Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 36 ornaments depending on size   My friend Karen made dough ornaments with her grandkids therefore I asked for her recipe.  I made this batch for Weston, Jameson and Ariana to decorate for our outdoor Christmas tree, when the boys come to Italy Christmas.   I made the ornaments and froze them as I want them ready for when the boys come from Canada. You can paint with acrylic or washable paint and let dry Once dried seal with Mod Pod

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 36 ornaments depending on size   My friend Karen made dough ornaments with her grandkids therefore I asked for her recipe.  I made this batch for Weston, Jameson and Ariana to decorate for our outdoor Christmas tree, when the boys come to Italy Christmas.   I made the ornaments and froze them as I want them ready for when the boys come from Canada. You can paint with acrylic or washable paint and let dry Once dried seal with Mod Pod

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 40 cookies depending on size of cookies   These cookies are very light and fragile therefore don’t make a good give-away cookie, but they are a great addition to any Christmas platter, and everyone will love them.   These can be frozen in airtight container for up to three months.  Just take them out and once thawed, sprinkle them with icing sugar.   Ingredients 120 gr pecans 90 gr icing sugar 240 gr unsalted cold butter, cut into sm

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 40 pralines   Pralines are nuts covered in a caramelized sugar coating.  They are candy and usually very sweet.  The French mastered these tasty morsels which used to be made with almonds.  But today it can be made with whichever nut you love.    Storing is key for pralines as exposure to air and humidity will spoil them.  Therefore, the best way to store them is, make sure they are completely cooled before putting them in an airtigh

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 12 mini cheesecakes   Mini cheesecakes are always loved by everyone, and I made this one for a special friend who loves cheesecake and can’t get it here in Italy.  Simple to make and absolutely delicious.   These are best made the day before you need to serve as they will set and absorb all the wonderful flavours.   Ingredients 250 gr ground Biscoff cookies 95 gr melted butter 1 tbsp sugar 450 gr softened cream cheese 135 gr Greek yogurt

Scorri a basso per l'Italiano   Makes: 45 - 70 cookies depending on size you make them   Lemon, pistachios and coconut make this cookie delicious and very soft.  I promise once you start eating them, you can’t stop.  They make a great addition to any cookie platter.   Ingredients 225 gr butter 300 gr sugar 1 egg 1 tsp vanilla Zest from 2 lemons Juice from 1 lemon 1 tsp baking soda 1 tsp baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 440 gr flour 80 gr shredded coconut 50 gr finely chopped pis

Scorri a basso per L’Italiano   Makes 40 – 60 pieces depending on the size you cut the pieces   Salted crackers are the base of this crunchy, chocolate-covered treat that we top with a little bit of nuts and fleur de sel to give this candy extra flavour.  They are a great treat to add to any holiday baking and loved by everyone.   Ingredients Cooking spray 43 saltine crackers to line a 10 x 15-inch (25 x 38 cm) baking tray 225 gr unsalted butter 220 gr brown sugar 1 tsp vanil

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 100 cookies   There is something about the taste of orange and cranberries but add some pecans and these cookies are delicious.  They are a great addition to any Christmas cookie platter.   Plan ahead to make these at they need to chill in the fridge for five hours or in the freezer for 1.25 hours before they can be baked.   Ingredients 300 gr sugar Zest of 4 oranges 450 gr softened butter 120 gr icing sugar 1 tbsp vanilla 4 egg yolks 650

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes 30 – 60 pieces depending on size of pieces   Toffee is a rich caramel candy that when topped with chocolate, makes it hard to stop eating it when you start.  I use pecan nuts, but you can use whatever nut you like.  Add some Christmas sprinkles and these toffee pieces become festive bites.   I used a candy thermometer to not have to guess when the caramel was ready.  Just dip the thermometer in the pan, making sure the tip is submerged in

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes: 28 Madeleines   I’ve had Madeleine cake in France and have been wanting to make some for Christmas for a while but didn’t have the pan.  Pans in hand I’m ready to make these pretty little cakes.   In Italy I can’t buy eggnog therefore I used the recipe I made.  You can use store bought if you can’t find it, otherwise it is very simple to make. NOTE: To freeze, place the madeleines on a baking sheet and freeze for ½ hour.  Then you can pl

