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Thursday, April 21, 2011

Easter Means Janetti part 3

Here is the final Janetti recipe.  This one is noted "my favorite".  It's essentially the same recipe as the one noted in part 2 - the only difference I can see is that the amount of anise flavoring is now "to taste" and this one is spelled "Ganetti".  So without further ado...

Ganetti (my favorite)

3 1/2 C Flour
1 TBLS Baking Powder
1 1/4 C Powdered Sugar
1/3 C Shortening
Anise Flavoring to taste
Dash of Salt
4 Eggs

Cream shortening and sugar - add eggs one at a time [add anise flavoring] .  Beat until fluffy.  Add  dry ingredients.  Knead dough until smooth.  Refrigerate for 1 hr.  Form into doughnut shapes.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8010 minutes.  Don't brown - they should be white.  Also, grease pan.  Frost with butter icing.  I usually put a little anise flavoring in mine.

If you've never made Ganetti before, I hope you enjoy trying out these recipes.  If you are already a Ganetti baker, I hope you enjoy comparing these recipes to your favorite. 

Happy Easter!

Easter Means Janetti part 2

Sorry for the delay in getting the remaining recipes up.  This one is noted "newer recipe" and "V.G." (very good)

Italian Angel Cookies

3 1/2 C flour
1 TBLS Baking Powder
1 1/4 C Powdered Sugar
1/3 C Shortening
3 Tsp. Anise flavoring
4 Eggs
Dash of Salt

Cream shortening and sugar, add flavoring.  Add eggs one at a time.  Beat until fluffy.  Add dry ingredients & knead until dough is smooth.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  After forming into doughnut shapes bake at 350 degrees 8-10 minutes in a greased tin.  Make sure they don't brown - these cookies should be white.  Frost with butter icing.

Enjoy!

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Easter means Ganetti

Easter is approaching quickly and all Carbone's know what that means - Ganetti (aka Janettie or Italian
Angel Cookies). 

Ganetti are certainly one of my favorites of the Italian cookies Grandma makes.  In addition to Easter, they were present at every graduation, wedding, major anniversary or other extra-special occassion.  I'm going to post all 3 recipes (not in a single entry) from Grandma (Josephine) Carbone's notebook over the next several days so you can try them out and decide which is your favorite.  For anyone who is not familiar with her notebook, it's a spiral-bound notebook where Grandma not only noted the extra-special recipes like Ganetti or Scalili, but she also made notes whenever she made a batch that included the date, any changes she made to the recipe and typically also notes about anyone who helped her make them.  Sometimes we'd get together as a family to make batches of traditional cookies.  My sister, Cathy, my Aunt Wendy (Bill, aka: Frank Carbone's wife) and my parents (Gary & Suzanne), have all been involved with keeping this tradition alive. 

These cookies freeze well, if you're going to freeze them, freeze them prior to frosting them.  I didn't find Grandma's frosting recipe in the notebook but a simple mixture of butter, powdered sugar & milk work just fine, Grandma usually added a little anise extract to the frosting too, but you can add vanilla if you're not a fan of anise.

Janetti

6 Large Eggs
1 3/4 C Sugar
3/4 C Oil
2 tsp. Anise
6-7 C Flour
3 Heaping tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt

Beat eggs until creamy with sugar - add oil.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Knead until smooth.  Bake 8-10 min. at 375 degrees.  Frost with Butter Icing.

What Grandma's recipe doesn't say:  Form balls of dough into long ropes, cut in approx. 1 1/2 inch sections and form into doughnut shapes, logs or twists.  If you make your frosting thin enough, you can simply dip the cookies into the icing then use a knife (Grandma used to use her finger :) ) to smooth it out. 

There was also a notation about 1/2 c canned milk (on the same line of the recipe as the oil), but no mention of the milk in the instructions, so I left it out.  Neither of the remaining recipes (to come on future entries) included canned milk.