My Version of Chocolate Bark

 (This was a picture of me making last years batch. I posted it to tease everyone who was getting some, they fought over the picture! lol)

Ive been sick awhile with some gall bladder issues so I haven't been cooking much....haven't been eating much either. But my daughter asked me for my recipe for the Chocolate Bark that I usually make each yr and send out. I searched all the places that I post my recipes and realized I never posted this one here ever. The original comes from here http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/three-chocolate-bark-with-spiced-pecans-and-dried-cherries-recipe2/index.html  But I make a few changes to it based on what I like. So Ill post the recipe here but with my changes. Feel free to do it however you want. I just know I cannot make enough of it at Christmas, everyone wants to be on my list for this! 

Three Chocolate Bark with Spiced pecans and Drunken Cherries

• 7 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 cups pecan pieces
• Salt
• Cayenne pepper
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• Pinch ground cinnamon
• 1 pound semisweet chocolate, cut into pieces
• 1 pound dark chocolate, cut into pieces
• 1 pound white chocolate, cut into pieces
• 2 cups dried cherries
• Brandy
   I soak the dried cherries in brandy earlier in the day. I heat the brandy up just a bit and pour enough over to cover. The cherries will plump up and absorb some of the brandy. I like to leave them whole but you could chop them first if you want smaller pieces. When ready to use drain and let sit on a paper towel till needed.
  
  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  In a large saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons of butter. Add the brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves and is bubbly. Add the pecans. Season the pecans with salt, cayenne, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar starts to caramelize  and coat the pecans evenly. Cook for about 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and spread the pecans over a parchment lined baking sheet. Place the pan in the oven and roast the pecans for about 6 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely. Break the pecans into small pieces.
  
  
  
  Sprinkle the pecans and soaked cherries in a lg. baking pan....like a jellyroll pan with edges.  In three separate mixing bowls, add each type of chocolate into the individual bowls. Place the bowls over a saucepan half filled with water that has come to a boil. After about 2 minutes over the heat, the chocolate will start to melt. I do these in the order of what layer I want on the bottom, working my way up to white chocolate. This way I only need one pot. Stir each chocolate until totally melted. Remove the chocolate from the heat and stir 1 tablespoon of butter into each bowl of chocolate.  Using a spatula, spread the mixture out evenly back and forth to about 1/4-inch thick. When you add the next layer of chocolate, swirl it thru the bottom layer if its still soft. In this way, with each chocolate type, you can see them all.  Either place the sheet pan in the refrigerator or allow to sit out until set, about a couple of hours. Break the bark into medium pieces and serve.
  
  I buy my chocolate from Traders Joes. Their one lb. bars are reasonably priced and its a very good chocolate. The better the chocolate you use, the better this is. 

Coconut Macaroons

I decided to make Coconut Macaroons. Well first I couldn't find the coconut I bought. I remembered buying some unsweetened dried coconut at the health food store, for future use. I searched everywhere then remembered my freezer. There it was in a jar. 

So ok, then I looked at it and the recipe called for 2 1/2c. Darn, it didn't look like that in the jar. I decided to measure it anyway. And it turns out I barely made it so I decided to make a batch. I used the good vanilla paste too.

I made small ones like the recipe says. These coconut flakes are large tho so I think they needed to be larger cookies. They baked very fast and it was a good thing I was watching them. But I just tried one and they are different. I mean they are just like the reg. ones but....larger flakes with dried coconut was a bit crunchier. a bit chewier. Maybe they will soften up if I put them in a container. I do like them but they seem more fragile.

I was going to dip them in chocolate but decided against it with this batch. I do want to make more tho cuz I can see these disappearing in the next few days hehehe.

I'm thinking of maybe making some cookie doughs tho at least so it will be ready for when I'm in the mood. I bought a cookie mold tray that had cute lil designs for Christmas cookies. So I might use it to make some sugar cookie or perhaps some of my gingerbread. 
Coconut Macaroons
Unsweetened shredded coconut is available in health food stores. You can also use sweetened shredded coconut (reduce the sugar in the recipe from 3/4 cup to 1 tablespoon).
Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

3/4 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups (about 3 ounces) unsweetened shredded coconut
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Use your hands to mix well, completely combining ingredients.

