My Nonna Marcella passed down countless recipes to me—sometimes in passing at the table while explaining why a stewed rabbit turned out so tender and flavorful, other times standing beside me in the kitchen, watching every move to make sure I followed the family traditions. Her teachings are more than instructions: they are stories, memories and a living connection to the women who cooked before her.
Many of the recipes she shared had been given to her over the years by relatives and neighbors, and she always added small details about the women who taught her. For my grandmother a recipe is a gateway to the past: it unlocks tales of weddings, harvest days, family gatherings, and journeys that once felt like grand adventures. Each dish carries a human story.
Whenever she gives me a recipe she includes the proper serving dish, the occasion for which it’s best suited, a fond anecdote and practical tips—how to stir a custard, when to salt, or how to fill a pot. Each recipe is a page from her personal life book, something she is entrusting me with so it won’t be lost. If I need one reason to keep blogging—beyond the joy of sharing recipes—it’s the archive of family dishes I’m collecting and preserving for future generations.
When I was young I scribbled her recipes and my mother’s into a large notebook I still cherish, its pages stained from early kitchen experiments. Today the blog feels more ephemeral, yet it only takes a few minutes to bring a post back into the real world: to shape, smell and taste something authentic. And when it comes to my grandmother’s recipes, the result is always worth the effort.
I’m especially proud to share this recipe today as part of Italian Table Talk’s theme on family recipes—timeless dishes passed down through generations that we preserve and celebrate. My friends in the series contributed their family dishes: Emiko shared a rabbit ragu made by Marco’s grandmother, Valeria sent a hearty minestra e fagioli, and Jasmine wrote about her grandmother’s roast. For me, Nonna finally taught me how to make her famous choux pastries—bigné—her signature dessert. As you might guess, she had a sweet tooth.
There’s never a birthday, holiday or Sunday without bigné. Tradition calls for filling them to the brim with crema, our thick Italian custard. When you bite into one the lemon-scented custard should spill out a little—licking it from your fingers is part of the pleasure in our family. Nonna used to bake tray after tray because everyone always wanted seconds and thirds, and the next morning a custard-filled bigné for breakfast is hard to beat.
I managed to photograph her consulting her handwritten notebook while she recreated the recipe, which made me proud—she usually avoids the camera but this time she was too eager to bake and share to notice it. Her choux pastries are made with olive oil instead of butter. Growing up on that flavor, I find it perfect: the olive oil adds a subtle fruity note that makes you reach for another one. Combined with a dense lemon custard, they are the ideal afternoon treat.
My grandma’s choux pastries
Giulia
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Ingredients
Ingredients to make the choux pastries
- 50 g of extra virgin olive oil
- 100 g of water
- 100 g of flour
- 3 eggs
Ingredients to make the custard
- 500 ml of whole fresh milk
- Zest of one organic unwaxed lemon
- 2 eggs
- 4 tablespoons of caster sugar
- 2 heaping tablespoons of corn starch
Instructions
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Make the custard in advance so it has time to cool. Heat the milk with the lemon zest until it just begins to simmer, then remove from the heat.
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In another pan whisk the eggs with the sugar and corn starch until smooth. Pour the hot milk slowly in a thin stream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling.
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Return the pan to low heat and stir with a whisk until the custard thickens, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film and let it cool completely.
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Make the choux pastry: combine water and olive oil in a small non-stick saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the flour all at once and cook, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon for about five minutes, until the dough forms a golden ball and leaves the pan clean.
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Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly. After a few minutes add the beaten eggs and whisk with an electric mixer for about five minutes until the mixture is smooth, glossy and thick.
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Preheat the oven to 210°C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Use two spoons to shape mandarin-sized balls and place them on the tray; you should get about eight choux pastries.
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Bake for about 25 minutes until puffed and golden. Remove from the oven and let cool.
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Fill the cooled pastries with the chilled custard using a pastry bag. Dust with icing sugar and serve immediately.
Link love
To follow the Italian Table Talk series and our contributors, here are the social accounts mentioned in the post:
- Emiko — blog: Emikodavies.com
- Valeria — blog: Life Love Food
- Jasmine — blog: Labna.it
- Juls — JulsKitchen social accounts
The hashtag to follow the conversation on Twitter is #ITabletalk. We’d love to hear your favorite family recipes—please share them with us.