Cartocci (Sicilian style doughnut) from Corrado’s Market in Wayne, NJ

Today being Valentine’s Day, it’s all about the sweet treats.  I’m guilty of sometimes going a little overboard with my dessert.  Not all the time but sometimes.  I mean we all need a little sweet to brighten up our day now and then.  Right?  I love milkshakes, especially coffee milkshakes.  I also love Sicilian style doughnuts called cartocci that I get at local pastry shops including Maria’s Bakery in Saddle Brook, NJ; Corrado’s Market in Wayne, NJ; and Venice Bakery in Garfield, NJ.  I can best describe cartocci as a cylindrical, deep-fried, sugar raised doughnut filled with cannoli cream and chocolate chips.  The shape of the cartocci resembles cannoli.

Now you’re probably asking yourself what do Sicilian style doughnuts and milkshakes have in common.  And I’d tell you not too much, unless you combine them together to make a “Coffee & Doughnut Milkshake”, which I did last weekend.  It might sound odd, but as my grandmother always said, “Don’t knock it until you try it.”  I like to get creative in the kitchen.  I love experimenting with different flavors and odd ingredients.  So combining a cartocci and coffee ice cream is something right up my alley.

I had a cartocci in my fridge that was two days old, a little past its prime to enjoy as is.  I hated to see it go to waste; so I put on my thinking cap and tried to come up with a way to utilize it.  I took a peek into my freezer and saw that I had a pint of coffee ice cream, gelato to be precise, just staring back at me.  I immediately grabbed the ice cream and went to the counter.  I grabbed my blender and to it added a ¼ cup of whole milk and 8 ounces of the coffee ice cream that I measured with my trusty kitchen scale (I like to weigh out my ice cream in order to get a consistent product).  I pulsed the ice cream and milk together for a few seconds.  I then added the cartocci, which I cut up into bite sized morsels.  I turned the blender back on and stopped it when I achieved the consistency I was looking for, which still had a few chunks of the cartocci.  I emptied the contents of the blender into a tall glass and enjoyed my original creation with a huge smile on my face.  I was successful in combining two of my favorite desserts into one.  WINNING!

Coffee & Cartocci Milkshake

Coffee & Cartocci (Doughnut) Milkshake
8 ounces coffee ice cream
¼ cup whole milk
1 Cartocci or doughnut of your choosing, cut into bite sized pieces

1.)    Add the milk and ice cream to a blender.  Pulse together for a few seconds.
2.)    To that add the cartocci and pulse until your desired consistency is achieved.  For a thinner shake add more milk.
3.)    Pour contents of blender into a tall glass.  You can top it off with a little whipped cream if you’d like, as well.  Enjoy

Living to eat,
Anthony “Tony Mangia” Scillia