Valerie Bertinelli Limoncello Recipes

CHALLAH BREAD PUDDING WITH LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• For the bread pudding: Whisk together the half-and-half, limoncello, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, salt and eggs in a large bowl.
• Butter a 2-quart casserole dish and add the bread cubes to the dish. Pour the custard over the bread and let stand 20 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Cover the dish with foil. Bake, covered, for 20 minutes, then uncover and continue to bake until puffed, set and golden on top, about 25 minutes more.
• For the glaze: Whisk together the confectioners' sugar, limoncello and lemon zest in a small bowl. Pour the glaze on the warm bread pudding and serve.

KUMQUAT-CELLO

Steps:

• Slice the kumquats in half and scrape out as many seeds as possible. Add the kumquats to a 2.5-liter container and cover with the vodka. Cover the container so that it is airtight and place it in the refrigerator. Let steep, refrigerated, for at least 3 weeks and up to 6 weeks before straining.
• When ready to strain, add the sugar and 1/2 cup water to a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring regularly, until the sugar has dissolved. Cool the simple syrup to room temperature.
• Strain the kumquat-cello into a 1.5-liter container. Stir in the simple syrup. Serve over ice or in cocktails as desired.

LIMONCELLO

Steps:

• Grate the zest from the lemons using a Microplane grater, taking care to leave the pith behind. Place the zest in a 3-quart pitcher. Pour the vodka over it and stir. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a spot where it won't be disturbed, at room temperature, and let steep 1 week.
• Combine 3 1/2 cups water and the sugar in a large saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
• Let cool completely, then pour the syrup into the pitcher with the zest and stir. Cover tightly again and let stand for 24 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Pour into clean bottles with tight-fitting caps. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or up to 1 month.

TART LEMON TIRAMISU

Steps:

• Put the mascarpone, lemon curd, sugar and lemon zest in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until it holds medium-stiff peaks. Mix a third of the cream into the mascarpone mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining cream.
• Stir together the limoncello, lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a shallow bowl. Working one at a time, quickly dip half of the ladyfingers in the liquid, turning to coat both sides, and arrange in an even layer in an 8-inch glass baking dish. Spread half of the cream mixture over the ladyfingers and smooth evenly. Repeat with the remaining ladyfingers and the rest of the cream. Sprinkle some lemon zest over the top, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours and preferably overnight.