Dampen hands with cold water. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons to form mounds; place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.

Bake until golden brown, 16 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 days.

You can put chocolate chips in them if you want or melt some to dip the baked Cookie in.

Just What are Traditions?

" It's good to grab life and let go of some of the traditions of the past, make some new ones, go on an adventure, don't get stuck in a routine as that can stifle the human spirit. Don't let your traditions become obligations."

I saw this on another blog as I wandered around and it just spoke to me. You see this year I didn't do some of our usual traditions. In fact the last few yrs. its been hit or miss depending on the time I had and the mood I was in. My kids mentioned one or two this yr and it got me thinking about our traditions.

When my children were babies, we used to go to my MILs house for an Italian Christmas Eve dinner. We would get there at 5 or so and it would go on for hrs. Dessert was served after midnight and the children were allowed to open one gift since technically it was Christmas Day. Most times when they were really young they fell asleep long before that time. My MIL tho would cook for days and for hrs while we were there. There were many courses and things were cooked when they were needed so she was in the kitchen most of the nite. I don't know how she did it, honestly. Even tho I ended up doing it years later, I really don't know how she made so much food all alone in that tiny kitchen. We couldn't help, there was no room plus she really didn't want anyone in there.

The menu was much more than I made. It was antipasto, shrimp, mussels in marinara sauce, two kinds of pasta with marinara sauce and one with squid in the sauce. There were oysters cracked and shrimp. There were fried zeppoli. There was fennel and olives in between. There was broccoli salad with fried flounder, fried eel, bacala salad, and fried scallops. Then came out the fennel and nuts and such to nibble. Wine flowed, even when the kids got older they got a lil on the bottle of a glass but filled with 7-up.

But this meal ended at midnight and then desserts came out. Mom made Italian cheesecake, there were Italian pastries, and onion pie. We often didn't leave till 3am. I was wiped out by then and I had the kids and had to get up for Christmas morning with them. The next day I did my thing with the kids and my MIL expected us to come back for lasagna. She got mad when we didn't, after all I had to have a day with my family too.

But while that was hard to do and chaos, I miss it cuz I didn't have to do it all! Then my MIL lost her sight due to diabetes. She couldn't see well enough to do all this anymore so my other SIL and I took a holiday to do so she wouldn't have to. Of course I got stuck with Christmas since I wasn't working then, I was home. It used to take me 3 solid days of cooking from morning to nite to be ready for this day. Of course the house had to be perfect too since they were all coming and I had to do my usual Christmas stuff too for the kids. When I look back I don't know how I did it all.

When I moved to CA. it was hard to get some of the things we loved. We used to go to SF a few days before this holiday to shop for the things I needed like breads, cheeses, antipasto items and pastries. And while I enjoyed doing that, it made the rest hard cuz I still had to cook and wrap presents and decorate, etc. Taking this time out was hard on me. Often family flew in for this too. My ex used to get the fish for me and would clean it too so it was ready for me to cook. But over time he stopped doing that. Over time he just flew in with his sister like I was a restaurant. I started to resent this holiday stuff cuz it wasn't my holiday but his familys. As he became more remote from us, this became an ugly holiday for me, doing all this with no help. He used to give me extra money for it and over time that stopped too. Once again, how I managed to produce all this food with the money and time I had.......well I'm amazed as I look back.

Now I left him and am in my own house. The first yr. I traveled to SF and did my usual thing with all the food. I cut back on the amts tho. I started to do that when with my ex still , cuz we always had too much left. Seems tho no matter how much I cut back there's always too much. I hate it. Ive since stopped going to SF now. I used to make a day of it and had a nice lunch and such. I would shop for all the things I needed and then come home exhausted. I miss doing that but I don't miss being so tired from it when I still had tons to do.

