It is peak citrus season.  Brighten up a winter’s day with these sunny lemon bars made with a double dose of Villa Manodori Essenziale Lemon Infused Oil.  We use it in the cookie dough and in the topping for extra lemony flavor.  You can treat these as a blank slate. Dust them with powdered sugar, sprinkle with lemon zest, garnish each bar with a slice of dried lemon, a fresh berry or a dollop of whipped cream.

Sicily is the island of sweets, renowned for its pastries and confections, especially those based on almonds and its famous pistachios from Bronte, grown on the volcanic soils of Mt. Etna.  Serving this atop a split brioche roll for breakfast makes it that much more decadent, indulgent and authentic. Purple basil would add to the voluptuousness.

Simplicity itself to make. With terrific lemon taste and aroma from A L’ Olivier Lemon Infused Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They are a celebration of citrus. Serve them with tea; hot or iced, depending on the season. This method of mixing together the dry ingredients and butter is called reverse creaming. Before refrigerating you can roll the dough into a log to slice, or if you want to make cut -out cookies, flatten the dough into a disk. A fluted biscuit cutter makes a pretty cookie.

Three layers of basil scented cake filled with just a hint of Lemon Mousseline Buttercream make an elegant summer treat. The filling is based on pastry cream. Start by making Basil Water to flavor the cake. Recipe credited to NYC pastry Chef, Ron Paprocki.

Here is a slightly unconventional take on a raspberry bar cookie topped with a buttery, old fashioned streusel topping made with oats.   Instead of raspberry jam, the filling is made with fresh or frozen raspberries cooked down with A L’ Olivier’s Raspberry Vinegar (made with raspberry puree).   This is a nice recipe to make with the kids for Valentine’s Day.  Good for gifting.

Forget the graham crackers.We are using our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for this version and filling the sandwich with Amedei “Crema Toscana” a creamy hazelnut  and milk chocolate spread. Chocolate two ways!  The only traditional element here is the hot marshmallow.  

This one is for ginger lovers.  The ginger snap base is made even more gingery with the addition of Villa Manodori Essenziale Ginger Infused Oil and powdered ginger.  It is topped off with a tropical coconut- lime cream swirled with a mango topping made with A L’ Olivier Mango Vinegar.  The night before you want to bake pop 3 cans of coconut milk into the refrigerator so that the richer coconut “cream’ firms up and is easier to separate from the milk.  Garnish with lime zest and flakes of toasted coconut.  Lay back and imagine turquoise seas. 

Here is an old -fashioned favorite with a twist.  The cookies have a luscious filling of dulce de leche instead of jam. You could wash the cookies with egg white and roll them in finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts before baking for extra texture and flavor.

Start fall off right with a perfectly moist and tender pumpkin loaf cake full of warm spices. The addition of chocolate chips makes the quotidian pumpkin loaf so tasty; you won’t want to share it with anyone.  There is a touch of rich chocolate in every bite.

Cocoa and chocolate. Flour, sugar, butter and cream. Elegant in its simplicity. The pastry can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for that matter. The pastry shell is baked “blind,” that is, unfilled. Best served at room temperature.

Gianduja is hazelnut paste blended with chocolate and sugar. Amedei's is the finest.  In this recipe we blend it with cream and additional Amedei milk and dark chocolate to make a velvety ganache to fill the cookies, for those who really love chocolate. 

Vegan Option

Now is the short moment to capitalize on the abundance of fresh, sun ripe local berries.  Add any other berries that are available to you like currants or gooseberries.   The fruit vinegar balances out the sweetness of the maple.    The pepper brings out the spiciness of the berries.  Try the cardamom. It enhances the floral quality of the fruit. If you have basil that has bolted, you can sprinkle the flowers over the berries.

Redolent of warm spices, gingersnaps that are more gingery than any that you have ever had. Compounded with 3 types of ginger; powdered, candied, and Villa Manodori Essenziale Ginger Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They have a crunchy sugar topping scented with ginger and cinnamon. Serve this alongside hot chocolate for an after-ski or skating treat. If you are feeling decadent, use them to scoop up a dollop of whipped cream (made with a drop or two of dark rum).

When life gives you peaches, grill them! Make room on the rack for desserts this summer. Grilled peaches for a sweet parfait. Layers of Greek yogurt and honey, granola, and caramelized peaches will put the 'master' in grill master. 

Summer grilling calls for grilling more than just meats and vegetables. Charring pineapple creates a lovely caramelized texture because of the high sugar content. We pair with vanilla gelato and a drizzle of Cavalli Condimento Balsamico for a sweet and savory dessert for those perfect picnic days.

Rice pudding is a comfort food that is shared around the world. We are offering two versions; one reminiscent of North Africa or the Middle East with spices and Spanish saffron and another topped with Argentine dulce de leche.

Fragrant and sweet and very easy to make, especially if you use store-bought biscuit dough. This makes for a great breakfast with strong coffee.

An olive oil cake, made with yogurt and redolent of oranges and spices Sensational for the brunch table.  Perfect at teatime.

Here is an elegant dessert to celebrate the rites of Spring. Tartlet shells that are made with hazelnut flour and oil are baked blind and then filled with a gianduja (chocolate blended with hazelnut paste) ganache. Decorate them with gold leaf, chopped nuts, and fleur de sel.

This is a lovely cookie reminiscent of summer days.  In the language of flowers, lavender means devotion.  This is great choice for Valentine’s Day or a Mother’s Day treat.  Serve at an engagement party or bridal or baby shower.   Before refrigerating you can roll the dough into a log to slice. If you want to make cut -out cookies, flatten the dough into a disk.  If you do not want to ice the cookies you can sprinkle them lightly with sanding sugar before baking.

<p>Try this voluptuous shake when figs are at their ripest.   Go all the way and add a dollop of whipped cream.   Use a micro-plane grater to garnish the shake with adjusting of chocolate.<p>

A rich indulgence, thick, velvety hot chocolate and scented with warm spices made with Amedei Toscano, the world’s finest chocolate Treat yourself to a cup on a cold day.

This old-fashioned and alluring recipe, titled CHOCOLATE FEATHER PUDDING, is taken from the 1963 edition of the JOY of Cooking. The ladies recommend serving it with Vanilla Sauce. Let's keep it simple and finish this off with a dollop of whipped cream flavored with dark rum for all the Halloween pirates out there.

Dulce de Leche is a creamy Argentinian spread made by slowly cooking down just sugar, milk, and vanilla. This recipe is perfect for large gatherings since you can easily double or triple it.

Forget the graham crackers.We are using our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for this version and filling the sandwich with Amedei “Crema Toscana” a creamy hazelnut  and milk chocolate spread. Chocolate two ways!  The only traditional element here is the hot marshmallow.  

Enjoy summer’s simple pleasures. Vanilla, peach or strawberry ice cream would all be wonderful dished up this way.

Marqués de Griñón Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a brilliant yellow and green color with the delicate flavor of green tomatoes, cut grass and almonds that melds perfectly with cocoa. Fleur de sel adds contrast, texture and crunch.  An elegant way to end a summer repast.

This sophisticated dessert is courtesy of Chef Massimo Bottura. Its beauty is in its simplicity. It does require the very best quality ingredients.

You could use toasted hazelnuts instead of almonds. Serve these with espresso or vin santo.

Dress affair dessert. Silken Coconut Panna Cotta scented with real vanilla layered with a Mango and Passion Fruit Compote, accented with fresh mango, toasted coconut and lime zest is a play of sensual textures, flavors and perfumes.

Intense. A drop or two of rum or Cointreau added to the ganache could only make a good thing better. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. The ganache can be made in advance and stored for up to a week.