Domenica Marchetti's "Italian Cookies"

                     Biscotti Della Nonna

When Christmas rolled around last year, I made only one type of cookie -- pizzelle. That was a distinct departure from how I approached holiday baking in years past, when I made at least a half dozen different types of cookies. But here it is nearly Easter and I baked three different cookies over the weekend. Why? Because I couldn't resist the recipes in my friend Domenica Marchetti's newest cookbook, "Italian Cookies." 

This beautiful book is in pre-order right now and scheduled for release in a couple of weeks. After receiving an advance copy, I couldn't resist trying some of the recipes immediately. Well, I should add that immediately was relative -- because I first got drawn to the writing in the book and clung to each well-written story in the text. That's understandable given Domenica's background as a journalist before she became a cookbook writer.

Domenica Marchetti (photo credit Lauren Volo)

I got lost in the pages, reading about the history of some of the cookies, which span the entire Italian peninsula. The recipe for crumbly sbrisolona took me back to a shop in Castell'Arquato, where I used to buy that treat, near my mother's hometown in Emilia Romagna. The story about the Biscottificio Artigianato Innocenti brought back memories of when we lived around the corner from that bakery in Rome's Trastevere neighborhood and I would often stop in for a treat. The recipe for serpette made me long for those "S" shaped cookies I would buy whenever in Frascati. There are so many more recipes that jogged such sweet memories that I know I'll be dipping into the book for more reasons than just to satisfy my sweet tooth. 

              Chifferi Alla Nocciola

There is no disputing Domenica's authority on Italian cooking either, growing up in a household where her Italian parents took her to the homeland each summer to spend time with relatives in Abruzzo. It's where deep roots took hold in the kitchens of aunts and other relatives. "I have been baking Italian cookies ever since I was a young girl and my mom put my sister and me to work at the kitchen table shelling nuts for her Christmas cookies and other holiday bakes."

When asked how long it took to do the research for the book, she replied "The earnest research for this book started around 2018 when I had my first taste of a butter cookie from Liguria called canestrelleti di Torriglia. I started down an Italian cookie rabbit hole and over the next several years collected recipes and stories.  2023 and 2024 especially were filled with travel all over the boot in search of book material."

 Occhi Di Santa Lucia

Some of the recipes are quite familiar to me and have long been my favorites, like the crunchy chiacchiere for Carnevale, or the decadent baci di dama from Piedmont. But many are new to me, like the rhomboid-shaped caviadini from Lombardy or the pabassinas (iced raisin cookies) from Sardinia.

It was hard to decide where to start, but I chose the three cookies in the photos. The biscotti della nonna are destined to be on rotation here, since they are made with olive oil, and I'm trying to cook more heart-healthy foods for my husband and me. They are also great dunkers, as my husband can attest. "This book is dangerous," he said.

But those butter-laden chifferi alla nocciola are downright addictive with the fine hazelnut flavor and generous dusting of confectioner's sugar. They're quite similar to cookies that are known by other names, like Russian Tea Cakes or Mexican wedding cookies. If you love anise flavoring, try the occhi di Santa Lucia, those adorable knots covered in a sugary glaze. Domenica confided that while baking all the cookies in the book, she did not gain weight. "I shared with neighbors, sent some off to the office with my husband, froze some, and ate some. That's the beautiful thing about cookies. They are a small indulgence."

Fortunately, I had a meeting at my house last night and was able to spread the wealth to my committee members. I'd better freeze the rest though, before I end up having to loosen my belt another notch.

I've included the recipe for the biscotti della nonna below, but you'll have to wait until the official release on April 14 for the others. It's a great reference you'll definitely want in your cookbook collection and a wonderful gift too.

Biscotti Della Nonna

(From Domenica Marchetti's "Italian Cookies")

Makes 10 large or 20 medium cookies

Ingredients

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to coat your hands

1/4 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

zest of 1 small orange (I used a large orange), about 2 teaspoons

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

Cinnamon Sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

Combine the sugar, egg, olive oil and milk in a large bowl and mix well with a whisk or a hand mixer. Whisk in the vanilla extract and orange zest. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Pour this into the egg mixture and fold everything together with a large spatula until thoroughly combined. The dough will be soft and sticky. Cover the bowl and let it rest briefly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.

