Christmas confections

Well it’s nearly here. Are you all set for it? Shopping done? Christmas cards mailed? Gifts all wrapped? Cookies and confections all made? Isn’t it crazy how we all overextend ourselves this time of year? I’m guilty as much as the next one most years, but this year I decided to put a stop to all the craziness and simply enjoy this holiday. Well except for the cookies and sweets ;-) In spite of the hectic schedules we all experience this time of year I have to say I had a blast baking trays of cookies and candies--Anise cookies, almond biscotti, Todo's, tea cakes, pizelles, date nut balls,chocolate espresso's, fennel pistachio cookies, cappuccino blondies, brownies, peanut butter cookies, assorted fudges, peanut and almond brittles, limoncello bars and of course gingerbread men.



I think everyone needs a good 'visiting cake' during the holidays. You know the ones? You get a call about a last minute get together and will you please bring dessert? Well you'll need something that's delicious and easy-to-make right? This one is mine. It's moist, buttery, and mildly sweet, and pairs perfectly with a cup of tea of coffee.

May the special gifts of Christmas be yours to treasure this holiday season. Merry Christmas! Buon natale! xo




Cranberry Amaretto Sour Cream Cake

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1/2 pint sour cream
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup Amaretto
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 TBLS sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 can whole cranberry sauce

Almond Glaze:

2 TBLS milk
3/4 cup confectionary sugar
1/4 cup Almond extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch Bundt or tube cake pan.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.Add the sour cream mixing well.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend this into the creamed sugar mixture. Mix in the Amaretto and vanilla extract. Pour 1/3 the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle chopped walnuts, sugar and cinnamon. Add a little more batter. Spoon whole cranberry sauce for your next layer and top with the rest of the batter, swirling the cranberry into this top layer. Bake 1 hour, or until golden brown.

For the almond glaze: Whisk the sugar and milk until creamy and smooth. Add in almond extract. Pour this glaze over completely cooled cake and serve. Happy holidays!

Christmas cookies

I've been busy this week, like everyone else no doubt, baking christmas cookies. Only these cookies aren't just for family and friends, but instead for elders and shut-ins that live alone and don't have many visitors during the holiday season. We'll deliver to over two hundred recipients next week.. boxes & boxes of assorted Christmas cookies. It's a very special project for me, one that I started eighteen years ago and one that I look forward to each year. With our move this past year, they'll be some new faces for me to meet..new friends to be made.

Among the varieties of Italian cookies will be one cookie I make often. Not a pizzelle, or a fig cookie, nor macaroons, Todos or wandies..but a simple sugar cookie. Probably the best sugar cookie you'll ever eat :) You can decorate them any way you prefer, but I like them plain and simple with a sprinkling of sugar on top right before they are ready to pop in the oven. So if you haven't started your holiday cookie baking yet, give this recipe a try. The cookie itself simply melts in your mouth. This batch was made with lavender sugar that I made earlier this Autumn after havesting the lavender beds, but anise sugar or plain ole sugar will surely do. One of the great things, in addition to the buttery flavor is the fact that these cookies travel beautifully! I ship oodles of them across the country with no breakage. Now how many sugar cookies can you say that about?


The Best Christmas Sugar Cookie

Cream together:

1 cup real butter
1 cup vegetable oil (yes, you read it right..veggie oil, a whole cup)
1 cup lavender sugar , or plain
2 eggs

In a separate bowl mix:

4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla or lemon, or any extract of choice

Add the flour mixture to the creamed portion slowly, mixing well. You can now either roll them into small balls or drop by teaspoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Touch your thumb to forefinger--see that circle? Make the dough balls no larger than that. Flatten with a decorative press or with a glass (either one, dipped in sugar). I like to sprinkle a titch more of sugar on top too! Bake 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Enjoy!

Celebrating the Season- Chocolate Pizzelles

I thought it might be nice to share how we celebrate a part of this season..

Part of our holiday season will begin this weekend.. our town has a 'Tree Lighting' ceremony. Though we haven't had any snow yet, but a few flurries.. thank gawd!! :o) It's very hometown.. everyone comes out for it... Santa will arrive...carols will be sung.. candles will be lit that everyone will carry..& of course the tree lighting will take place... and in our church, the sound of the lovely bellringers perform their magic.. and later a potluck dinner & Xmas cookies for all! Here's a shot of of last years tree in our village. How do you celebrate this season?



I've been busy baking cookies.. 20 or so of us bake assorted Xmas cookies and make up trays upon trays that we will deliver to over 200 elders, & shut-ins this year. It's a very special project for me.




I'll try and get a few of these recipes up in the coming days. But one cookie that will always be made each holiday for us are pizzelles. So in addition to my regular vanilla, anise, almond or lemon pizzelles, I wanted to try chocolate too this year. If you enjoy pizzelles as much as we do, you might like to try this one too. I think it's become my favorite flavored pizzelle yet. I didn't want it to be just another chocolate cookie, and I think the addition of cinnamon, nutmeg and orange added just that special touch. I'd be hard pressed to describe this wonderful flavored cookie but have to say my house smelled so good while baking them! And taste? Delicioso! Enjoy!

Chocolate Cinnamon Pizzelles

6 eggs
1 1/4 c sugar
1 c vegetable oil
zest of one orange
2 1/4 c flour
3 TBL Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa
3 tsp ground cinnamon
a pinch of nutmeg
2 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp orange extract
XXX Confectioners' sugar as desired

Sift flour, baking powder, salt unsweetened cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder into a bowl and set aside.

Blend together eggs, oil and sugar until sugar dissolves into a creamy batter. Add orange zest and orange extract. Once mixed, slowly add the seasoned flour mixture and blend well. Drop by teaspoon onto hot griddle. Close the cover and cook 30-45 seconds..depending on your pizzelle maker. Lift each baked pizzelle gently with a light spatula onto a toweled cookie sheet. Allow to cool flat (or roll over cannoli tins to fill with ricotta cream later). Dust with powdered sugar and enjoy!

For a super pictoral on how to make pizzelles, pop on over to my good friend Maryann's blog Finding La Dolce Vita. Thanks for the tips on using my new pizzelle maker too Maryann :o)