Cookies Recipes

Butter, spices, and traditional family recipes bring us together in the simplest—and most meaningful—ways. This is a cookie my mother baked at Easter time. The lemon sugar crust is delicious... perfect with coffee or tea.

Butter, spices, and traditional family recipes bring us together in the simplest—and most meaningful—ways. Christmas cookies are more than nostalgic treats; they’re a celebration of childhood memories, and maybe cookies help to make us all a little more patient, thoughtful & friendly each holiday season. I remember driving with my father to the city each Christmas to pick up Aunt Flora. She would send us out with decorative plates of homemade, Italian Christmas cookies to deliver to the local relatives. It was always snowing-we would spend a few minutes visiting each family, have a few cookies and a glass of sweet wine or coffee. My mother and aunts began baking cookies the day after Thanksgiving. They filled the freezer with shoe boxes of cookies lined with wax paper for protection... frozen cookies are pretty delicious!

Years ago I traveled to Santa Fe and Alburque with my son Ciro. We enjoyed fantastic Southwest cuisine at local shops and cafes. A highlight was purchasing fresh pine nuts in the shell- a little challenging to get the nuts out of the shells but the flavor was fantastic.

Butter, spices, and traditional family recipes bring us together in the simplest—and most meaningful—ways. Christmas cookies are more than nostalgic treats; they’re a celebration of childhood memories, and maybe cookies help to make us all a little more patient, thoughtful & friendly each holiday season. I remember driving with my father to the city each Christmas to pick up Aunt Flora. She would send us out with decorative plates of homemade, Italian Christmas cookies to deliver to the local relatives. It was always snowing-we would spend a few minutes visiting each family, have a few cookies and a glass of sweet wine or coffee. My mother and aunts began baking cookies the day after Thanksgiving. They filled the freezer with shoe boxes of cookies lined with wax paper for protection... frozen cookies are pretty delicious!

Biscotti translates to 'twice baked' and apparently was a popular snack for Roman soldiers since the biscotti lasted for days without getting stale. I read Christopher Columbus had biscotti stored away on his voyage to America... In Tuscany, biscotti and vin santo is considered by many to be a perfect pairing. I enjoyed this combination at a cafe in Florence years ago... I love dipping crunchy biscotti into a cup of strong black coffee. 

Burnt Ends... my absolute favorite biscotti memory is crunching on hard, biscotti ends, perfect for dipping into black coffee. There was a fantastic biscotti bakery in upstate NY. The wonderful owners prepared a variety of biscotti, shipping to all parts of the country... and I loved the ends! My children worked there a few days weekly so it was always fun to pick them up at the end of the shift & pick up some biscotti.

Struffoli are tender, bite-sized balls or logs of fried dough coated in sweet, luscious honey. In our home, they were always on hand during the Christmas holidays. My mother kept a large brown crock filled with struffoli tucked away in a cool, dark spot—likely a closet—covered with a plate. Whenever company stopped by, she would spoon the struffoli onto a plate, finish them with a shower of colorful sprinkles, and serve them with other cookies and tea. It was a simple ritual, but one that made guests feel instantly welcome. And there was no shortage of visitors. My mother’s house was a gathering place—friends dropped in to play Yahtzee or Scrabble, or simply to sit, talk, and enjoy something sweet. Struffoli weren’t just a dessert; they were part of the rhythm of hospitality, conversation, and connection that defined our holidays.

I remember my mother would begin to bake Christmas cookies the day after Thanksgiving. She would fill shoeboxes with tissue paper, then fill the shoeboxes with her assortment of Italian cookies (to fiercely compete with her sisters!). I loved to sneak frozen butterhorns for a snack and she always made plenty!