Mary’s Cake
After Mass on Fourth of July weekend, our women’s club hosted a wonderful “Hospitality Sunday.” There was plenty of coffee, tea and juices to accompany the vast variety of home-baked…
Desserts (Dolci)
Strawberry Tiramisu
I love fresh strawberries when they are in season and if it’s still cool enough to bake, I will make a strawberry crostata. However, summer seems to be here to…
Sicilian Lemon Ricotta Cake
Fiori di Sicilia, meaning flowers of Sicily in Italian, is one of my favorite ingredients. I use it in biscotti, my Sicilian olive oil cake, and panettone bread pudding. It…
Holiday Eggnog Biscotti
Every year our church’s women’s club hosts a much-anticipated event, the “Nativity Tea.” It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and is always a sell-out! The hall is beautifully…
Chocolate Cherry Biscotti
I roast unsalted nuts (almonds, walnuts, pecans) on a regular basis, and I always have dried fruits in my pantry. I add them to oatmeal, biscotti, snacks and desserts. More…
Fresh Blueberry Crostata
The thing I enjoy most about Summer is the fresh fruits and vegetables that are not only available during the warmer months, but you can buy or pick them at…
Palline all’Arancia
In Sicily, even before the making of pastries and confections became a source of income for the convents, the tasty treats as gifts were an acceptable currency by which…
Lavender Biscotti
From vanilla pecan to triple chocolate pistachio, the majority of biscotti I make include some type of nut. This biscotti is different. It still has the crisp crunch of the…
Strawberry Crostata
To me, Spring just screams strawberries! I serve them fresh with a splash of balsamic vinegar, toss them into salads, add them to my fruit pizza, and strawberry bruschette. And…
Cannoli Cake & Ice Cream
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A special cake for a special occasion, inspired by the quintessential Sicilian dolce, cannoli. This elegant cake was the perfect ending to a lovely ladies’ luncheon. The accompanying ice…
Holiday Mincemeat Cookies
When it comes to the topic of mincemeat, it seems that most folks either like it, don’t care for it or have no idea what it is. Mincemeat is a…
Vanilla Pecan Biscotti
Vanilla has a recognizable, pleasant aroma and scent and is understandably the world’s most popular flavor. Last February I had the opportunity to visit a family-owned vanilla farm in Hilo,…
Sicilian Cannoli
I remember the cannoli my grandmother used to make and I am so very grateful that I have her “handwritten recipe” for this iconic Sicilian sweet treat. I use…
Palline al Cioccolato (Chocolate Balls)
These little chocolate balls, a thoughtful gift for your favorite Valentine, are a variation of Palline all’ Arancia. This is one of the very few confections in which the…
New Orleans Beignets
The Crescent City is known for many “sweet” things, such as, King Cakes, a brioche-type pastry, which is a huge part of Mardi-Gras traditions, Sfinci, creamy ricotta-filled puffs of…
Mincemeat Christmas Cake
My paternal grandmother made this cake every Christmas. The recipe was given to her by a very dear friend on December 2, 1953. We didn’t know what was in…
Sardinian Spice Cookies
Papassini are traditional Sardinian spice cookies and without a doubt, the best spice cookie I have ever eaten! The combination of citrus, raisins and spices, produces a depth of…
Ossi di Morti Biscotti
In the Roman Catholic Church, All Soul’s Day, which was established by Pope Boniface IV, specifically commemorates the departed faithful who have not yet been purified and have reached…
Fruit & Nut Chocolate Clusters
Dried fruits, nutritious nuts and crunchy granola, all covered in chocolate make for the perfect treat for our after dinner walks in the woods. Many years ago, the year…
Granita alla Fragola
History tells us flavored ices date back to ancient China, but the first frozen dessert in Italy actually came from Sicily. Arabs brought an icy treat of frozen water,…