Polenta Dolce–My Favorite Dessert

 

Polenta Dolce–My Favorite Italian Dessert

 

by Alice Jane-Marie Massa

 

 

Putting aside peppermint ice cream and Wisconsin frozen custards, my favorite dessert is the Italian delicacy Polenta Dolce.  While this recipe from “the Old Country” has been very popular in my family (both sides from Northern Italy’s Levone Valley), I have met only one other person who knew  of Polenta Dolce.  As a young boy, this student had lived in Italy and later returned to Italy each summer to visit his grandparents:  he was aware of the delicious Polenta Dolce which his grandmother had also made.

 

I imagine that my paternal grandmother, whom we called “Grandma Farm” (May 17, 1892-February 27, 1988), brought this recipe with her–only in her recollection–when she left Italy and came through Ellis Island in 1910.  From her new hometown of Klondyke, Indiana, she eventually shared the recipe with her daughter-in-law (my mother) and her daughter (my Aunt Kathy).  Although my mother most often made this lightly sweet and lemony-flavored recipe for holidays and family gatherings, other relatives also made Polenta Dolce.

 

Sometimes, my mother just made this recipe because she knew how much I loved this dessert.  Most frequently when my mom prepared the first two steps, before spreading the mixture into the pie plates, she would put a couple of heaping tablespoons of the mixture into a small bowl for my sampling.  This sample was for me the ultimate of comfort foods!  The taste is pure “home.”

 

Even though “polenta” is associated with corn meal, the recipe contains no corn meal.  Simply, “Polenta Dolce” translates as “sweet polenta.”

 

 

Mother’s Recipe for Polenta Dolce

 

 

1. In a heavy saucepan, combine and cook on medium-low heat until mixture is firm:

 

one quart warm milk

 

two-thirds cups Cream of Wheat

 

grated rind of one lemon

 

one and one-fourth cups sugar

 

2. Remove from heat, and add:

 

one tablespoon butter

 

one tablespoon fresh lemon juice

 

3. Spread mixture into two (oiled) eight-inch or nine-inch glass pie plates; allow mixture to set and cool in refrigerator.

 

4. Slice into diamond and/or rectangular shapes.

 

5. Dip each piece into beaten egg; then, roll in fine bread crumbs.

 

6. Brown both sides of each piece in Mazola (corn) Oil; place each browned piece onto plate or platter covered with paper towels to absorb excess oil.

 

7. If desired, lightly sprinkle each piece with granulated sugar.

 

8. Transfer to serving plate or tray. Although this Italian dessert is best when served warm, you may also serve Polenta Dolce at room temperature.  If not eaten within a short period of time, you may wish to refrigerate the Polenta Dolce in an air-tight container and then allow to come to near room temperature before next serving–if you can wait that long.

 

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For other family recipes on Wordwalk, please visit the archives of this blog to find:

 

February 22, 2013–Cherry Holiday Squares

April 6, 2013–Dad’s Polenta and Bagnetto

September 5, 2013–September Thoughts of Summer and a Recipe (Aunt Lydia’s Sugar Cookies)

November 6, 2013–Cranberry Calico Cake (Sweet Bread) and Frosting

November 13, 2013–Mrs. Pickard’s Pineapple Squares (a delicious pastry made with yeast)

December 4, 2013–Recipe with Memory Piece–The Wassail Years

December 18, 2013–Holiday Date Bars

February 5, 2014–Aunt Kay’s Quiche

February 12, 2014–Layered Dessert

September 24, 2014–The Apple Butter Days of Autumn

November 25, 2015–Thanksgiving Eve:  A Recipe for Apple Cake

December 2, 2015–Holiday Recipe:  Butter Horns

 

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NOTE:  On Christmas Eve, Saturday, I posted on Wordwalk an “extra” post–a memoir entitled “Eavesdropping on Christmas.”  If you missed this extra post, I invite you to read my prior post of December 24, 2016.

 

Best Wishes for a Sweet and Sparkling 2017!

Alice and Leader Dog Willow

 

December 28, 2016, Wednesday

 

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