R2R: A little summer taste of Italy!

I had the honor of hosting this month's Recipes to Rival cooking challenge. I wanted to use a couple of the recipes I have acquired while living in Italy! The bruschetta recipe was shared with me by a dear friend who owns a restaurant in Naples. The limoncello recipe is from my Italian neighbor! I hope that you will give them a try... you will have a little summer taste of Italy!

On the menu: a delicious and simple antipasta (appetizer), Bruschetta and a digestivo (after-dinner drink),Limoncello.

Bruschetta, having its origination in Italy, is served as an antipasta. It is one of the simplest and easiest things to make and will gratify your taste buds. It is one of my most loved recipes and it is greatly enjoyed when paired with red wine. In Italian, Bruschetta is pronounced ‘brusketta’, where ‘bruscare’ means ‘to roast over coals’. The trick is to roast or grill the bread... NOT bake it as we do in America. Once you have tried this recipe you will have a hard time ordering it at a restaurant!

Bruschetta
(4 servings)

4 slices Rustic Bread
2 cups chopped Roma Tomatoes
1 clove Garlic
4 to 8 leaves Basil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea salt

-Heat grill or grill pan to medium high heat
-Slice THICK pieces of bread
-Place bread on grill until each side has a nice golden color

-Rub garlic on top side of each bread piece
-Pile tomatoes on
-sprinkle one big pinch of salt per piece on top of the tomatoes
-generously drizzle oilve oil on top of tomatoes (about 2 to 3 tablespoons per piece)
-add basil to the top

Limoncello is an Italian lemon liqueur that originated in Southern Italy around the Bay of Naples. The liqueur derives its flavor from the peels, rather than the juice of the fruit, resulting in a pleasant, sweet, lemony taste. I tastes so good when chilled and served in the summer months. It is wonderful as a palate cleanser or as an after dinner drink. Keep your bottles of Limoncello in the freezer until ready to serve. The ingredients are simple and few, and making a batch doesn't require much work, but you'll need some time.

This recipe will yield a couple of bottles. I usually double the recipe and then find fun bottles or containers to store the liqueur in... they make great hosting gifts!

Limoncello

1 liter grain alcohol
5 1/2 cups water
5 large lemons (or 10 small lemons)
2 1/2 cups sugar

-Gently wash lemons in cool water to remove any dirt
-Peel away zest from lemon leaving as little pith (the white stiff) as possible.
-Put peels in a large sealed jar or container (I reused the alcohol bottle)
-Pour alcohol over peels and place container in a cool place.
-Leave the mixture for 7 days.
-Every day give the container a little swirl. You will see the alcohol become darker and darker every day.

-After 7 days, strain the alcohol by using a coffee filter.
-Prepare the simple syrup. Bring the water to a boil and add the sugar to dissolve.
-Mix the syrup with the alcohol. BE CAREFUL... DO NOT DO THIS NEAR A FLAME!!!
-Pour the limoncello into bottles or containers. Let cool completely. Store in the freezer until ready to serve!
*Date your limoncello. After a year it will no longer be delicious.

Strawberry Vanilla Cake with Limoncello Frosting

I have to start off by saying that I have made this cake 5 times in one month. FIVE! This cake won over many people, including me. It is sooooooooo good! The cake is moist, light and fluffy. The icing is to die for... I also used it as a fruit dip for extra strawberries and grapes. Give this recipe a try. You will not be sorry!!! *For those who do not have limoncello readily available, you might be able to substitute lemonade (though I have not tried that).

Tip: make the icing first and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

Cake:
1 box of your favorite Vanilla Cake Mix
(plus ingredients listed on box to complete recipe)
2 tablespoons Limoncello

Frosting:
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter
4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1–1/2 tablespoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Limoncello
Fresh strawberries (as many as you like), hulled and chopped

Cake:
Mix cake mix and other ingredients listed on box together with the Limoncello. Pour into 2 well–greased 9 inch pans and bake according to directions on box.

Remove baked (and cooled) cakes from pans and place one on a serving platter. Frost the top of the bottom layer.

Layer desired amount of chopped strawberries onto the frosted layer. Place the other cake layer (bottom side down) on top of the strawberries. (I also frost the bottom of the top layer before placing it.)

Continue frosting the entire cake. Add a strawberry fan on top for decoration and you’re done!

*Note: This cake should be refrigerated (due to the cream cheese in the frosting). I also refrigerate the cake for about an hour before serving it.

Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until softened. Add the sugar (one cup at a time), zest, juice and Limoncello and continue beating until creamy, about 3 minutes.