Friday, September 07, 2007

Favorite Ingredients Friday for September 7


This week's theme for Favorite Ingredients Friday is Italian recipes. I have lots of recipes for Italian-type main dishes, but I thought it would be fun to share a cookie recipe. So here it is:

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE COOKIES

3 eggs
1 1/3 cups sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips, melted
1/2 cup cold, strong coffee
Grated zest of 1 lemon
Grated zest of 1 orange
4 1/2 cups flour
2 Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
Pinch of salt
1 cup toasted almonds OR walnuts, chopped

FROSTING:
3/4 pound confectioners sugar
3 Tablespoons unsweetened baking cocoa
2 Tablespoons vanilla
2 Tablespoons butter, softened
Approximately 1/4 cup milk

For cookies, beat the eggs, sugar and oil together. Add the melted chocolate, the coffee, and lemon and orange zests. Sift together the dry ingredients. Stir the sifted ingredients and the nuts into the first mixture. Chill the dough in the refrigerator until firm, for several hours or overnight.

When ready to bake cookies, preheat oven to 325ยบ. Then shape the dough into balls about the size of a walnut and bake them on parchment-lined cookie sheets for about 15 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool. When cool, frost the cookies.

To make frosting, stir the sugar and cocoa together, then add the vanilla and butter and mix well. Add 1/4 cup milk (may add more if necessary) and beat until smooth and of spreading consistency.

Yield: About 75 cookies

I found these delicious Italian cookies in a cookie cookbook years ago. I’ve made these a number of times for international-themed meals and have had folks of Italian ancestry tell me these are “the real thing”!

10 comments:

  1. These sound good! Thanks for sharing!

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  2. Anonymous11:37 AM

    These sound awesome! Thanks for sharing!

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  3. These sounds very yummy! I don't like coffee but it does compliment a lot of wonderful chocolate recipes. Thanks so much!

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  4. These sound wonderful - will have to try!

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  5. Anonymous9:59 PM

    Mrs. T:

    This recipe sounds absolutely divine!!

    All of your postings are full of goodness and kindness. It is so refreshing to be in contact with a person who loves the Lord as I can see that you do, someone who praises him for his attritubes, prays for others in their trials, and prays that the Lord will mold you into the daughter that He wants you to be.

    I look forward to reading your blog: it is very positive and uplifting. It is NO accident that I came "Across My Kitchen Table".

    Sharon in Phoenix

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  6. Hi everyone!!

    What a nice group has gathered for cookies around my kitchen table!

    These cookies are indeed very, very tasty. And, Kathleen Marie, you can't really taste the coffee in these at all. The chocolate and cinnamon sort of cancel it out, but I think the coffee does add a nice depth of flavor.

    Sharon, so nice to have you visiting again! I agree, it is no accident that you came across my kitchen table... there are no accidents in the life of the believer. I'm so pleased that my blog and writings have been helpful to you in your Christian life.

    Have a blessed weekend, all!

    God bless,
    Mrs.T

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  7. These sound very tasty. I love coffee/chocolate combos. The coffee just brings out the best in chocolate.

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  8. Oooh, any recipe that involves chocolate has my vote! :) This looks fantastic!

    Thanks, Mrs. T, for participating in my Favorite Ingredients Friday- Italian Edition recipe exchange. I do appreciate it.

    I hope to see you again next Friday!

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  9. Hi, Magi and Overwhelmed --

    Thanks for stopping by! Hope you enjoy the cookies!

    And Overwhelmed -- thanks for hosting FIF each week. You do such a great job of coming up with the various themes. This is such a fun exchange!

    God bless,
    Mrs.T

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  10. Oh my! This recipe sounds awesome! Thanks for sharing.

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