on a clean tea towel.
Quickly slice the ice cream from the rectangular box.
Remove the cake from the pan and turn it over.
Insert ice cream slices into the cake as you turn it.
Wrap with aluminum foil.
Place in the freezer and chill for at least 24 hours.
Servings: 12-15
Tiramisù
Ingredients:
1 package lady fingers
250 ml heavy whipping cream
250 grams cream cheese
2 cups of cold, sweetened espresso coffee
½ cup amaretto
1 semi-sweet chocolate piece, grated
Procedure:
Beat cream cheese using the electric mixer.
In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream.
Combine the coffee and amaretto in another bowl.
Combine the cream cheese and whipped cream mixtures.
Cut the lady fingers in half, lengthwise.
Place one layer at the bottom of a 9” x 13” rectangular pan.
Sprinkle enough of the coffee/amaretto mixture to cover the lady fingers.
Spread the cheese/whipped cream mixture.
Continue layering.
The top layer must be the cheese mixture.
Cover with grated chocolate.
Refrigerate for 24 hours.
Servings: 15
A word from the author…
In high school, I dabbled in poetry but decided to wait until I had more life experiences before writing a novel. The original plan was to get a general arts degree and take a few years off to travel and write. Instead, I gave in to my practical Italian side and obtained degrees in mathematics and education.
While I experienced many satisfying moments during my teaching career, I never found the time and energy to write. In 2008, I took advantage of early retirement. Slowly, a writing practice emerged and my articles and book reviews started appearing in newspapers, magazines, and online.
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A Season for Killing Blondes Page 22