Each year now Ive cut back on stuff or eliminated it. Some years we haven't been able to get together on Christmas Eve so I started doing Christmas Day. Since my bfs family does prime rib that day, I do too now. We all love that but its not our usual traditional stuff. So I still make antipasto and crab and shrimp to have before and assorted desserts after. My son mentioned I didn't make the zeppoli the last couple yrs but the last couple yrs we did Christmas Day, so I wouldn't have thought of it.

A couple of years we went to my daughters house but she cant make all this so I had to make it all and bring the whole darn meal over her house. Often I would have my SIL stop by on the way home from work the day before to bring alot of it. My daughter would then make whatever the main part of the meal was that we decided on. We did away with most of the fish stuff and the marinara spaghetti. In its place we had lasagna or chicken parmigiana. But once again I was cooking for days. The only good blessing was she got all those dishes to do alone. Still I did have days of dishes here before that.

And now they mention things missing and I think to myself....when? When are they going to take over? When will I get to be a guest? I'm tired. Now I'm moving away. I spoke to my bfs dad the other day, he wished us a Merry Christmas when they got my pkg. I found out that he made a prime rib too. I said oh great then you can do the cooking when I get up there. I'm thinking gosh, maybe I can actually be a guest now and then. He says to me ........WE will do the cooking , you and me. Sigh.

So when I read that passage up there about traditions becoming ruts and being adventurous it struck something deep in me. How many of us do things because we feel we HAVE TO? Traditions I feel are for continuity but also for pleasure. I haven't really had alot of pleasure for many yrs during the holidays. I think that needs to change. It will be a bit easier for me up in Oregon if its just me and the man. We can make new ones or just keep what we like. Of course if the kids come to visit they will be looking for tradition. But I think its time they do it for themselves.

There are things I still love. I love to put my grammas ornaments on the tree, the first ones each yr. I love to decorate the house this time of yr, it just feels cozier. I love to cook a good meal but perhaps not as much as in the past. When my mom asked me about Christmas eve this yr. I told her , you know, this was never MY holiday, this was my exs familys holiday. Why do I have to keep doing this? I'm not going to anymore, just the parts I like. She agreed. When I was growing up, Christmas eve was me and my brother putting up our tree and mom baking cookies. Christmas day was dinner and family. I don't even remember what mom cooked. Traditions should be fun for all......not an obligation. Yup things are gonna change around here, I'm tired.

Snickerdoodle cookies

Yesterday J and I made Snickerdoodles. We tripled the recipe cuz J wanted to make some for her dad for Christmas as a gift. The recipe says it makes 24 if you make 1 in. balls. They lie! We ended up with about 9 dozen! So J took quite a few and wrapped them all up for her dad. And I have 4 1/2 dozen here and she took the rest home with her to take to her church last nite. She was going to something at the youth group, a huge cookie and cocoa party.
I had 4 baking pans going all afternoon that held about a dozen each pan. I remembered that last yr. I made some Vanilla sugar so for the topping we mixed the Vanilla sugar and cinnamon. I thought it would add an extra flavor boost. They are yummy!
I know most of you probably have a good Snickerdoodle recipe but Ill post the one I used here anyway.

Soft Snickerdoodle Cookies

* 1 cup butter
* 1 1/2 cups sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 2 3/4 cups flour
* 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 3 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix butter, 1 1/2 cups sugar and eggs thoroughly in a large bowl. Combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Blend dry ingredients into butter mixture. Chill dough, and chill an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes in the fridge. Meanwhile, mix 3 tablespoons sugar, and 3 teaspoons cinnamon in a small bowl.

Scoop 1 inch globs of dough into the sugar/ cinnamon mixture. Coat by gently rolling balls of dough in the sugar mixture. Place on chilled ungreased cookie sheet, and bake 8 minutes. Remove from pan immediately. Makes 24

A day of Christmas baking

Almond Crescents the first cookie made while the other dough chilled.

My grand daughter J is here and yesterday and today we will be baking. Lil man never made it. I'm a bit ticked off there. My son told his wife to bring lil man here and instead she went to the grandmothers....grrrr. But anyway we managed to get dough made for 3 kinds of cookies. Right in the middle of that tho I realized I didn't have any more flour.

