Best Italian Sesame Seed Cookies

These are the Best Italian Sesame Cookies I have ever had.

Once you try them you'll see why no other recipe will compare to these authentic style cookies.

Grandma from Rome, Italy, made these often to go with her espresso, there was always sesame seed cookies on a tray for company.

We were spoiled and never had to ask for these cookies, once they were gone another batch was made immediately.

That is long ago, and now I carry on that same tradition and make these almost as often.

Everyone loves them in the family, lemon-flavored being the favorite flavor of choice.

If you love sesame seed Italian cookies, this will be bar none, the last recipe you will ever have to look for.

I continue to make these in Grandma's memory all year long, the best cookie on the Christmas tray that's gone first.

For years I made these for my brother John (they were his favorite cookie on earth!) but as of 11/16/2019, he became an Angel, and now I will make them in his memory along with Grandma's, as she watches over him and they are now together in heaven.

Keeping their memory alive in the kitchen is very important to me.

If you love Italian cookies, try some of the ones on my one-stop cookie shop roundup, they're delicious also!

Scroll down for Grandma's authentic Italian cookie recipe.

Mom's Focaccia Cheese Stuffed Bread

Focaccia is a delicious herb-infused bread with olive oil and lots of spices. The flavors are robust and many versions have been adapted through the years.


I made this dough stuffed with Italian cheeses. It's baked to perfection and the aroma is fabulous while baking, it's hard to wait until it's done baking to eat it!


Comfort food comes in all forms, for me, it's homemade bread of any kind.


This dough is so versatile it can be transformed into pizza, fried for a savory flavor or just the way it is!

Polenta Pizzette Appetizer Recipe

A great appetizer or quick pizza. Polenta is a staple in Italy.

If really has a great taste when fried or baked. These are baked just like pizza.

You can make your own rounds or buy them in any specialty Italian section of the supermarket.

We really like these with fresh ingredients using freshly pureed plum tomatoes.

These are made with fresh tomato sauce and topped with shredded whole milk mozzarella

Sprinkled with oregano freshly dried from our garden along with freshly chopped basil.

Homemade Italian Sausage Mom's Recipe

Homemade Sausage baked in the oven with roasted potatoes or just make patties out of it with peppers and mushrooms grill, baked or fried.

Mom's Fried Veal Cutlet Recipe

1 1/2 lbs veal cutlets around 1/4 inch thick
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (optional)
5 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 cup dry Italian flavored bread crumbs or more

 (mom made her own breadcrumbs from stale bread 
3 tablespoons Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely minced
1 egg
salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon oregano

Combine bread crumbs and  cheese in a pie plate. Add 1 clove finely minced garlic and the fresh parsley together. In another dish beat one egg with a tablespoon of water.

In a large skillet, heat the oil, and butter (optional) with the remaining whole cloves of garlic. Turn the garlic cloves until pale yellow. Mash the cloves into the oil using the tines of a fork when they become toasted, then remove.

Season the veal with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  Dip each piece of veal egg then into the seasoned bread crumbs coating both sides well. Dip into the egg mixture once again. Roll in the bread crumbs a second time.

Pan fry the veal cutlets in the olive oil, carefully turning once, until well browned on both sides. Turn down to low heat and fry till brown and tender around 25 to 20 minutes.

 

Note:

A mixture of 1 freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic, oregano, black pepper, salt to taste and 1 tablespoon of melted butter make a great sauce over the top.

Pina Colada Frozen Gelato

I'm a little lazy when it comes to making ices, I want it easy, fast and still delicious. This is so refreshing and very smooth, almost like a frozen Pina Colada drink but in a wonderful solid confection. If you love coconut rum that will enhances\ the flavor of this wonderful frozen confection.... hope you enjoy this as much as we did!

3 cups chopped fresh pineapple (14 ounces)
1/3 cup well-stirred canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 cup water
3 tablespoons superfine granulated sugar
1/3 cup light rum or coconut rum
1 tablespoon of coconut put through food processor so its really fine

Equipment: ice cube trays (I scoop it out with a tablespoon for serving)
Purée all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Pour into mold of choice. Freeze 30 minutes. Garnish with more coconut.

Amaretto Panna Cotta

All I can say is "What took me so long to make this!" A perfect and elegant dessert..and so delicious!

2 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (from about 2 envelopes)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons half and half
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon Amaretto
Pour 2 tablespoons of cold half and half into a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; stir to blend. Let stand 5 minutes to soften gelatin.

Heat cream, remaining half and half, and sugar in small saucepan over medium heat just until bubbles begin to form around edge of pan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture, Amaretto, and almond extract. Divide cream mixture among six ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.

Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate. Decorate with sliced chocolate and berries.

Ricotta Nutella Frangelico Cheesecake

This is a delicious rich cheesecake with a cookie crust. The filling is made with a Ricotta Nutella and Frangelico. A truly decadent and off the charts tasting Italian Cheesecake that's amazing!


The cheesecake reminds me a little something like an Easter Italian Cassata but with Nutella and then with a shot of Frangelico, if you're a lover of these flavors like me, this will be your new found love of desserts to make at Christmas time.


I make this every year and usually freeze them for gift giving. Take a stroll to see the recipe at the end on how to make this easy delicious Italian cheesecake with Nutella!

