Recipes

Enhance the Flavor of Lemon

Simple and Delicious Recipes

Discover how to best enhance the flavor of the Limone di Sorrento IGP from our company, Galano Raffaele. We’ve crafted some foolproof recipes sure to win over even the most discerning palates!

From appetizers to main courses, desserts, and—of course—the iconic limoncello, a symbol of the excellence of Limoni di Sorrento and the conviviality they bring to every occasion.

limoncello

To prepare the traditional Limoncello liqueur, the key ingredient is, of course, the Limone di Sorrento. These lemons are elliptical in shape, medium to large in size, with a peel rich in essential oils—thick, textured, and citron yellow in color.

The origins of Limoncello are contested among the people of Sorrento, Amalfi, and Capri. However, the trademark “Limoncello” was first registered in 1988 by entrepreneur Massimo Canale. In Capri, many claim its creation dates back to the early 1900s from a recipe by Maria Antonia Farace, a local grandmother.

Limoncello can be enjoyed as a digestif or used to garnish and enhance desserts and fruit salads.

Ingredients

Lemons: 10 medium-large untreated lemons
Sugar: 1.2 kg
Water: 1.5 liters
Pure alcohol (95°): 1 liter

Preparation

Wash the lemons thoroughly in warm water, then peel them carefully, avoiding the white pith to prevent bitterness.
Cut the peels into thin strips and let them macerate with 750 ml of alcohol in a sealed glass container, stored in a cool, dark place.
In the meantime, bring the water to a boil, add the sugar, and allow the syrup to cool.
Add the cooled syrup and the remaining alcohol to the container with the lemon peels.
Let the mixture rest for 40 more days in the dark.
Finally, strain the liquid as you pour it into bottles, then store the bottles in the freezer.

Enjoy your homemade Limoncello!

Cannoli alla Sorrentina

Ingredients

500 g of flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
A knob of lard
A pinch of salt
White wine or Marsala, as needed
Peanut oil for frying
Pastry cream

Preparation

On a work surface, arrange the flour in a ring. Place the lard, salt, and sugar in the center, and mix everything together with the wine or Marsala until you achieve a soft, elastic dough.
Roll out the dough very thinly and cut it into small squares. Wrap each square around tubular molds, ensuring the two corners overlap slightly.
Immerse the cannoli in plenty of hot peanut oil. Once golden, remove them from the oil and let them drain thoroughly.
Once cooled, carefully remove the molds and fill the cannoli with pastry cream.
Finish by dusting them with powdered sugar.

Enjoy your Cannoli alla Sorrentina!

Babà al Limoncello

The babà al limoncello is a fragrant dessert, thanks to the limoncello syrup and the delicate limoncello-infused Chantilly cream!

Ingredients

For the dough

450 g of flour
120 g of butter
40 g of sugar
4 eggs
15 g of fresh yeast
500 ml of milk
1 teaspoon of salt

For the syrup

500 ml of water
250 g of sugar
100 ml of limoncello

For the limoncello Chantilly cream

250 g of pastry cream
2 tablespoons of limoncello
125 g of fresh cream

Preparation

Prepare the dough: Dissolve the fresh yeast in lukewarm milk, then mix with 150 g of the flour. Once combined, let the mixture rise for one hour.
After an hour, add the sugar, eggs, and the remaining flour to the dough. Knead until the dough is elastic. Incorporate the softened butter and continue kneading until the dough is soft, smooth, and homogeneous.
Transfer the dough to a work surface, divide it into balls about the size of small oranges, and place each ball into a well-buttered babà mold. Cover with a cloth and let rise for about 2 hours.
Bake in a preheated oven at 200°C for 30-35 minutes, checking doneness with a toothpick. Once baked, let them cool for a few minutes.
Prepare the syrup: Boil the water and sugar until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and add the limoncello. Soak the warm babà in the syrup, then place them on a rack to drain excess liquid. Allow to rest for about 3 hours, then brush the babà with neutral jelly.
Make the Chantilly cream: Flavor the pastry cream with two tablespoons of limoncello. Whip the fresh cream and gently fold it into the pastry cream to create a smooth limoncello Chantilly cream.
Assemble: Just before serving, decorate the babà with the freshly made Chantilly cream.

Enjoy your delicious Babà al Limoncello!

Delizia al limone

The Delizia al Limone was created in 1978 by Carmine Marzuillo, a chef and pastry chef from Sorrento. It was first presented at a meeting in Formia, chaired by the renowned gastronome Luigi Carnacina.

The original recipe features a small, semi-spherical sponge cake filled with lemon-flavored crema diplomatica and coated with a glaze infused with limoncello. The key ingredient is, of course, the oval Limone di Sorrento, known for its peel rich in essential oils.