I swore I had some in this house but don't know where I put it if I do. So off to the store we went. Came back with the fixins to make lots more and got busy making dough to chill. Meanwhile J put the Nativity on the mantle which she has done every yr. since she was little.

The first dough we made was for Chocolate Crinkles. We love these, they are fudgy and very brownie like. J started being silly (which I love, this kid has a wicked sense of humor) and started calling that lump of dough up there Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poo .............from Southpark. Yea I know gross........but kinda funny too. Then every time we opened the refrigerator she made some kind of Poop joke. Robin Williams was in that RV movie and he talked about the Poop Fairy. Shes never forgotten that and whenever she can she brings it up and we just start cracking up again so with that lump in my refrigerator you can just imagine the silliness going on.

BEFORE BAKING-Making balls of dough and rolling in powdered sugar.

AFTER BAKING

So today we are going to make Snickerdoodles. We made a triple batch cuz the recipe said makes 24. I do think we will be here all day making cookies with that tho. It looks like wayyyyyyyy more. But those are her dads favorite cookie so she wants to take some home and wrap them up to give her dad for Christmas. She did that last yr too. If we don't get them done before she goes home today, maybe Ill just send a lump of dough home with her to bake while dad is at work. I found out she was off all last week for Christmas vacation already. Wow. Lil man isn't off till Wed. of this week.

Chocolate Crinkles

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Topping:
1 cup confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted

In a stainless steel bowl, over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and set aside.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the eggs and sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. (When you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in slow ribbons.) At this point beat in the vanilla extract and then stir in the melted chocolate mixture.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture, stirring just until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to shape into balls (3-4 hours or overnight).

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper, and set aside.

Place the confectioners sugar in a shallow bowl. With lightly greased hands, roll a small amount of chilled dough to form a 1 inch (2.54 cm) diameter ball. Place the ball of dough into the confectioners sugar and roll the ball in the sugar until it is completely coated and no chocolate shows through. Gently lift the sugar-covered ball, tapping off excess sugar, and place on prepared baking sheet. Continue forming cookies, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart on baking sheets. (If you find the dough getting too soft for rolling into balls, return to the refrigerator and let chill until firm.)

Bake cookies for 8 to 10 minutes or just until the edges are slightly firm but the centers are still soft. (For moist chewy cookies do not over bake. Over baking these cookies will cause them to be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Put in airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

A little food porn for people on my fruitcake list

I thought Id post a lil food porn for those on my fruitcake list this year hehehe. I went to Costco yesterday to get more Grand Marnier cuz I knew I didn't have enough. As it is I emptied my Brandy bottle on these. I put 1/4c. brandy on each fruitcake until I'm ready to mail them. Then the week I do that I put 1/4c. Grand Marnier on them to finish it. See how juicy it is? That's the liqueur trying to soak in. Oh you lucky people!

Hmmmmm maybe this one needs more (I decided this particular one was mine since some of the fruit it quite noticeable on it).


Here's all 6 wrapped up again to soak. I told the man I need to get some boxes so we can ship these out this week. Not sure if you will get it in time for Christmas but Ill toss some Chocolate bark in to appease ya! Merry Christmas.

***To see the blog with this recipe... http://mermaidstreasures.blogspot.com/2007/11/my-holidays-and-fruitcake-to-die-for.html

Holiday Cookies I make each year....

These are some of the cookies I make each year. The gingerbread recipe is a newer one I wanted to try.....it has some black pepper in it and was delicious. I didn't taste pepper at all but the flavor was very mellow. The Biscotti I make each year but I always add the other ingredients. I did bake them twice this year but next year I wont. I really do like them a bit chewy and not so hard when twice baked like usual. The Pignoli cookies needed to sit in a container a day or two to have the best flavor too but they are wonderful old Italian cookies.

