Buona Pasqua!
Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!
We’ve all enjoyed gigantic Easter feasts and finished the day eating the traditional Easter cake Colomba.
We thought we would share a fantastic recipe we found on one of our favorite Italian food blogs, Dulcis in Furno, which offers a bit of a twist on the traditional Easter cake.
From Tania, the author and fabulous cook from Dulcis in Furno:
These little dove cake are the minitaure version of Colomba, the traditional Italian Easter Cake. Dove cake mold is not necessary. They are very soft and perfumed and you can package and present them for Easter . They are so delicious that can replace the classic brioches for breakfast.
Ingredients (for 10 mini doves):
For the Dough:
1,1 lb Manitoba flour – 5-5,7 fl oz warm water – 3,52 oz sugar – 3,52 oz butter – 2 eggs – 1 egg yolk – vanilla – 1 orange (the chopped zest) – 0,17 oz salt – 0,7 oz fresh yeast
For the Frosting:
3,52 oz granulated sugar – 1,76 oz all purpose flour – water
For Sprinkling:
granulated sugar – icing sugar
Method
Dissolve yeast in the half of water and work them with the other ingredients to form a ball. Add the remaining water little by little and work until dough is smooth and elastic. Then place the dough in the bowl. Cover with a plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume (about 1h and 30minutes). If the dough is too soft, roll it on itself twice, at interval of 10 minutes, so the dough gathers strength.
Deflate the dough and divide it into pieces of 3,52oz each. Fold the dough over itself and roll, rotate 90 degrees and fold again. Repeat the step for all pieces.
Cut the pieces into two parts. Fold the dough over itself and roll. Repeat the step for all pieces.
Stretch the dough pieces to form the wings and the bodyrRepeat the step for all pieces and placethem as in the picture. Arrange the doves on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Cover them and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Prepare the Frosting: Mix the flour with the sugar and add enough water to obtain a thick mixture, it must not drain! Brush the dove with this mixture, sprinkle with granulated sugra and then with icing sugar, Bake in the preheated static oven at 390-425°F for 8-10 minutes.
credits: photo & recipe courtesy of Dulcis in Furno. .