Pumpkin and Apple Strudel

In autumn the sun apparently wants to remind us that we live in the country with the highest concentration of Unesco sites worldwide. WIth its golden nuances the sun lights angles that we almost forgot, a monumen, a 'palazzo', a frieze or a decoration that we never noticed. Sunrays warm the heart and the body from winter coldish that apparently wants to lean out with thunder rains, sudden fogs and the gradual cooling. If it's not yet the time for huge cups of hot chocolate around the fireplace, it's true that we can start appreciating some cake with autumn flavours. Then we start experimenting with season's ingredients, possibly 0miles.

Puff pastry

Apples

Baked Pumpkin

Cinnamon

Liquorice

Cloves

Nutmeg

Red wine (Chianti or similar)

Extra virgin olive oil

Butter

Refined sugar

Honey

Warm butter and oil with spices, add the peeled apples chopped in cubes and the mashed pumkin pulp (see  the pancake of baked pumpkin), raise the flame and add red wine, evaporate the alcohool. Spread out the puff pastry dough in a baking tray covered with parchment paper, add the apple, pumpkin, spices, close the dough as for the strudel and bake in a warm oven (200°C/400°F) till cooked, approx. 30'.

©2010.2020

Savoury cake with juniper, rucola and walnuts

A good anglo-saxons habit is holiday or day before holidays tea-time, something similar to a happy 'merenda'. For these occasions combining treats and salty snacks is just perfect, ideals would be the milky 'paninetti' with salami and prosciutto or the tuna creams. Taboo food for vegetarian diet, that actually has interesting alternatives, more difficult but as tasty.

One of these is the salty cake with rocket salad, walnuts, and juniper to present with a fruity 'ciambellone'.

Extra virgin PDO olive oil
Wheat 400 gr

Egg  

Milk 1 hg
Red wine 1 hg
Salt
Provinciali herbs

Juniper
Walnuts

Rucola

Yeats
Turmeric
Aniseeds

Breadcrumbs and butter for the baking tray
Sesame and poppy seeds for garnishing

Mince the rocket salad, the walnuts , the provinciali herbs, the juniper and add the other ingredients, knead and leaven in a warm place or using the kneader. Put the mix in the oiled baking tray, sprinkle with poppy and sesame seeds and bake in warm oven (220°) till cooked, for at least 30'. Garnish with clover flowers and serve.

©2010.2020