Chicken Cordon Bleu #2

ingredients
serves 6
6 small chicken breasts, skinned and boned
salt and pepper
6 slices mozzarella cheese
6 small slices ham
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tbsp dried wholemeal breadcrumbs
25 g (1 oz) butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil

method
1. Put chicken breasts between two sheets of greaseproof paper and flatten with mallet or rolling
pin. Season.

2. Put a piece of cheese and a piece of ham on top of each piece of chicken, then fold chicken
over to enclose filling.

3. Coat pieces first with egg then with breadcrumbs.

4. Heat butter and oil in large frying pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side or until the juices run
clear and the breadcrumbs are golden.

5 Drain on absorbent, paper and serve.

Make the dish in advance, chill and cook just before needed.
ITALIAN
DESSERTS
Lemon Bread

Pane di Limone ~ This moist bread is more like a quick bread or cake than it really is a bread, and
has an intense lemon flavor. It would be wonderful with a cup of coffee for a mid-morning
break.I put this recipe together after being given a bottle of Fiori di Sicilia for Christmas from
King Arthur's Baking company. Fiori di Sicilia is described as "the essence of Sicilian flowers",
and tastes like a very concentrated mix of vanilla and lemon. I am told it is used in Italy to flavor
Panettone, the traditional Christmas bread. Of course if you don't have this extract, you can
simply use vanilla extract for this recipe. You can bake this sweet bread in a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan,
or a small ring pan.I have given the option of adding a tart lemon glaze after baking but it is just
as tasty without it. In the photo, I served a slice of lemon loaf with a scoop of macerated berries
and a dollop of whipped cream.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/2 Cups Sugar
1 1/2 Sticks (3/4 Cup) Unsalted Butter, Softened
3 Eggs
3/4 Cup Vanilla Or Lemon Yogurt
1 Teaspoon Finely Chopped Lemon Zest
1/2 Teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia (Or 1 Teaspoon Vanilla)
2 Drops Yellow Food Coloring (Optional)
Juice Of 1 Lemon

Chestnut Honey And

Hazelnut Tarts

On a recent trip to Italy I was reacquainted with the amazing flavor of chestnut honey and ordered
a few jars of it as soon as I returned home. Chestnut honey has an earthy sweetness that is really
delicious, although you really could use any honey of your choice for these tarts. I used a simple
cream cheese dough for the crust which is quick, flaky and delicious, and quite frankly
impossible to mess up. I added chopped toasted hazelnuts to the filling which adds some texture
as well as a nutty flavor that goes well with the chestnut honey. To toast the hazelnuts, place them
on a baking sheet in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until they begin to
brown. Place the warm nuts in a kitchen towel and rub them together to remove the skins. These
tarts can be put together in minutes, and garnished with a drizzle of dark chocolate are very
attractive additional to any holiday meal.

Pastry:

1 Cup Soften Unsalted Butter

2 (3 Ounce) Packages Cream Cheese At Room Temperature

2 1/2 Cups All-purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Filling:
1 1/2 Cups Toasted, Chopped Hazelnuts
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup Chestnut Honey
2 Large Eggs
2 Tablespoons Melted Butter
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Garnish:
1 Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1 Tablespoon Butter

Blend the butter and cream cheese together at medium speed with a hand mixer until light and
fluffy. Add the flour and salt and ix just until the dough comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap and
refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight. Take pieces of the dough and press them into the tart shells
until the bottom and sides are covered in a thin layer of dough. Continue to prepare all of the tart
shells in this manner. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sprinkle some (about 1 tablespoon) of
the chopped hazelnuts into the bottom of each tart shell. Beat together the sugar, honey, and eggs.
Add the melted butter, salt and vanilla and mix well. Pour the filling mixture into the tart shells
leaving a little space for it to expand while cooking. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the
golden brown. Cool. If using the chocolate, melt it over low heat with the butter and drizzle it
across each of the tarts. Cool until the chocolate has set. Serve.