Frangelico Brownie Gelato Dessert

I love Chocolate Gelato ( Italian frozen confection) and brownies, so this is two treats in one for me.

What can be better than a brownie, with dark chocolate chip creamy gelato, whipped cream and chocolate sauce? Saving the best part of this brownie...... It has a shot of Frangelico on top, saturating the brownie,  so good!

I love homemade gelato. This done in a ice cream maker, comes out so smooth and very creamy.

You can use these tins, the bottom comes right out for easy removal of the cake, or make a large pan and cut into a square.

Dark Chocolate Brownies

2 squares( 1-oz each) unsweetened chocolate melted in the microwave or over hot water

1/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until well blended, around 50 strokes by hand. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes in 8x8 greased pan, or make mini muffin cups, fluted removable bottom pans shown above for individual desserts or brownie pan. The recipe can easily be doubled. When cool, you can also frost these if not making the whole dessert.

Double Chocolate Chip Gelato (Makes about 3 cups)

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Assembly

1 shot of Frangelico

whipped cream in a can

1 scoop of double chocolate chip gelato

brownie squares

chocolate fudge sauce (sub Frangelico for Kahlua in this recipe)

Place brownie on a pretty plate, sprinkle with a shot of Frangelico, top with a scoop of chocolate gelato, garnish with whipped cream and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Printable Recipe

Polenta Pizza with Broccoli Rabe, Sausage, Mushrooms and Tomatoes

A different kind of pizza crust made with Polenta.
There are hundreds of ways to make Polenta and it can be cooked with just about anything. Ever since I could remember about this growing up, my Grandmother would use leftovers from the meat sauce and lots of grated cheese, this medley was inspired by the tastes of those squares of Polenta and her baking this till crispy, so why not a pizza? Broccoli Rabe, Sausage and Mushrooms. Polenta can be baked, boiled fried, or used as a breading substitute, it's so versatile. If you like Polenta, you are in for a real treat!





For Italians, it always seems both pasta and pizza are the cornerstones of what makes Italian food "Italian". However, there is another staple food of Northern Italy that does not get the same recognition, but still is the third runner up of the Italian food trinity, a very versatile and satisfying food group, Polenta. Polenta was the staple food ( Corn meal) of the poor, in northern Italy, especially those that lived out in the country. Sometimes it was eaten three times a day.Many recipes were handed down through generations of Italian families and passed on to friends and neighbors. We loved it in our house as children and now this is a delicacy along with many other once called depression foods. In this way, Polenta is truly an Italian national dish, and may have a history much more ancient than either pizza or pasta. Some have called Polenta "Italian grits" and there are similarities to the hominy grits that is so popular here in the South.


Polenta Pizza

Layers of meat, greens, sliced tomato and mozzarella top this Polenta crust and ready to go back into the oven.


This has been in the refrigerator and will now go into the oven to precook for about 25 to 35 minutes till edges are crispy.


Polenta all cooked ready to go onto a greased olive oiled pan for further preparation.


Broccoli Rabe boiling in salt water for around an hour till tender.


Mushrooms, sausage and garlic sauteed in olive oil and Chablis.



Some of the wonderful ingredients for our Polenta crusted pizza.



4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, more for oiling pan
½ cup whole milk
2½ cups water
Salt
1 cup coarse cornmeal
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups ground loose Italian sausage cooked or links out the casings
1/4 cup white wine recommended Chablis
1 cup mushrooms sliced
2 cups broccoli rabe boiled cleaned or baby spinach if desired substitute however just saute with mushrooms and sausage step
1 or 2 tomatoes, sliced
2 cloves of minced garlic
1/2 cup of your favorite tomato sauce
1 cup mozzarella cheese
salt pepper cayenne pepper
Prepare pan by Brushing a layer of olive oil on a deep dish pizza pan or 12x8 inch pan. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine milk, water and a 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Bring just about to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and add cornmeal in a steady stream, whisk quickly and the whole time to prevent lumps from forming. Turn heat to low and simmer, whisking frequently, until thick. If mixture becomes too thick, whisk some more bit water in to this, you will want a consistency of thick oatmeal.
Stir 1 tablespoon oil into cooked cornmeal (Polenta). Spread out quickly onto prepared pan, so Polenta does not stiffen; spread it evenly to a thickness of about ½ inch all over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover baking sheet with plastic wrap and put it in refrigerator until it is firm, an hour or more, it doesn't matter if you leave this longer even overnight.
Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Put Polenta in oven and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until it crisps on edges. While that's cooking, start the toppings. Put two tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the sliced mushrooms cut up and sausage loose and casing removed together, add 1/4 cup white Chablis and spinach if using, until most of the moisture is gone, about 10 minutes. Add boiled broccoli rabe after the sausage is cooked a dash of cayenne pepper stir till heated as this is already cooked.
Take Polenta out of oven, sprinkle with mozzarella cheese, then spread mixture of meat over the top of Polenta evenly add cheese then sliced tomatoes and dab sauce around the pizza. Put pizza back in oven, adding more mozzarella cheese to the top. Bake until cheese is thoroughly melted. Cut into slices and serve hot or at room temperature. Top with grated Romano and Parmesan blended cheese if desired.