"Lettere D'Amore" Cookies

Love letters are still one of the best ways to express our adoration for someone, and these precious “Lettere D’Amore” cookies fill all those boxes. Handcrafted - check. Expressive - check. Thoughtful - check. Delicious… okay, I guess that’s not usually part of a love letter, but maybe that’s what makes these even better!

The cookies are made from a traditional Italian sweet pastry dough called Pasta Frollo, then filled with homemade strawberry jam made from Hood Strawberries we picked at Sauvie Island Farms last year. Use whatever jam you have available, especially if you made it yourself. Homemade always shouts “I love you!”

INGREDIENTS

Sugar 200 g (1 cup)

Butter 200 g ( a little less than 2 sticks)

Flour 500 g (4 cups)

Eggs (2 eggs)

Lemon zest (1/2 lemon)

Orange zest (1/2 orange)

Strawberry jam (1 cup)

INSTRUCTIONS

Let the butter soften until it becomes malleable and easy to bend without cracking. Mix the butter and sugar till smooth then add the eggs, lemon and orange zest and keep mixing until the eggs are completely absorbed into the mix.

Add the flour a little at the time. When the mixture becomes too hard to mix with a fork, use your hands until you have used all the flour. Wrap the mix with wax paper or plastic wrap and let rest for 30 min in the fridge.Cut the dough into 4 pieces. Dust your work surface with flour to prevent the dough from sticking and roll them one at the time with a rolling pin until a 1/4" thick.

Cut the rolled dough into 3" squares, put some strawberry jam in the middle of the square and fold three of the four angles to the center of the square.

Bake at 350 F for 15 min, then let cool.

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Blueberry Jam

When blueberries are in season it’s easy to simply eat them by the handful. But if you find yourself with an overabundance or just want to try something new, Sandro’s blueberry jam is easy to make, full of pure blueberry flavor, and fantastic on yogurt, granola, bread and butter, or a gelato like Fior di Latte. This year we sourced our blueberries from Our Table Cooperative and made this jam to pour over a silky peach gelato for a special flavor to raise money for Friends of the Children-Portland. If you find a new use for this versatile and loose jam, let us know!

Ingredients

1 lb blueberries

4 oz. sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

Instructions

In a pan combine blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest and cook on low heat, stirring constantly.

Once the berry skins begin to split, pull off the heat and let cool. Finally, put into a food processor and store in jars in fridge or freezer.

Pinolo Lemonade

This fresh strawberry and elderflower lemonade captures spring in a glass. Both elderflowers and strawberries ripen at the same time, and fittingly enough they happen to be a match made in heaven. For this recipe you can make your own elderflower syrup using Sandro’s recipe here, or during the season (June) we make and bottle extra for our friends, which can be purchased on our website at Shop Pinolo.

Serves 4

4 Lemons

3 Tbsp Elderflower Syrup

Handful Diced Strawberries

2 c Sparkling Water

Squeeze lemons, add elderflower syrup and mix well. Toss in strawberries then pour into individual glasses. Add ice to glasses, pour sparkling water on top and stir well.

Pro Tip: If you like your lemonade on the sweet side then add sugar to the diced strawberries and let sit for 10 minutes until sugar melds with strawberries.

Elderflower Syrup

Elderflower syrup is versatile both in the kitchen and at the bar. From adding flavor to sparkling water, blending into a cocktail or even adding to cake frosting, it’s an easy recipe for harnessing the sweet floral essence of spring’s bounty.

For this recipe we suggest using the purple elderflower variety if possible. The purple flowers have a more intense smell and flavor than the white variety, which is more grassy.

Quick Tips: It’s important to collect the flowers in an area without pollution because it’s best to use the flowers without washing them. It’s also important that you collect flowers completely opened and before they start turning brown.

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 Lemons

500 g  (2 ½ cups) Sugar

500 g  (2 ½ cups) Water

5 big heads Elderflower (if you like a more intense flavor, just use more flowers)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 380 F.

