Christmas in Italy is generally celebrated from December 24 until January 6. So there is still ample time for Italian Christmas cookies! Since I am in Florence for a year, there is no better time or place to uncover the requisite list of Italy’s Christmas cookie (and cake) traditions. This is a quick list, but the best part is that I include 2 recipes at the end (plus photos); both are from James’ Aunt Rosalind (first generation Italian American).

Amaretti.
These cookies vary from the thin, crisp almond macaroons tinned and ready for sale, to the just-baked Amaretti in Italy’s pastry shops—where they are soft and chewy. Amaretti are meant to have a hint of bitterness, often achieved via almonds.

Buzzolai.
Ring-shaped cookies from Dalmatia; no two recipes are alike. That shape is meant to remind you of coins.

Caggionetti.
These cookies are a specialty of both Naples and Abruzzo (I suppose it depends who you ask). They are deep fried almond fritters, made with chocolate and almonds.

Cartellate.
Make the dough, fry then dip in honey. Worth the effort! (Includes a shocking amount of honey; honey seems to be a common sweetener in Italian cookies… secret ingredient perhaps?).

Ginetti.
Rich, tasty Calabrian cookies—not particularly sweet—lemon flavored with lemon icing. Check out the recipe.

Panettone.
This one you have probably heard of (we have certainly eaten quite a few); it is the traditional Christmas cake of Milan. In Italy, you can find them in every bakery, chocolate shop and grocer. There are so many varieties piled high, with or without chocolate, with studded raisins and/or candied fruit, etc. They have a long shelf life. Oh, and although we haven’t yet had leftovers, I have heard that panettone makes for brilliant french toast.

Pandoro.
I am learning that ‘what’ is important (think: cake), and that ‘where’ is equally as important. Pandoro is Verona’s take on panettone. It is a yellow, buttery cake doused with powdered sugar—without the raisins or dried fruit. Check out the recipe.

Panforte.
This is a gooey version of fruitcake. Sure it includes the token fruit, nuts and spices (cinnamon, allspice)… but the texture is fastened by a sugary honey chocolate syrup. It is dense, but delicious and much like fruitcake, keeps for weeks or months.

Ricciarelli.
If you want to try any of these Italian cookies, make these. We just bought some in a Florentine bakery, and inhaled them. They are soft and chewy, reminiscent of almond paste. Yet the recipe is (Senesi—those from Sienna—add some orange when they make ricciarelli) incredibly easy and approachable. FYI Trader Joe’s usually has almond meal, which makes this recipe even more accessible.

Struffoli.
Fried dough balls dipped in a honey syrup, sometimes stacked like a Christmas tree! They are fried in olive oil, a little unusual to those of us from the states, but a traditional component of Italy’s fried cookies. I found a great recipe for these in Mario Batalli’s book Molto Italiano (p. 474).

Susamielli.
Also called Sapienze (because they were made by the nuns of the Monastero della Sapienza); these traditional Neapolitan Christmas cookies are S-shaped. They sometimes have sesame seeds.

Now, this is far from a be-all, end-all list of Italian Christmas cookies. But it is a start, and even better? Here are two authentic recipe’s from my [Italian] husband’s Aunt Rosalind:

Italian Bow knots
6 eggs
3 T sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp orange flavoring
1/2 tsp almond flavoring
3 cups flour
2 T butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat eggs lightly. Add sugar, salt and flavorings to blend. Place flour in another bowl/board and cut in butter. Add egg mixture and knead until a smooth ball is formed.  If the dough is too soft, add a little flour to make a firm, but not hard. Set aside for 30 minutes. Then cut into 4 pieces. Roll on a well floured board until wafer thin. Cut with a pastry cutter into strips 6 inches long by 3/4 in. wide. Pinch in center, or tie in bows to form individual bow knots.

Fry bow knots about 3 minutes, or until light brown in deep fat (I use Crisco). Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (a flour sifter is great).  Store in airtight containers in a cool room. Makes about 5 dozen.

Pita Piata
2 cups white wine
1 cup salad oil
1/2 cup shortening
6 eggs
4 T sugar
8 cups flour
1 jigger whiskey (2 T)
6 cups raisins
4 cups chopped walnuts
dash cinnamon
3 cups chocolate chips
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 jar (24 oz) honey

Boil first three ingredients for 1/2 minute. Set aside to cool. Beat eggs very well. Add white sugar to eggs and mix. Add egg mixture to cooled wine/oil mixture. Pour over flour in bowl and mix well. It should be the consistency of a soft dough. Divide dough into 6 balls and replace in bowl. Set aside in refrigerator and mix the whiskey, raisins, nuts, cinnamon, brown sugar.

