OLD LADLES RECIPES

Steps:

• To prepare the Bolognese sauce , first take the pancetta. First cut into slices and then into strips 1 , without being too precise. Then with a knife chop it well 2 . In a pre-heated saucepan pour a drizzle of oil and add the pancetta 3 .
• Shell it well 4 and let it brown. In the meantime, take care of the vegetables. Peel the carrot and chop it finely 5 . Then clean the celery and chop it too of the same size as your carrots 6 .
• Finally, peel the onion and chop it 7 . As soon as the pancetta is well browned 8 , add the chopped vegetables 9 .
• Stir 10 and let simmer for 5-6 minutes 11 . Add the ground beef 12 ,
• stir 13 and raise the heat. Let it brown without haste, the meat must seal well. Deglaze with red wine 14 and mix again. As soon as the alcohol has evaporated, add the tomato puree 15 .
• Stir and incorporate it 16 17 . Add a couple of ladles of hot vegetable broth 18 .
• Cover with the lid, but do not close completely 19 . At this point the Bolognese sauce must cook for at least 2 hours. Check it every 20 minutes and add more broth as needed. After two hours, taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper 20 . Stir again and your sauce will be ready 21 .

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease 2 baking sheets with butter. Put the confectioners' sugar into a bowl and set aside.
• In another bowl, using a wooden spoon, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add 1 egg and beat on medium speed until blended. Add the other egg and vanilla and beat until blended.
• Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture. Beat on low speed just until blended.
• Using a tablespoon, scoop up a rounded spoonful of dough. Using your hands, roll the dough into a ball, then roll the ball in the confectioners' sugar until covered. Place the ball on one of the prepared baking sheets. Repeat, spacing the balls about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.
• When 1 baking sheet is full, put it in the oven and bake the cookies until they are crackled and puffed, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Transfer the cookies to the wire rack and let cool completely. Repeat to bake the remaining cookies. Makes about 24 cookies.
• Adapted from Williams-Sonoma <i>Kids Baking,</i> by Abigail Johnson Dodge (Oxmoor House, 2003), and Williams Sonoma <i>Dessert of the Day,</i> by Kim Laidlaw (Weldon Owen 2013)