Combine the water and the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, it doesn’t need to boil.

Let the syrup sit for 10 min and in the meanwhile check if any insects are hiding in your elderflowers - they love them as much as we do!

Do not wash the flowers. Washing removes a lot of the aroma and flavor.

 If you’re using the purple elderflowers, add the 5 large flower heads to the warm syrup (stems, flowers and all).

If you’re using the white variety, then nearly double the flower heads (8 heads) and use only the flowers removing as many stems as you can. The green stems of the white flowers have a grassy smell that can give a bitter taste to the syrup.

Add the lemon juice, stir the syrup and be sure that all flowers are completely submerged, then cover the saucepan with a lid and let flowers infuse overnight.

In the morning strain the syrup through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth.

You can bottle the syrup and keep it for several months. I prefer to keep it in my freezer to better preserve the flavor but it will be fine if you refrigerate instead. You can also boil in lidded canning jars for five minutes,  then keep them in your cupboard and store in your fridge once opened. 

Bravo!

how to use the syrup:

During the summer, a fast and delicious use is to add ½ cup of elderflower syrup to a quart of water or sparkling water. It’s much healthier and better tasting than plain soda!

For a cocktail use, try it in your mimosa!

And for a cooking application, drizzle some on a homemade cake when it’s still warm or on pancakes.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is the most iconic Italian dessert both inside and outside of Italy. This delicious dessert was born in the Lombardy region around Milan, that’s because it’s where mascarpone cheese is produced. While Americans often substitute the less expensive whipped cream for mascarpone, it’s the most important ingredient for the authentic integrity of this dish. Mascarpone has a more intense flavor, and by adding the egg whites you get a more velvety consistency than with whipped cream. Sandro’s recipe is the classic recipe everyone in Italy uses.

See our previous “Savoiardi” recipe for homemade lady finger cookies.

Ingredients:

Preheat the oven to 380 F.

• 500 g Mascarpone (2 + 1/4 cups )

• 5 TBS Sugar

• 5 Eggs

• 3 Cups Strong Coffee

• Chocolate

• Cocoa Powder

• Savoiardi (lady finger cookies)

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 380 F.Make some strong coffee and put it in a wide container to cool down.

In two different bowls separate the white eggs from the yolk.

Add the sugar and mascarpone to the yolks and mix together until you get a smooth and creamy batter.

Whip the egg whites until they become completely firm and foamy.

Quickly dip the savoiardi in the coffee, layer them on top of the mascarpone mix and cover the cookies with a second layer of the batter. Chop some chocolate and sprinkle it on the top of the last layer. Repeat these layers until you have used all the mascarpone mix then cover the last layer with some cocoa powder.

Put the dish in the fridge and wait the following day to let the cookies soften up.

Buon Appetito!

Lingue di Gatto

Possibly the cutest name for a cookie ever, lingue di gatto translates to “cat’s tongue” and earned its name because of the cookie’s shape. In Italy, it is typically eaten on the side with some gelato, custard, or simply with some tea. Not only do kids love the name, but it’s a perfect recipe to get them involved in the kitchen as well. Have fun!

Ingredients:

• 120 g Flour

• 80 g Sugar

• 3 Eggs White

• 100 g Butter (at room temperature)

• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 380 F.

Mix the sugar, salt, and butter together.

Sift a spoon of flour and some egg white into the bowl and mix until the flour gets completely absorbed.

Repeat the process until you have used all the flour and egg white.

Butter a baking pan then sprinkle with flour to prevent the cookies from sticking to the tray.

Using a pastry bag with a ½ inch wide mouth make 3 inch long cookies an inch apart.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

When the edges of the cookies start changing color to a light brown remove them from the oven.

Let them cool down &

Buon Appetito!