Roll each ball of dough thin as pie crust, about 1/4 inch thick, Spread about 1/6 of the raisin & nut mixture on each, add as much chocolate chips as you want, dribble with honey & roll lengthwise, like a jelly roll.  Prick ends closed, Shape into wreaths, candy canes, logs, or rolls.  I brush egg yoke & water on the finished shapes. Bake on greased cookie sheets (I use parchment paper) about 1 1/2 hours at 300 degrees.  Makes 6 wreaths or canes.

If I am a collector of anything, if I search high and low, near and far to find something worthy of safe keeping… it would have to be recipes. So when I ran across a post by Chez Pim, I skimmed her blog and hit a few links an a hunt for a prized ‘best chocolate chip cookie recipe.‘ My finger flinched, my printer whirred and alas my hands held a hard copy of a candidate for my prized collection.

The kicker? I didn’t have time to make them (because I am busy here: family frolics). So I really don’t know if they are the best… which is why there is a pretty picture of boxed chocolates, instead of potentially amazing cookies. But I couldn’t resist having the recipe here, online, at my disposal. For future reference… some things are like that. So if you make them, will you tell me? Is my search for the best chocolate chip cookies over? I mean after all, they were in the New York Times:

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
Time: 45 minutes, plus at least 24 hours’ chilling

2 cups minus 2 tablespoons (8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt
2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60 percent cacao content (see note)
Sea salt

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Set aside.

2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.

3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.

4. Scoop 6 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm, with a big napkin.

Yield: 1 1/2 dozen 5-inch cookies.

Note: Disks are sold at Jacques Torres Chocolate; Valrhona fèves, oval-shaped chocolate pieces, are at Whole Foods.

Remember these cookies? I had them when I was a kid: peanut butter cookies with a Hershey’s kiss. They were a treat, and the more chocolate to peanut butter cookie the better… and they were BEST just out of the oven, while the chocolate was still gooey.

I don’t usually make these. Partly because they have shortening, partly because beyond the peanut butter and those worthwhile moments of self-indulgence, they really aren’t that good for you. But I like a good excuse, and this one is unbeatable: I signed up to make 2 dozen cookies, once a month, for four months.

At my boys’ school, they have an annual auction to raise money. It helps benefit the school; the school encourages everyone to attend, and expects a donation from each family. It is flexible: you can volunteer to work at the auction, to help organize, or you can purchase an item to be bid on in a silent or live auction. This year, I decided to offer something that didn’t require great expense, but was still worth a bid or two. So I offered to make two dozen homemade cookies, hand delivered, once a month from January-April (the auction was in December).

It sold immediately. How cool is that?

Each month, I wrap up 2 dozen cookies, usually 1 dozen of one kind, and a dozen of another kind. February cookies included these peanut butter, chocolate kissed cookies. And the side benefit of this monthly gift? It is a double gift (cliche for the gift that keeps on giving): I make extras, and my boys enjoy little treats in their lunches. It forces me to take out time to make homemade cookies—to offer lovingly baked treats in their lunches… kind of like a little midday, mom-delivered kiss.

Cookies with a Kiss
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, pressed
1 egg
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt

Mix shortening, peanut butter, sugars, and egg. Blend dry ingredients (Okay, Betty Crocker says chill for an hour; I am thinking: what, shot of tequila, feet up, read a book? Hey, when Betty says ‘chill’ I an all over it. Who would argue? The dough can wait… put it in the fridge while you take a break). Oven to 375. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, roll in sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes. When just out of oven, insert 1 hershey kiss into each cookie, pressing it into the cookie.

I wish, I wish I had had my camera with me this morning. If ever there was a picture perfect moment, one that sums up my sons’ lives right now, it is as they walk out the door to go to school every morning. And this morning was particularly funny. All or our arms were completely full to the brim; a passerby would thing we needed a moving truck just to make it through the day.

My fifth grade son had in his arms: a lunch bag, a small plastic bag with his name written on it, full of his costume for the school musical—it needs approval from the drama teacher—and his saxophone, with its respective music, for band this morning. He also had his backpack, a second backpack for soccer (because of course, he is going straight from musical practice to play practice and needs to change on the way), 4 large empty cardboard boxes (ironically, Dry Soda) for some recycling art event they have at school today, and a soccer ball at his feet. A picture is seemingly worth a thousand words.

My sixth grades son (this day was easily our record for hands-full, by the way) had his viola (practice at noon recess) and music, his lunch, his backpack, and two large plastic toolboxes that hold all the parts and pieces for a Robotics (think legos plus software/programming).

Huh. And I thought I needed extra arms.

Me? A few books (to study for culinary school), my computer with its power cord trailing along behind me like a long, black, bouncing, mechanical tail, and one large cardboard box—which I return as I pickup this week’s CSA box. Add to that my purse, and my workout backpack. And the smallest and largest item: my ‘to-do list’ which I might as well bungee cord around my waist, or better, carry it on top of my head like some sort of twisted, defiant, yet confidently forward statement.