To make the cinnamon sugar: In a small bowl, mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon.

Lightly coat your hands with a little olive oil. Pinch off gold ball-size pieces of dough and roll them into ovals or circles. Pat them down to flatten them a bit; they should be about 1/2 inch thick. If you want to weigh for accuracy, each piece should weigh slightly under 2 ounces. Coat both sides of each oval or circle in cinnamon sugar and place them on the baking sheet, taking care to leave about 1 inch of space between them.

Bake the cookies in the middle of the oven for 15 minutes, or until they are lightly browned. They should be puffed and set, with some light cracking on the surface. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes; then transfer the cookies from the baking sheet to the rack to cool completely. Store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Wedding Cookie "cake" and "S" Cookies

My son Michael got married last Saturday, and like any good Italian-American mother, I offered to make him and Beth (his bride) a wedding cookie cake for the reception. 

Decades ago, you couldn't go to a wedding reception in an Italian-American family without seeing trays of cookies for the guests, alongside a multi-tiered traditional wedding cake. They also include a scattering of Jordan almonds, or "confetti" as Italians call them.

I was dubious about whether this was truly an Italian custom, and I got my answer after attending a couple of weddings in Italy on my mother's side of the family - the Northern Italian side. Nobody there seems to follow this tradition, at least not my mom's relatives.

But one year when I was in Abruzzo, cousins of my late husband were busy baking up all sorts of cookies for a wedding tray - cookies that included the delicious bocconotti - recipe here.

I never got around to making the bocconotti for this wedding tray, but I did make anginetti, Italian Christmas "brownies", chocolate biscotti and sfratti, an Italian Jewish cookie.

My friend Lilli agreed to make her wonderful almond paste cookie, and I included those on the tray, and in another separate display.

And of course we had to have pizzelle. My father's wife, Rose, graciously offered to make them - and she outdid herself, making about 150 in total. They merited their own separate tray since they are so fragile.

I also wanted to make serpette - otherwise known as "S" cookies, or "esse" in Italian. I've eaten them in Monte Porzio Catone, near Frascati and in Rome, and loved them so much I've brought them home with me, but never quite found a recipe that came close to what I've eaten there.  These, a recipe from Mary Ann Esposito, are almost identical - a crispy sugar cookie that keeps its crunch.

Since the bride and groom's initials are M and B, I thought I'd experiment with those initials too. They were a little trickier to shape and not so successful, so I went back to the "S" shape, but made sure to place the "M's" and "B's" on top. Another way they're baked is in a figure "8." Just make whatever shape you like.

The cookies added a nice extra something to the dessert table, featuring a most unusual cake topper.

 

It's a sculpture of the bride and groom, Beth eating a doughnut and Michael eating gelato. Ever the animal lovers, at their feet are their two cats, Walter and Mervin.

On the way out, guests each took home a personalized bottle of limoncello - all made by Michael months before the wedding, with a photo of the two of them on the label.

And here's the happy couple just after they took their vows.
Auguroni and mazeltov to my favorite newlyweds!
#Live long and Prospero!

"Esse" or "S" Cookies

recipe from "Celebrations Italian Style" by Mary Ann Esposito

printable recipe here



3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 t. baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

4 large eggs

2 cups sugar

1 cup solid vegetable shortening, melted and cooled (I used butter)

2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon vanilla

coarse sugar for topping



-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.

-In another bowl, whisk the legs with the sugar until light and lemon-colored. Whisk in the shortening, lemon juice and vanilla. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, mixing well to blend the ingredients. Let batter sit, covered, for five minutes.

-Fill a tipless pastry bag two thirds full of the batter to form 3-inch long Ss or 8s on cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 1/2 inches apart, and shape each one into a 3-inch long S, using the back of the spoon. (I didn't bother shaping with a spoon. They spread out in the oven quite a bit. Also, at this point, I sprinkled with coarse decorating sugar. If you don't have any, use plain granulated sugar.

-Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until pale golden in color. Watch carefully and rotate the sheets to prevent burning. Let the cookies cool slightly on the cookie sheets before removing to cooling racks.

Close Encounters of the Blogger Kind

I had my first "blogger blind date" yesterday. Sue from "Rue Mouffetard" found my blog a few weeks ago through her fellow blogger friend Joyce from "Flour Power." Sue, who lives in Atlanta, wrote that she would be traveling to Princeton, New Jersey to cat-sit while her daughter and family cavorted in Italy.
"Princeton? That's where I live." I wrote to her.
Naturally we had to meet and yesterday was the day.

Sue arrived at my house toting a gift bag. Inside was a cellophane bag filled with beautifully made biscotti scented with anise and studded with chocolate. When she handed it to me saying "I made you some biscotti," right away I smiled to myself.

Why? Because I had a gift bag for her too, filled with guess what? A cellophane bag containing biscotti I had made for her. Were we on the same wave length or what? Mine were almond and cranberry biscotti, a recipe I've posted before, but this time I added some grated lemon rind.

The weather cooperated wonderfully and we were able to enjoy a delicious lunch al fresco in downtown Princeton, followed by a short walk to "The Bent Spoon," an artisanal gelateria. (Well we did more than walk, we indulged in some of the gelato as well. Here's a shot of Sue enjoying some coffee and cookie gelato.)

It was great fun meeting Sue and learning all about her family, her interests and her blog. I will be savoring her delicious biscotti and thinking of her until they all disappear. Even after they're gone however, I'll be able to enjoy them any time I want by following the recipe she posted on her blog for them.
And now you will too.
Click here for her chocolate chip anise biscotti recipe.

Lilli's biscotti

Lilli's biscotti

You know how sometimes you have a memory of a favorite dish and nothing else can compare to that version? Maybe it's the cheesecake you ate at that diner, or the lasagna your mother used to make. For me, when it comes to biscotti, nothing holds a candle to this recipe from my friend Lilli. Sure, there are plenty of delicious biscotti around, but this recipe is the one I keep making time after time. It's my benchmark and everything else comes in second. They're crunchy without being rock-hard. They're not too sweet, just sweet enough. And they're as addictive as potato chips. One friend who visited ate nearly the entire plate of biscotti - leaving nothing but a lot of crumbs on the sofa. These do make a mess when you're eating, so have a napkin handy. I don't usually add the dried cranberries, but with Christmas approaching, they're a festive touch. The only thing needed now is a cup of espresso - or a glass of vin santo. Enjoy.

Lilli's biscotti

1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs
3 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 cup whole almonds, toasted ahead of time in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes
1/2 cup dried cranberries, optional

Mix sugar and butter together until blended. Add eggs, one at a time. Add flour, baking powder, vanilla, and salt until all is blended. Scrape from the bottom to make sure everything is mixed in. The batter will be very stiff. Add the almonds (and dried cranberries if using) either with a durable wooden spoon, or with your mixer. Don't mix for long if using a mixer since you don't want to break up the almonds.

Take about 1/3 of the mixture and plop it onto a well-floured counter or board. Shape into a "log" that resembles a small, flat loaf of bread, tapering the two ends at an angle. It's a sticky dough, so you'll need to keep your hands and board floured. Repeat two more times with the remainder of the dough. Butter a cookie sheet and place the "logs" on the cookie sheet, leaving ample room between them. Coat with a thin layer of milk or beaten egg. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven until golden - about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove from oven and turn the heat up to 450 degrees. Carefully place one of the "logs" on a cutting board, using two spatulas if necessary to keep it from splitting. With a sharp knife (I use a serrated knife) slice the cookies at a diagonal. Hold one hand firmly on the log while you cut with the knife in the other hand, so you don't break the dough and crumble the cookies. A few are bound to break. Place the cookies back on a cookie sheet and bake at 450 degrees for about five minutes. Watch carefully so they don't burn. Flip the cookies over and bake another five minutes on the other side. Makes about four dozen biscotti.