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano Makes: 70 cookies   A butter cookie flavoured with rum, butterscotch, pecans and walnuts is perfect for our taste buds.  Simple to make and are a great addition to any Christmas baking platter.   Ingredients 350gr butter at room temperature 100 gr icing sugar ½ tsp salt 500 gr flour 1 tbsp rum 60 gr finely chopped pecans 60 gr finely chopped walnuts 185 gr butterscotch chips   Rum Glaze Ingredients 100 gr icing sugar 1 tbsp rum 2 tbsp milk 50 gr

Scorri a basso per Italiano   Makes: 100 cookies   Eggnog and chocolate chip cookies are a perfect addition to any holiday cookie platter.  Of course they are really good to dunk in milk too!  Since there is no eggnog in Italy, I used my Eggnog Recipe  for these cookies.    Ingredients 240 gr butter, at room temperature 340 gr sugar 180 ml eggnog (full fat if store bought) 1 tbsp vanilla 3 egg yolks 425 gr flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ teaspoon ground nutm

Scorri a basso per Italiano   Makes: 24 mini loaves     In this recipe I’m making a batch of eggnog mini loaves, which 12 loaves will be plain eggnog and the other 12 I’ve added chocolate chips.  Of course, in Italy there isn’t eggnog therefore I created my own Eggnog Recipe  to use for this one.    These loaves are a great addition to any holiday baking you give away.  Wrap them separately and they are a big hit.  I used cardboard preformed cups which the loaf remains in.  I

Scorri a basso per I ‘Italiano   Makes 90 biscotti   When I was working, I’d make this recipe in “Big” biscotti version as my employees loved them any time of year.  Now I make them to augment the Christmas baking I do for all the special people that have touched our hearts here in Italy.  Big or Mini, they are delicious when topped with chocolate.   You can top them with any chocolate you want, however I used dark chocolate as I’m making the Pistachio and Caramel biscotti ve

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Makes 16   I love when I find new sweet spreadable creams at our local market.  Most are fruit, nut or chocolate based, however today I found a organic caramel coconut one that I topped with hazelnuts and shredded coconut and made these delicious rolls for dessert.       Ingredients 2 round puff pastry rolls Caramel Coconut cream to taste Finely chopped hazelnuts to taste Shredded coconut to taste 1 egg Fancy sugar sprinkles Icing sugar   Direc

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   This funny looking Christmas tree is a great appetizer during this holiday season.  It is simple to put together, and it cooks up in 20 minutes.  I used a Thai Hot Chili Sauce as the dip, but you can use whatever your favourite dip is.   Ingredients 2 rectangular puff pastry dough Herbed cream cheese, to taste 4 – 6 large ham slices Sliced pimento stuffed olives, as required 2 egg yolks, beaten Thai Hot Chili Sauce   Directions Roll out the fir

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Makes: 32 cookies   These thin cookies that go great on top of dessert cups are called cat’s tongue because they are thin, elongated with a rough surface just like a cat’s tongue. Really simple to make and they are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  Absolutely delicious! I added them to my Citrus Mousse desserts.   Ingredients 100 gr egg whites (3 eggs) 70 gr icing sugar 100 gr 00 flour 70 ml sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla Sugar gran

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Makes: 18 tarts   When you have guests over for dinner, why not make individual apple tartlets filled with apple filling and topped with a nutty crumble.  Then serve warm with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream.  Delicious and loved by all.   Ingredients 2 large apples ¼ cup (50 gr) sugar 2 tbsp (20 gr) flour 1 tbsp cinnamon 1 tsp vanilla ¾ cup (68 gr) Harvest crunch oats with almonds 1/3 cup (42 gr) flour 1/3 cup (75 gr) brown sugar Pinch

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Makes: 18   Using puff pastry and store-bought cherry pie filling is an easy way to make a Danish.  It is also fun to make with the grandkids, like Weston and Jameson who helped me today.   Ingredients 2 pack of puff pastry – if frozen, thawed out Cream cheese to taste 1 can cherry pie filling 2 tbsp milk Sprinkles Icing sugar   Directions Preheat oven 390°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper Roll out puff pastry into a square Cut in

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Makes: 45 - 50 cannelloni   Stuffed pasta then baked is always a delicious meal.  These stuffed cannelloni with turkey, pork, veggies, a layer of tomato sauce and topped with béchamel and cheese make this a great recipe for when you have guests for dinner.    Ingredients 1 tbsp vegetable broth 600 gr ground turkey 500 gr ground pork 2 tbsp vegetable broth 120 gr small diced carrots 80 gr small diced celery 130 gr small diced onions 160 gr small