Savoiardi - "Ladyfingers"

In Italy, a homemade tiramisu means homemade savoiardi (ladyfingers) as well. The name savoiardi is not a direct translation of “Lady Fingers” but is actually named after Italy’s first king Savoia. It can be traced to the 15th century when it was made for a visit by the King of France, and is now recognized as an official court biscuit. Here is a standard recipe that families in Italy have been baking for hundreds of years. Perfect for tiramisu but great dipped in Nutella as well.

Ingredients:

• 150 g Flour

• 125 g Sugar

• 6 Eggs

• 1 pinch of salt

Instructions:

In two different bowls separate the egg whites from the yolk.

Add the sugar and the salt to the yolks and whisk all together until you get a foamy and creamy batter.

It will be ready when the original volume of the yolks and sugar double.

Whip the egg whites and gently fold them into the yolk mix.

Do not over mix or it will begin to flatten. 

Cover a sheet pan with some parchment paper.

Using a pastry bag, make 3” long sticks with the batter.

Keep a 1” apart between the sticks.

Cook them in an oven at 390˚F for 8 minutes.

Separate the cookies from the parchment paper, turn off oven and leave door open, then put the cookies back into the oven until they cool down.

Buon Appetito!

Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is an impressive dessert, yet a relatively simple dish to make. The beauty of this “cooked cream” dessert from Italy’s Piedmont region is that it goes well with just about any fruit or berry sauce. Here Sandro unearths a classic recipe from his little black book of family recipes and uses a sauce he made from raspberries he picked and canned from Sauvie Island Organics farm last summer.

Ingredients:

500 g Cream

200 g Milk

10 g Gelatin

50 g Sugar

50 g Honey

1 Vanilla Bean

Instructions:

Before you begin… If you are putting a fruit jam or sauce below the panna cotta, do that in advance by filling the bottom of your cups with a 1/4 inch of the fruit. Set aside and move forward with these custard instructions…

Pour the gelatin in 50 g of cold milk for 2 min.

In a cooking pot mix together cream, the leftover milk (150 g), sugar, honey, and one opened vanilla bean.

Warm up the mix between 104 F and 120 F then remove the pot from the stove and pour the gelatin.

Stir the mix well then pour it in small containers.

If you’re putting a jam or sauce below, hover a spoon above the fruit layer in the cup and pour the cream into the spoon to slow the flow and keep the custard from mixing in.

Keep them in the fridge for 7 - 8 hours.

Buon Appetito!

Cantuccini

Cantuccini are the original biscotti. This small crunchy cookie is now ubiquitous at coffeeshops around the world but originated in Tuscany and derived its name from the word “cantuccio,” an Old World word that in this case refers to a baked dough with a crunchy consistency.

A simple and satisfying recipe, it’s no wonder Italians still make and serve cantuccini as an afternoon snack - or “merenda” - for the family. In fact Sandro made this batch to sprinkle into our special flavor, Merenda, which is a gelato we make using Caffé Umbria espresso that’s sprinkled with small chunks of hazelnut cantuccini, then blended through.

The traditional nuts used in cantuccini depend on the region, so feel free to improvise this recipe with whatever nuts you have around.

IngredientS:

• 280 g Flour

• 150 g Sugar

• 130 g Whole Hazelnuts

• 2 Eggs

• 1 Lemon Zest

• 1 tsp Baking Powder

• 1 Pinch of Salt

InstructionS:

Preheat the oven to 360 F. 

In a bowl mix together the sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and salt. 

Sift the flour and the baking powder into the bowl and mix until you have a crumbly consistency.

Add the hazelnuts and keep mixing until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough into two balls. 

Lightly flour a surface and with your hands roll the dough into two logs about 2 inches wide.

Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

Place the dough logs on the sheet pan.

Bake for 25 minutes until the top starts turning a golden color.

Remove the logs from the oven, let them cool for a few minutes, and on a cutting board cut the logs diagonally in ½ inch slices.

Once the cookies are cut place them back on the sheet pan and cook the cantuccini again for an additional 10 min. 

Remove them from the oven, let them completely cool down and enjoy!

Buon Appetito!