Bread Swirls with Honey, Pistachios & Chocolate (Girelle al Pistacchio, Miele e Cioccolato)

 

These bread swirls caused a lot of excitement with the kids.  There is no other kind of food that gives me pleasure in creating than the ones that are meant for the little ones.  Especially when I am able to divert them away from the commercial snacks.  Lately, as I had been reading the ingredients of the biscuits & snacks at the supermarkets, I noticed so much E-number additives in every product.  Even the simplest biscuits contain more chemical additives than natural ones.  I cannot swear that I will never feed my kids these food because my realistic side reminds me that it's impossible to avoid them.   I myself, am not able to abstain from grabbing some "goodies" from the forbidden supermarket aisles.  So that takes out an aim.  I will prepare their biscuits & snacks as much as I can.  Being a non-baker, it's a big challenge for me.  I will try.

I first encountered these girelle di pancarre' (bread swirls) when a friend took a big round plate of them stuffed with savory ingredients at home.  It was an eye-catcher.  Beautiful, simple and delicious.   I didn't need to surf so much at the Italian food sites to understand its popularity as appetizers.  There are a thousand ways to stuff them.  After all, they are just plain, bread so anything can go well with them.  No exceptions.

 

Riccardo has started a new sport, the third after two trials.  Swimming at 4 years old didn't work out.  He's not meant to be a little Aquaman.  Karate at 5 years old was strongly refused after one session.  There went our prospective Karate Kid.   At 6, he decided that he wants to run and keep on running.  So it was track & field after all.  He found what he is happy with.   When the kids turn 4 here, everyone assumes that your child is doing some sport but sometimes, it's just too early for them to decide what they want to do.   His energy never faltered and for that we didn't really worry that he started his sports two years later than the rest of his peers.  What is important is that he is doing something he loves. 

Sometimes we find our niche after traveling different roads and getting lost in the process.   It can be easy for the others and it can be a struggle to reach for some.  When you do get it, you will know that it is the one.  My father comes to mind when I think of happiness in careers.  He attended Medical School because his parents wanted him to be a doctor.  However, after one year, he couldn't take it anymore and dropped out.  His parents were not happy of course but he knew in his heart what he really wanted.  He wanted to fly on top of the world.  He wanted to be a pilot.  Newly married and with barely enough money to sustain them, he found ways to live until he became a non-payee scholar to the best flying school in the country.  He became a pilot just like what he aimed for.   And when he was recounting his stories about flying, he would assume such a splendidly happy expression.  He found his niche.

I don't know if I found my place but I'd like to think that I did find it.  What I know is that cooking takes me to a different world, a happy one.  Writing and photographing accentuate this love.  I will keep on creating in my kitchen and keep my family healthy.  And I will keep on sharing with you everything that transpires in my little realm because I believe that food takes out happiness.  And I want to share this wonderful feeling with you.

Bread Swirls with Honey, Pistachios & Chocolate (Girelle al Pistacchio, Miele e Cioccolato)

Ingredients:
Serves 4

• 5 (equivalent to 250 g.) long, soft bread slices, sides taken away (fette di pancarre')
• honey
• pistachios, ground
• chocolate spread
• Nutella

1.   Lay the bread flat on a board.  If you are using normal sized bread, connect them by laying them flat on the board with about a cm. of the sides overlapping each other.  It helps if you wet the edges with a little bit of water.  Pass the rollingpin on them until they are joined together.

2.   Spread the honey/Nutella/chocolate spread evenly on the bread from edge to edge, leaving one end with about half a cm. free. for closing.   Sprinkle with ground pistachios.

3.   Roll tightly.

4.   Enclose the roll tightly in a plastic wrap.  Keep it in the fridge for about an hour or two.

 5.   Peel off the plastic wrap.  Cut thin slices with a sharp knife.  Cut only the amount you need.  Keep the unsliced bread swirls in the fridge to keep them moist & soft. 








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