Happy Diwali! Sunday will mark the beginning of Diwali (दिवाली), the “festival of lights”, a 5-day Indian festival that celebrates the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. Light is the symbol of the celebrations and many clay lamps filled with oil are lit during the 5 days of the festival. As part…
White Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies
My husband and kids love white chocolate, so the other day, I made these White Chocolate Hazelnut Cookies. They were a big hit and got over in no time! In fact, I have already been requested another batch as soon as possible! Like many of my recipes, this recipe was originally created as a way…
Apple filled Cookies
I must admit that we never ate many sweets in my home. My mum is a fantastic cook, but she never really liked baking. One of the exceptions was her Crostata di Mele (click here for the recipe), which till today is still my favourite cake. There is nothing better than biting into sweet crumbly…
Sweet Taralli
Today I will share with you the recipe for Sweet Taralli. Taralli are traditional cookies from the South of Italy, especially Apulia. They can be sweet, like in this case, or savoury (check out my recipe for savoury Taralli here). Their texture is similar to pretzels and the sweet version is still not very sweet…
Pear Gorgonzola Gelato in Hazelnut Balsamic Tuiles
Today I am teaming up with Jomei’s Fine Foods for a very special recipe I developed to showcase their newest product: their Organic Sweet Balsamic Reduction. The moment I tasted it, I knew I wanted to make something sweet with it, but I wanted to go beyond the usual pairing of balsamic vinegar and strawberries. You…
Cookies & Cream Frozen Yogurt
Today’s recipe for Cookies & Cream Frozen Yogurt has been taken from my eBook The Cool Side of Summer. The cookbook contains 25 recipes of my favourite frozen treats: ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt, semifreddo, sorbet, granita, popsicles…it’s all there. Italian classics like Milk Gelato, Lemon Sorbet, Mint Granita. But also international flavours like this…
Walnut Roquefort Sables
If you follow Manu’s Menu, you will know how much I love blue cheese. It is my absolute favourite cheese! I love how pungent it is and I use it a lot in my cooking. I made these Walnut Roquefort Sables for Christmas and even my husband, who on the contrary is not a fan…
Eggless Thandai Cookies
Today, Indians celebrate Holi, the festival of spring, also known as the festival of colours. Holi represents the victory of good over evil and the arrival of spring, but for many people it’s also an opportunity to make peace and start afresh. During this time, people play tricks and colour each other with dry powder…
Eggless Chocolate Salami
I am very excited about today’s recipe! You may remember that, a few months ago, I shared the recipe for the classic Chocolate Salami. That’s the recipe I grew up eating and it will always have a special place in my heart. However, after publishing it, I got many requests for an eggless version. As…
Spelt and Raspberry Baci di Dama
“I thought I’d start this blog by posting the recipe of my all time favourite cookies. Their name means “lady’s kisses” because their shape resembles a kiss. They are originally from Turin, in the Piedmont region of Italy.” These were the very first lines I wrote on Manu’s Menu, 5 years ago! The first recipe…
Nutellotti #WorldNutellaDay
Sara from Ms. Adventures in Italy and Michelle from Bleeding Espresso have declared February 5th “World Nutella Day″ – “a day to celebrate, to get creative with, and most importantly, to EAT Nutella”.
Chai Shortbread Cookies
Shortbread cookies have always been my favourites. I love the fact that they are buttery and not overly sweet and I also like experimenting with different shapes and flavours. This time I gave my shortbread an Indian twist. We love Chai at our place and we always have some during the colder months of the…
Amaretti
I am very happy to share with you the recipe for what is possibly my favourite cookie ever: Amaretti. These cookies have a very ancient history, as they were first made in Italy during the Middle Ages. There are many different recipes and each region of Italy has its own version, but there are 2…
Rosemary Pine Nut Sablés
It is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation. It is a great concept… each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a…
Halloween Ghosts
I can’t believe Halloween is almost here! Where did the time fly? I love this time of year… I love going trick or treating the kids and seeing their happy faces when they collect candies! And I love the fact that Christmas is around the corner. Off course, I would enjoy it more if it…
Chocolate Salami
I am very excited about today’s recipe, as it is such a classic of Italian cooking. I cannot believe I haven’t shared it already! Chocolate Salami is found in many regions in Italy and there are many variations to the recipe, depending on where you are eating it. The base is always the same: chocolate…
Rose Meringue Sandwiches
I made these Rose Meringue Sandwiches for my daughter’s 8th birthday party. The theme was “high tea” and as I was also making a Rosette Cake for the occasion, I thought of making rose shaped meringues. In Italy, bakeries or sweet shops often sell meringues, plain or dipped in chocolate and I wanted to somehow…
Flourless Peanut Butter Cookies
It is time again for the “Secret recipe club” reveal! I am sure you all know what the club is about, but for the few of you who still don’t know about it, here goes a brief explanation. It is a great concept… each month you are assigned a participating food blogger to make a…
Earl Grey and Chocolate Shortbread Teabag Cookies
I made these cookies for my daughter’s 8th birthday party. The theme was “high tea”, so these teabag cookies were perfect for it. I had seen them on the web before and I was just waiting for the right occasion to try and make them myself. I have used my shortbread recipe and added some…
Nutella and Chocolate Chip Wafers
Do you have some Nutella at home? These wafers are so easy to make and they require only 3 more ingredients: sugar (better if brown), 1 egg and chocolate chips. No flour required, so they are a great gluten-free option! They are really crispy and will make everyone happy. I loved them, but as I…
Pizzelle (aka Ferratelle): Cookies, Cups, Cones and More with Strawberries and Cream
As you know, I am travelling at the moment, so I thought of asking some of my favourite food blogger friends to come over and share some of their amazing creations with all of you! I told you I would leave you in great company, right? Today’s recipe is very dear to my heart as…
Melting Moments with Passion fruit Buttercream
After a very Italian recipe, today I am back with something from my new country. I have discovered these amazing cookies only recently and I simply adore them. Melting Moments do really melt in your mouth, the moment you take a bite! They are similar to shortbread, but they are even more buttery and delicate. …
Cookies and Cream Fudge
I made this Cookies and Cream Fudge to give to friends as part of this year’s Christmas hamper. It is so easy to make and it tastes amazing. My husband is a huge fan of Cookies and Cream anything, so he was over the moon when I made it. But he wasn’t the only one…
Kitten Chocolate Cookies
I made these cookies for my daughter’s 5th birthday party. If you follow this blog, you will already know that the theme was “kitty cats”. These cookies are really quick to make. I used a chocolate cookie dough that is not too sweet and that is very easy to work with. I always make cookies…
Brutti ma Buoni
It’s been a while since I have posted one of my Regional Italian recipes, so I think it’s time to publish one. This is a recipe that is very dear to me, as it is one that we would often make at home when we had some egg whites left over from other recipes. It…
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookies
My girls are home for their spring holidays… a much needed break for everyone before the beginning of the last term of this school year. I cannot believe that my eldest daughter will soon be in year 2 and that my baby will start kindergarten in just a few short months! During the holidays we…
Troll Cookies
Today’s post is about turning a failure into a success story. I had seen some beautiful cookies on Pinterest that looked just like snowballs. They were covered in icing sugar, which gave the illusion of fresh snow. So, I had no doubt that I wanted to make them for my daughter’s Frozen party and they…