Biscotti di prato ( tuscan almond biscotti)

3 3/4 c  Flour; all purpose   

2 1/2  c  Sugar
4    Eggs; rm. temp.2 egg yolks,rm. temp.
1 tsp. b. powder
Pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 2/3 c  Almonds, whole, blanched , toasted and roughly chopped
----my version........grated rind of 1 orange Plus 1/4c. candied orange peel

Pour the flour into a mound on a work surface or in a big bowl. Make a well in the center and place the sugar, 3 of the eggs, the egg yolks, b. powder, salt, and vanilla ( grated and candied peel if your using) in the well. Gradually work the flour into the ingredients in the well and mix with your hands till smooth. Knead in the almonds with additional flour if needed, 4-5 min. in all.

Shaping: Butter and flour 2 baking sheets that are at least 15in. long. Divide the dough into quarters. Roll each piece of dough on a floured surface into a 2-21/2in. wide log and place the logs at least 2 in. apart on the prepared baking sheets.Beat the remaining egg and brush it over the tops of the dough logs.

Baking: Heat the oven to 350 degreesF. Bake for 35min. Remove from the oven and reduce the temperature to 325 degrees F. Cut the logs diagonally into 3/4-1in. slices and lay them cut side up on the sheets. Return to oven for another

15min. Cool on racks.

*** I don't bake these twice. When I make them after the egg wash I sprinkle on lg. crystals of sugar....the kind you can use for decorating ...sometimes called coffee crystals. The ones for coffee are pastel and multi colored. I ran out of those and found lavender and white this yr so Ill use that. Then I bake. I find we like them baked only once, they are a bit chewy then, not so hard you have to dunk them to eat.

Pignoli cookies

• 1/2 pound almond paste
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 cup pine nuts

1. Use a pastry chopper (or food processor) to break up the almond paste into a granulated form. Put in mixing bowl and gradually add the sugar.
2. In another small bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the egg whites into the sugar/almond paste mixture gently.
3. On a greased and floured cookie sheet, drop a spoonful of the mixture. Press pine nuts into the top of the cookie (you want tocover the top with nuts).
4. Bake at 325 degrees F (170 degrees C) for 10-12 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Gingerbread Man Cookies

Cookies

• 3 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter (room temperature, softened)

• 1/2 cup dark-brown sugar, packed

• 2 teaspoons ground ginger

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
• Optional raisins, chocolate chips, candy pieces, frosting

Royal Icing

• 1 egg white

• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 3/4 cup confectioners sugar (powdered sugar)

1 In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and spices. Set aside.

2 In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in eggs and molasses. Gradually add the flour mixture; combine on low speed. (You may need to work it with your hands toincorporate the last bit of flour.) Divide dough in thirds; wrap each third in plastic. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. Before rolling out, let sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. If after refrigerating the dough feels too soft to roll-out, work in a little more flour.

3 Heat oven to 350°. Place a dough third on a large piece of lightly floured parchment paper or wax paper. Using a rolling pin, roll dough 1/8 inch thick. Refrigerate again for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to cut out the cookies. Use either a cookie cutter or place a stencil over the dough and use a knife to cut into desired shapes. Press raisins, chocolate chips, or candy pieces in the center of each cookie if desired for "buttons".
4 Transfer to ungreased baking sheets. Bake until crisp but not darkened, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from oven. Let sit a few minutes and then use a metal
spatula to transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Decorate as desired.

Makes 16 5-inch long cookies.

Royal Icing

The traditional way to make Royal Icing is to beat egg whites and lemon juice together, adding the powdered sugar until the mixture holds stiff peaks.With modern concerns about salmonella from raw eggs, you can either use powdered egg whites or heat the egg whites first to kill any bacteria. With the heating method, mix the egg white and lemon juice with a third of the sugar, heat in a microwave until the mixture's temperature is 160°F. Then remove from microwave, and beat in the remaining sugar until stiff peaks form. Using the powdered egg whites method, combine 1 Tbsp egg white powder with 2 Tbsp
water. Proceed as you would otherwise. (Raw egg white alternatives from the 2006 Joy of Cooking)

If the icing is too runny, add more powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency. Fill a piping bag with the icing to pipe out into different shapes. (Or use a plastic sandwich bag, with the tip of one corner of the bag cut off.) Keep the icing covered while you work with it or it will dry out.

