2/9 Recipes

Gnocchi con Cioccolato alla Sorrentina

Serves 6

Gnocchi dough:

500 kg golden potatoes

1 tsp cocoa powder

150 gr flour

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp of grated parmesan cheese 

salt, pepper, nutmeg 

Wash the potatoes and cook them with the skin in a big pot with a lot of water until soft. Peel and mush. Let them cold, then add flour, cocoa, salt, egg, grated parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, and an "american" pinch of nutmeg. Mix a little, until all ingredients are together, but do not mix to much or the pasta will turn out to be gummy. Make rolls (like a hotdog; 2 cm diameter) and cut in to rectangles.

Sauce:

500 gr roma tomatoes (sliced in half)

1 eggplant

100 gr parmesan cheese

200 gr mozzarella 

3 bunches of basil

sugar

1 clove of garlic

oil, salt, pepper

Slice the eggplants thin, place in a colander with rock salt and leave for 30 minutes (this will get all of the water out of the eggplant and give it more taste) *Put weight on top of the eggplants to help the process work. After 30 minutes dry the eggplants, flour them, and deep fry in olive oil. Save for later

Peel the garlic and saute in oil. Add the tomatoes, and some basil. Salt, add a half of teaspoon of sugar. Cook the sauce for ten minutes. Cut the mozzarella cheese in cubes. Cook the gnocchi in salty boiling water until the gnocchis rise to the top (couple of minutes). Saute the gnocchi with the sauce. Take the gnocchi out from the pot and mix with the tomatoes in the pan. Add the mozzarella cubes (they should then melt). Serve the gnocchi with grated cheese, fresh basil and fried eggplants.

Disclaimer: The cocoa powder didn't make it into this dish but another groups. It gave it a really interesting flavor but if it scares you--- the dish is delightful with out it as well!

Torta Morbida con Cioccolato e Mandorle

Serves 6

200 gr bitter chocolate

1/2 cup of coffee

150 gr butter

150 gr sugar

120 gr white sliced almonds

50 gr starch

3 eggs

powder sugar

powder cocoa

Toast the almonds in the oven in a baking pan for 5 minutes

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler

In a large bowl, mix the butter with the sugar until you get a smooth and creamy mixture

Blend the toasted almonds in a blender.

Add the eggs, one at a time, (still stirring in the butter and sugar), the starch, and 2/3 of the toasted and blended almonds. Add the melted chocolate and continue to mix. Add the half of cup of coffee as well. 

Butter and flour a baking cake pan. Put the chocolate mixture inside the pan and bake at 140 degrees (Celsius) for 30 minutes. 

Sprinkle the powdered sugar and cocoa powder on top. 

Enjoy!