Ingredients

For the sponge cake:

200 g of whole eggs at room temperature
20 g of egg yolks (about 1 yolk)
120 g of granulated sugar
60 g of all-purpose flour (type 00)
60 g of potato starch
½ Bourbon vanilla bean
Grated zest of ½ lemon

For the lemon cream:

100 g of egg yolks
100 g of granulated sugar
100 g of lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
100 g of butter

For the lemon whipped cream:

500 g of fresh cream
50 g of superfine granulated sugar
Zest of 1 or 2 lemons

This is the foundation for crafting the iconic Delizia al Limone, combining the delicate sponge with the tangy lemon cream and fragrant whipped cream for a truly refreshing and aromatic dessert. Let me know if you’d like step-by-step preparation instructions!

For the Pastry Cream:

500 g of whole milk (or 350 g of milk + 150 g of fresh cream)
120 g of egg yolks (about 6)
150 g of granulated sugar
50 g of cornstarch
Zest of 1 or 2 lemons

For the Limoncello Syrup:

100 g of granulated sugar
100 g of water
200 g of limoncello
Zest of 2 lemons

For the Filling:

300 g of pastry cream
100 g of lemon cream
100 g of lemon whipped cream

Preparation

Lemon-Infused Cream and Milk:
Infuse the zest of 2 lemons in the cream for at least 12 hours in the refrigerator. Do the same with the 500 g of milk needed for the pastry cream.
Sponge Cake:
Preheat the oven to 170°C. In a stand mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar for 10 minutes until the mixture is light and airy. Add the scraped vanilla bean pulp, grated lemon zest, and sifted flour combined with potato starch. Gently fold the ingredients together from bottom to top to avoid deflating the mixture. Pour the batter into greased molds, filling them to ¾ of their volume. Bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, cover the cakes with plastic wrap to keep them moist.
Limoncello Syrup:
In a small saucepan, heat the water, sugar, and lemon peels. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat. After it cools, add the limoncello and store the syrup in a glass jar.
Lemon Cream:
Whisk the yolks with sugar, then heat the lemon juice with its zest. Pour the warm juice over the yolk mixture and cook the cream until it reaches 82°C. Remove from heat and cool it in a cold water bath. When it reaches 50°C, add diced butter and blend with an immersion blender. Set aside.
Pastry Cream:
Whisk the yolks with sugar and sifted cornstarch. Strain the infused milk to remove the lemon zest, then heat half of the milk. Gradually whisk the warm milk into the yolk mixture, then return the mixture to the heat. Cook until thickened, stirring constantly. Cool it in a bowl placed in an ice bath while stirring.
Filling and Assembly:
Prepare the lemon crema diplomatica by combining 300 g of pastry cream, 100 g of whipped lemon cream with a touch of sugar, and 100 g of lemon cream. Fold the mixture gently with a spatula and transfer it to a piping bag with a long tip. Place the sponge cake domes in molds and fill them with the cream. Unmold and generously soak them with the limoncello syrup.
Glaze:
Combine the remaining crema diplomatica with a portion of lemon whipped cream, adding the cream gradually until a fluid consistency is achieved. The glaze should evenly coat the desserts. Dip the domes in the glaze, ensuring full coverage. Allow the Delizie al Limone to rest in the refrigerator before serving.

Enjoy the delightful Delizia al Limone, a masterpiece of Sorrento’s pastry tradition!

Spaghetti al limone

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons coarse salt
500 g spaghetti
150 g butter
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup basil, chopped
60 g grated Parmigiano Reggiano
6 fresh basil leaves for garnish

Preparation:

Cook the spaghetti al dente in boiling salted water.
In a large bowl, combine the butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and chopped basil. Warm gently for about a minute to melt the butter and blend the flavors.
Drain the spaghetti and immediately toss it in the butter mixture.
Serve in a warm bowl, topping with Parmigiano Reggiano and garnishing with fresh basil leaves.

Enjoy this simple yet flavorful dish!

Pollo al limone

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (2 kg)
2 lemons
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons brandy
Rosemary
Sage
Coarse salt
Pepper

Preparation:

Clean the chicken and stuff it with one lemon, pierced with a fork, and a mixture of minced garlic, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
Rub the chicken with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt, pepper, minced garlic, sage, and rosemary.
Place the chicken in a preheated oven at 230°C for 20 minutes.
Drizzle with brandy, then after 10 minutes, pour the juice of the second lemon over the chicken. Baste it with its cooking juices.
Continue cooking for an additional 40 minutes, ensuring the chicken is golden and fully cooked.
Serve garnished with lemon slices.

Enjoy this aromatic and flavorful dish!

Sant’Agnello (NA)

+39 330 607 403

info@galanoraffaele.it

Recipes

Simple and Delicious Recipes

limoncello

Cannoli alla Sorrentina

Babà al Limoncello

Delizia al limone

Spaghetti al limone

Pollo al limone

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