Category: Dining & Entertainment

Try Private Chef of Tampa Executive Chef & New Tampa Rotary president Peter Gambacorta’s sesame cookie recipe .

Combine in the stand mixer the following:

• 1. One (1) stick of butter at room temperature
• 2.Two (2) Tablespoons (tbsp.) of Crisco shortening
• 3. One (1) cup of sugar (you can substitute with Splenda )
• 4. Two (2) extra-large eggs With stand mixer paddle on low, slowly incorporate all ingredients until blended.
• 5. Sift together the following and add these dry ingredients slowly to the mixture in the stand mixer:
• 6. Three (3) cups of AP Flour
• 7. Three (3) Tablespoons of baking powder
• 8. 1⁄4 teaspoon (tsp.) of salt
• 9. 1⁄2 tsp. of cinnamon
• 10. 1⁄2 tsp. ground nutmeg 11. 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 12. As dough forms, add 1 cup of raw sesame seeds until completely incorporated.
• 13. On a floured board, roll out enough dough for a one-inch-wide log. The dough will be sticky, so you can add more sesame seeds to coat the outside of the log.Cut the dough log into diagonals shaped pieces, the pieces should be about 2 inches long each.
• 14. Place the cut cookies on un-greased parchment paper and baking sheet tray and bake for approximately 30 minutes at 350o F.

KITCHEN TIP – Remember to check your oven temperature, as cooking times may vary stove to stove.

• 15. Remove the cookies from the oven when they have the proper tannish color. Then, place them on a cooling rack and finally, put them in an airtight container for storage.

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To use this recipe for biscotti, instead of cookies, follow the above recipe and shape the dough into a rectangular shape about 1 inch thick, 4 inches wide and 8 inches long. Cut the biscotti into logs that are 1 1⁄2 inches wide and bake at the same temperature and for the same amount of time as you did the cookies. Note that the biscotti may spread out some during the baking process.

Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all and best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous new year from Private Chef of Tampa! For more recipes or to book a party visit Privatechefnewtampa.com today.

By Gary Nager

The hardest thing, for me, about being the dining reviewer for this publication is trying to say enough nice things about places I don’t really love to fill a full-length feature. But, as those who have read me for any period of time surely know, the best and easiest part of this job is telling you as much as I can — with both pictures and words — about independently owned restaurants in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel that have delicious food, especially when they also offer great value for the money.

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By Gary Nager

Wesley Chapel soon will be home to Stonemill Artisan Bakery & Desserts.

The shop is in the process of opening in the Wesley Chapel Village Market shopping plaza, located at Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and S.R. 54, where you can expect to find gelato, ice cream, frozen yogurt, French pastries, artisan breads, great coffee and more.

Stay tuned to NTNeighborhoodNew.com for updates as they become available.