My holidays and Fruitcake to die for

On another site we do a thing called Friday Five. Its 5 questions each week to answer......usually something about our lives. This week was about the holidays and food so I thought Id post it here with my recipe.






1. What is your favorite holiday . . . and why, if you care to elaborate, especially those holidays not widely known . . .

My favorite time of year is from Halloween to Christmas. I love to decorate the house for each. Christmas tho is the grand finale. I go crazy in the house decorating and making cookies and planning for our Italian Christmas Eve Dinner. I start right after Thanksgiving with making my fruitcakes for family. They must be started this early because I soak them each week with brandy and then the final week with Grand Marnier. And yes folks EAT these, in fact they request them and are disappointed when I don't send them one.

SOUTHERN FRUITCAKE Makes 4 loaves

5 beaten eggs

1c. raisins

1c. figs

1 c. dates

1 c. apricot jam

2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. butter

1 c. nuts

3 1/2c. flour

1 c. sour milk ( make it by adding a tb. vinegar to it or use buttermilk)

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

Mix butter and sugar together and add beaten eggs. Mix fruit with some of the flour and combine with remaining ingredients. Bake 1 1/2hrs at 325 degrees.

I put four loaf pans on a baking tray, sometimes it just rises so much I get a bit of over flow. Ive changed this recipe which was my mother in laws. I now also add some candied orange peel and substitute some of the other fruit with dried cherries. I never liked that candied citron and stuff. I soak the dried fruits in Grand Marnier or Brandy first. Once baked and cooled, I pour 1/4c. of brandy over each, each week. The week that I mail them out I pour 1/4c. of Grand Marnier over them and pkg them up. I wrap these in saran wrap so I can undo it ez to soak, then rewrap. I have some wonderful old fashioned enamelware boxes so I just store them in there till they are ready to be mailed.

Your four favorite foods or drinks associated with this holiday . . . appetizer, main course, side dish, dessert . . . your choice . . .

2. Italian Antipasto- I make many of the things myself and add to it with store bought.... marinated artichoke hearts, marinated mushrooms, stuffed cheese peppers, eggplant capananto, roasted peppers, olives, imported provolone cheese, pepperoni, tiny breadsticks rolled with prosciutto. Frankly with just this and dessert I could skip everything else :)

3. Italian Zeppoli-I can never make enough of these. I make mine with ricotta cheese and they are nice and moist and I always hide some cuz I love them the morning after with my coffee. These can be quite filling and yet everyone that comes here just sucks them up so fast! One year a friend of my daughters came and he loved them so much. The basket later on fell off the buffet somehow and the dog started to eat them. I just scooped the whole thing up and tossed it in the kitchen to toss them out later. My daughters friend started to eat them and I said NO! they were on the floor and the dog got to them! lol He didn't care , he just ate them all up!

4. The seafood-Italian Christmas eves consist of 7 fishes as tradition. We have cut back on that alot. Now I only serve shrimp and crab with cocktail sauce and the mussels with marinara sauce. I did away with oysters, spaghetti with squid, fried flounder, scallops, eel, and baccala salad. Altho sometimes I still made the baccala if I know enough will be here to eat it too. Many times I make it and add that to my antipasto dish instead.

5. Italian pastries-This is the only time of year I get these anymore, not like when I lived in NJ and there were bakeries everywhere for this stuff. I try to get to San Francisco if there's enough time to do that depending on what day Christmas falls on . But now Ive found something better. I can order canolis right from Ferraras bakery in NYC. Yea they cost bank but I only do this once a year so I make it worth while. I order chocolate covered canoli and another pastry I just love called Sfogliatella. They are clam shaped pastries with lots of layers filled with a ricotta cream filling. BTW for those that don't know ...Ferraras is THE BAKERY for Italian things and just screams HOME to me. If your curious heres the link http://www.ferraracafe.com/