Dan Pelosi famously loves a holiday cookie swap. On his Instagram account, @grossypelosi, and personal website, the recipe developer has chronicled many of his cookie parties over the years, during which he rolls brown butcher's paper atop a large table and invites guests to drop by with their treats, open-house-style. Some of Pelosi's cookie recipes - like for a fig-filled Italian classic cuccidati - landed in his 2023 cookbook, .
To make this Italian dessert, ladyfingers are traditionally soaked in alchermes liqueur and placed into the bottom of a dish or bowl before custard cream is spread on top of the boozy pieces. After several alternate layers have been stacked, this sweet structure is finished with one last slather of custard cream and a crowning of whipped cream. Once this treat is assembled, the stack is left to chill for several hours and can be garnished with fruit or chocolate shavings just prior to serving.
"It's not enough to just change one ingredient," Casula tells the South Florida Sun Sentinel. "Each variation must have its own identity, its own balance and an emotion to convey. I worked day and night for months, testing, tasting and perfecting every detail. Reaching 150 variations is a record-breaking feat."
To make homemade mascarpone cheese, just add 2 cups of heavy cream to a saucepan over medium heat. Once simmering, monitor it until it reaches a temperature between 180 and 185 degrees Fahrenheit.