GNOCCHI

last weekend my mom came up to the city to visit my sister's & i. i saw this as the perfect opportunity to put her to work & make some gnocchi for the blog! all she ever wants to do is make homemade pasta. fettuccini, cannellini, gnocchi.. it never ends (ask my dad). for mother's day i bought her the pictured book "mastering pasta", not that she already hasn't. it is a beautifully photographed book filled with just about every type of Italian pasta dish. while my mom was a little bit impatient with all the photo taking (must be all the espresso consumed prior), i think the pictures & the gnocchi turned out perfect! my sister’s & i can’t stop laughing at how tanned my mom’s hands have become this summer, but we all agree the gnocchi looks THAT much more legit with her dark italian hands. since many of you were asking what the lined paddle is called, it is a "gnocchi board". the old school way of making gnocchi by hand, dumpling by dumpling. these are potato based gnocchi, something my family prefers over the ricotta based ones. serve it with my classic marinara sauce & you will have one impressive italian dish, nonna approved.

ingredients

• 2 pounds white potatoes
• 1.5 pounds all purpose flour (my mom uses a special italian blend of semolina)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt

directions

• boil the potatoes until fully cooked and mash them while they are still hot. let cool.
• on a floured surface make a well with the cooled potatoes and flour. crack the egg in the middle.
• begin to mix. sprinkle with cheese & salt.
• continue to mix well until you have formed a firm ball of dough. if the dough seems soft add more flour (take the flour measurements loosely here, it all depends on the potatoes).
• wrap in cling wrap & let rest for an hour.
• once dough has rested break off a piece and roll into a 1/2 inch thick strip. cut into 1 inch size pieces long.
• roll the dough down the gnocchi board (or the back of a fork if you do not have the board) to create the lines.
• continue to sprinkle with flour as you go so the finished gnocchi do not stick together.
• once all your gnocchi is complete, boil them in salted water until they begin to float.
• service with butter & cheese or your favourite marinara sauce.

note: if you are not serving them immediately, freeze them on a cookie sheet until they are solid and place in a ziplock bag. the gnocchi will stay fresh in the freezer for months.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CAKE

happy fourth of july! i may not be american but i can still celebrate by eating this double chocolate cake. i feel like growing up on the border of niagara falls, canada & niagara falls, new york entitles me to celebrate both canadian & american holiday's. this cake is the first thing i made in my brand new pistachio kitchen aid. i think she did well! i also just learned that my original kitchen aid that has just been replaced was purchased in 1986.. wait a minute, that's older then i am. anyways, i hope your independence day is filled with family, friends & most importantly delicious food. let's get baking!

ingredients

for the cake

• 2 cups raw sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup dutch dark cocoa powder
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup almond milk (sub 1 cup greek yogurt)
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup boiling water

for the frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup dutch dark cocoa powder
• 3 cups icing sugar, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions

• preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• in a mixing bowl add raw sugar, oil, vanilla, eggs and almond milk. mix until well combined.
• sift in cocoa powder, flour, salt and baking soda until just blended.
• gradually pour in boiling water with the mixer at low speed and mix until the batter becomes silky smooth.
• evenly separate batter into two greased & floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
• once the cake has completely cooled, make frosting.
• beat butter, cocoa powder, icing sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. about 10 minutes.
• frost cake as desired & enjoy!

SALTED CARAMEL POUND CAKE

happy birthday canada!!!!! you should celebrate canada day by making this loaf cake. pound cake is my oldest sisters favourite dessert (probably because of its butter content.. is butter a carb?), so i decided to make her a special salted caramel flavoured one. she took one bite of this cake and responded with "i want to marry this cake." i guess you can say she liked it... a lot. it has the buttery flavour & dense texture of what everyone wants in a pound cake, but the glaze turns it from an average pound cake to something that much more amazing. it is best to make the salted caramel sauce in advance as you can use it for various things (like these fried wonton's) and to ensure it has time to properly set.

ingredients

for the salted caramel sauce

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

for the cake

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 tablespoon salted caramel sauce (see recipe below)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

for the glaze

• 1/4 cup salted caramel
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

directions

• for the caramel: in a saucepot add the sugar and water. bring it to a boil while wiping down the crystals that form on the sides of the pan with a pastry brush. continue to boil until the mixture turns to a deep amber colour (approximately 5 minutes). be sure not to burn the caramel! it will go from a deep amber to burnt sugar VERY quickly. remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter and cream. cool to room temperature before using.
• for the cake: preheat oven to 350 degrees. in the bowl of a stand mixer cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. add the eggs and vanilla and beat. sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. mix until just combined. stir in the salted caramel and heavy cream until incorporated. place the batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes.
• for the glaze: mix salted caramel and powdered sugar together until a thick consistency is formed (may need to add more powdered sugar). once cake has cooled, pour the glaze over top of the pound cake.