Lemon Blueberry
Quick Loaf

I love this kind of sweet that can be pulled together quickly, isn't too sweet, and can be enjoyed
either at breakfast or as a mid-day snack with a cappuccino. This loaf can be made in either a ring
pan or in two 8 X 4 inch loaf pans and freezes really well. The addition of yogurt in this recipe
creates a very moist loaf that lasts for a good 5 days if well wrapped and stored in the refrigerator.
I used frozen wild blueberries in my version, but both fresh and frozen blueberries work well. If
using frozen berries, do not thaw before adding them to the batter. If you prefer, you could dress
this loaf up by drizzling it with a glaze made from powdered sugar and lemon juice although
personally I love it plain and simple.

Ingredients:
1 Cup Softened Butter
1 1/3 Cups Granulated Sugar
3 Large Eggs
3 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1 1/4 Cups Plain Yogurt
1/2 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Grated Lemon Zest
2 Cups Fresh or Frozen Blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter either a 10 inch tube pan or two 8 x 4 inch loaf
pans. In a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at
a time. Stir the lemon zest, yogurt and milk into the egg mixture. In a separate bowl, stir together
the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the flour to the egg mixture mixing just until combined. Fold
in the blueberries. Pour the mixture in your prepared pan and bake for about 1 hour, or until a
cake tester comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on a rack.

Pear Tart

ingredients
275 g (9 oz) 2 1/4 cups plain flour
pinch of salt
125 g (4 oz) 1/2 cup caster (superfine) sugar
125 g (4 oz) 1/2 cup butter, diced
1 egg
1 egg yolk
few drops of vanilla essence
2 - 3 tsp water
sifted icing (confectioners') sugar, for sprinkling

Filling
4 tbsp apricot jam
60 g (2 oz) amaretti or ratafia biscuits, crumbled
850 - 1 kg (1 3/4 - 2 lb) pears, peeled and cored
1 tsp ground cinnamon
90 g (3 oz) 1/2 cup raisins
60 g (2 oz) 1/3 cup soft brown or demerara sugar

method
1. Sift the flour and salt on to a flat surface, make a well in the centre and add the sugar, butter,
egg, egg yolk, vanilla essence and most of the water.

2. Using your fingers gradually work the flour into the other ingredients to give a smooth, pliable
dough, adding a little more water if necessary. Wrap in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and chill for an
hour or until firm. Alternatively, put all the ingredients into a food processor and process until
evenly blended and smooth.

3. Roll out about three-quarters of the dough and use to line a shallow 25 cm (10 inch) cake tin or
deep flan tin. Spread the apricot jam over the base and sprinkle with the crushed biscuits.

4. Slice the pears very thinly. Arrange over the biscuits in the pastry case. Sprinkle first with
cinnamon then with raisins, and finally with the brown sugar.

5. Roll out a thin sausage shape using about one-third of the remaining dough, and place around
the edge of the pie. Roll the remainder into thin sausages and arrange in a lattice over the pie, 4 or
5 strips in each direction, attaching them to the strip around the edge.

6. Cook in a preheated oven, 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6, for about 50 minutes until golden brown
and cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve warm or chilled, sprinkled
with sifted icing (confectioners') sugar.
Italian Chocolate Truffles
These are flavoured with almonds and chocolate, and are simplicity itself to make. Served with
coffee, they are the perfect end to a meal.

Ingredient makes 24
175 g (6 oz) dark chocolate
2 tbsp almond-flavoured liqueur (amaretto) or orange-flavoured liqueur
40 g (1 1/2 oz) 3 tbsp unsalted butter
50 g (1 3/4 oz) icing (confectioners') sugar
50 g (1 3/4 oz) 1/2 cup ground almonds
50 g (1 3/4 oz) grated milk chocolate

method
1. Melt the dark chocolate with the liqueur in a bowl set over a saucepan of hot water, stirring
until well combined.

2. Add the butter and stir until it has melted. Stir in the icing (confectioners') sugar and the
ground almonds.

3. Leave the mixture in a cool place until firm enough to roll into 24 balls.

4. Place the grated chocolate on a plate and roll the truffles in the chocolate to coat them.

5. Place the truffles in paper sweet (candy) cases and chill.