Days like these are perfect for packing healthy snacks, to fill your pocket with food for later. When my kids are on the go, or when I am jostling from point A to B—and need a quick energy or nutrition boost—it is a relief to know your pocket is stocked. And what else screams healthy, energy-packed, omega 3 infused snack than a lemon-iced, zucchini-and-walnut filled cookie?

These will help you rally through your busy day (also good for on-the-go breakfast, and perfect for kiddos’ lunch):

Zucchini Cookies
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 T lemon zest
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup shredded zucchini
1 cup chopped walnut

Glaze:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 T lemon juice

Cream butter and sugar; beat in egg and zest, sift dry ingredients and stir into batter. Mix in zucchini and walnuts. Drop on cookie sheets and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes; cool then glaze (make glaze: combine sugar and juice). Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Note: (taking Intro to Baking made me think differently about these cookies). I made sure to BEAT the eggs and sugar, as in really cream them well, on high for 3-4 minutes. I actually sifted the dry ingredients, and when adding dry ingredients, walnuts then zucchini, I stirred just to blend.

These are really awesome cookies. If you try them with a wheat or different flour, let me know, as I am curious how they turn out. Cheers!

Easter? Halloween? Christmas? Fourth of July?

Bring it.

Whatever holiday it is, these cookies can waltz right in and be fashionable, readily available, unassumingly appropriate.

All you need to do is buy that bag of holiday colored m ‘n’ ms. Hey, they are cookies. I didn’t say they were good for you. Though I suppose you could sneak in some wheat germ, use wheat flour, add in some flax meal, substitute canola oil for some of the butter, use some applesauce… but I will leave that up to you. Sometimes my version of healthy is less about the ingredients, and more about moderation (I didn’t say always, just sometimes). Consequently, these cookies aren’t made often: they simply show up, in colorful uniform, to stand in as a holiday treat.

I pop these casually dressed cookies into school lunches to usher in some holiday cheer. They don’t require a lot of planning or foresight on my part—I just walk through Target, notice the m ‘n’ m’s and scoop up a bag. And then smile, knowing my kids will hover around the mixing bowl, begging for a taste of the dough. Yes, the dough is unavoidably good. Especially with the big chunks of pecans.

M ‘n’ M Cookies
2 sticks butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups m n ms
3/4 cup roughly chopped pecans

Oven to 350. Cream butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla and mix. Add flour, salt and soda and stir to blend. Mix in M ‘n’ Ms and pecans. Place in spoonfuls on tray and bake 10-13 minutes. Happy Holidays!

How would that be for a New Year resolution? (I know what you are thinking, too late for New Year Resolutions. But I like to be a bit unconventional, and sometimes waiting until February to apply resolutions isn’t a bad idea: besides, the gym is far less crowded in Feb than it is in Jan).

I have heard of those who eat dessert first. Those who deliberately skip to their favorite foods, prioritizing them according to their preferences—instead of conventions. Why? Why not? Life is short; eat dessert first.

I confess that won’t be a part of my resolutions, in part because I prefer my sweets at the end of a meal. But in the case of my kitchen this week, skipping right to dessert worked out just fine.

I made default dinners this week, two of them (Turkey Meatballs w/Marinara and Sausage Pasta) . I also tried a few new recipes… ones you will never hear about. They were ‘fine’ and by ‘fine’ I don’t mean ooh-la-la, I mean eh, adequate. And never to be repeated.

As you may know, I have a special list of default dinners. A list of favorite recipes made time and again in a pinch or for good reason. They are tested and approved, enjoyed and coveted by my family. Worthy of guests, worthwhile on weeknights, default dinners is our family list of best recipes. And I remain undiluted in my mission to find, maintain, expand and fine-tune this list.

This week was typical: make some proven familiar recipes to offset my search for new [default] recipes. This week, the two default dinners proved themselves delicious again, but the new recipes didn’t make the cut. One recipe was a quick rendition of pork paprikash, another was skillet broccoli, then there was the new salad dressing and that parsnip puree. All fine, but not worthy of our list of favorites. What WAS delightful this week was dessert.

My friend made me coconut macaroons for Christmas. I usually take it easy on both baking and eating sweets, but these cookies I ate standing up. I think by the third one I finally got myself a cup of coffee. Fortunately, I ate them in December so no New Year resolutions applied…

… And since my resolutions really don’t begin until February, I made them, and ate many of them, again. Maybe you should too— especially if your New Year resolutions wisely include eating dessert first:

Coconut Macaroons*
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 extra-large egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whip the egg whites and salt on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until they make medium-firm peaks. Carefully fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop, or two teaspoons. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and serve.

*my friend and I both enjoy Barefoot Contessa, so when I asked her for the recipe, she just gave my a page number. We both agreed: these cookies are a bit persnickety. I highly recommend spraying the cookie sheet to avoid sticking; my friend waits for dry, cool weather…