Christmas Eve Dinner

Traditional Christmas Eve dinner in an Italian household (particularly those whose heritage hails from Southern Italy) is seafood -- specifically, it's known as The Feast of the Seven Fishes. Being allergic to seafood, however, I can't partake in the feast. That didn't stop me from adding a couple of Italian favorites to our Christmas Eve dinner, though.


I started with pizza gain, a favorite of mine. It's a savory meat and cheese pie, usually made around Eastertime, after Lenten fasting has ended. Exactly what meats and cheeses fill the pie varies by family and by region in Italy -- really, it's just a matter of personal preference. I make mine with salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, prosciuttini, mozzarella, provolone, pecorino romano, ricotta, and sometimes parmesan. It's very rich, but so delicious! And remember, make it a day ahead of time, because it's a dish best eaten at room temperature or straight out of the fridge. Trust me on this.


Next up, we made zuppa di scarola e fagioli, better known as escarole & bean soup. I LOVE that bitter green, escarole, and eat it nearly every week: sautéed with garlic and mushrooms during warmer weather, and made into soup during the cold months. It's an inexpensive, simple but hearty dish of greens, garlic, and white beans in chicken broth. I like to serve it with some grated parmesan or romano on top.

Last on the list, and not Italian (but still tasty), are spinach and 5 cheese puff pastries. I used a frozen puff pastry, and a filling of chopped spinach, garlic, and a combination romano, parmesan, mozzarella, provolone, and mild Swiss cheeses. These were AMAZING. And I'm thinking next time, a little crumbled sausage would make a tasty addition to the filling.

So tell me, what food traditions do you follow on Christmas Eve/Day?

Gingerbread and Eggnog

Nothing says "Merry Christmas" like gingerbread cupcakes with eggnog frosting, right?

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it!

Gingerbread Cookies, Italian Stereotypes Edition

This should give you some idea of my sense of humor:


Yes, these are gingerbread cookies, cut out in the shapes of six different Italian stereotypes. You've got the Camaro IROC-Z, a dead horse's head (think The Godfather), New Jersey, an angry "guido", Italy, and a handgun.

No, I don't hate Italian people -- how could I, when I am one? In part, at least. Half of my family is Sicilian, North Jersey Sicilian at that, so I've been hearing mafia jokes all of my life (especially when "The Sopranos" was popular, oy.) And I firmly believe the best way to disarm stereotypes is to mock them... so thus, these cookies were born.

The idea for these cookies came from a friend. We were poking around in an edible crafts store, looking through cookie cutters, when she came across a New Jersey shaped cookie cutter, as well as a horse's head. She turned to me, the two cookie cutters in hand, and said, "You should TOTALLY make mafia-themed cookies." Over the years, the cookies grew from the horse's head and NJ, to the six shapes you see above. I make them every Christmas, and every single year, my mostly Italian family gets a huge kick out of them.

And, you know, with things like "Jersey Shore" and "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" getting so much press these days, these cookies just seem fitting.

Merry Christmas Eve from this New Jersey half-Italian!

Chocolate Candy Cane Blossoms

Another simple holiday cookie recipe! These are easy to make, if you can find Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses in your local store. I made these cookies by adapting a recipe for "Candy Cane Blossoms" from Hershey's website. They were phenomenal! The chocolate cookie is the perfect match for the crunchy white chocolate and peppermint candy. Excellent for Christmas!

Stained Glass Sugar Cookies

These are super-easy to create! Just make a batch of your favorite roll-out cookie recipe (I like the No-Fail Sugar Cookie recipe), and cut out circles with a cookie cutter. Place onto parchment-paper-lined cookie sheets, and use some mini-cookie cutters to cut out dough from the centers. Separate Jolly Rancher or Lifesaver candies by color, place into baggies, and crush the candies into fine pieces. Fill the cookie centers with the candy, and bake as directed. The candy melts as the cookie bakes!

Chocolate Candy Cane Cupcakes

I'm not sure how many people actually read this blog on a regular basis, but on the off chance that there are more readers than just me, let me apologize for my extended absence. Health issues have forced me away from the blog, and probably will force me to limit my baking & blogging for some time to come.

In my absence, though, I've done a little holiday baking, so I don't come here empty-handed. So I present to you a little something I whipped up a few weeks ago: chocolate candy cane cupcakes.


These are dark chocolate cupcakes, with dark chocolate bits baked inside, topped with peppermint Swiss meringue buttercream, and crushed candy canes.

Happy holidays!