These Tasse Cups are similar to a mini pecan pie but made with walnuts. So rich in taste.
They are also pictured in my site header.

Shell;
8oz cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter
2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
Directions:
Ingredients should be at room temperature. Blend together and mold a tablespoonful into a mini muffin pan.

Filling;
3 eggs
3 TBLS butter
11/2 cup light brown sugar
2 TSP vanilla extract or vanilla paste
1 cup finely chopped raw walnuts
Directions:
Place all ingredients except the nuts into a sauce pan. Heat on low stirring until warm and blended. Add the nuts. Fill shell lined mini muffin cups 3/4 full with filling. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, tops will puff.

These Spritz Cookies are a very old German holiday butter cookie recipe.  Spritz Cookies are easy to make once you practice using a cookie press. This recipe dates back to my 8th grade home economics teacher, it was her German Grandmothers recipe !!

Ingredients;
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 egg
4 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 TSP vanilla or almond extract

Directions;
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg, blend. Add the balance of ingredients and blend until smooth.
Fill cookie press and place desired disk design and tighten cap. You can use an electric press or the old style hand crank type. Press cookies onto a cookie sheet. Decorate with holiday sprinkles and bake at 350 for 10 minutes, just until set but barely brown on the edge. The cookies are very white in color even when set and done. Store in a tin can and keep them in a cool place, They will last for 10+ days.

This Chocolate Nut Fudge recipe is easy and comes out perfect every time. Box it and it makes a nice holiday treat gift.

Ingredients;
8oz-10oz jar marshmallow cream, such as Fluff
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup evaporated whole milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 TSP salt
11.5oz bag of milk chocolate chips
6oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips
2/3 cup chopped raw walnut or pecan pieces
1 TSP vanilla

Directions;
In a large sauce pan, combine marshmallow cream, sugar, evaporated milk, butter and salt. Bring to a full boil on moderate heat stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately add the chocolate chips stirring until the chocolate is melted. Add the vanilla and nuts and stir. Pour into a foil lined 8×8 pan. Chill until firm. Cut into desire pieces. Makes slightly over 2LBS of fudge.

Candied Sweet Potatoes Ingredients:

6 medium sweet potatoes or yams
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 TSP orange zest
1/4 cup pineapple juice

4 TBLS butter
1 TSP cinnamon
1/2 TSP nutmeg

Directions:

Preheat oven 375.
Boil the potatoes-yams until just soft but not mushy. Peel them and slice into 2 inch pieces. Place the slices in a baking pan. Set aside.  Place the the remaining ingredients, except nutmeg in a sauce pan and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour over potatoes-yams and sprinkle with nutmeg. Cover and bake for 20 minutes.

This Lasagna recipe has so many variations. This one is my version.
It freezes well so make a few small pans for another work day dinner.

***First you have to make my Italian Tomato Sauce, with meat is best but you can make a meatless Lasagna too***

Ingredients:
1 LB box of Lasagna pasta, cooked according to the directions on the box or if you can buy fresh pasta that’s even better.
3 LBS whole milk ricotta cheese
3 XLRG eggs
2 TBLS parsley, minced
1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese plus more for the layers
16oz shredded whole milk Mozzarella cheese
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:
Cook the pasta, drain and place it hanging over the sides of a colander.

This will prevent them from sticking together.
Mix together the ricotta, eggs, parsley, ½ cup of the Parmesan or Romano cheese, salt & pepper to taste.

Set aside.
In a deep 3x9x13 pan place a thin layer of sauce and then a layer of the cooked pasta.

Top with about a 1” layer (approximately a third) of the ricotta mixture, dust with the shredded Mozzarella and grated cheese. Spoon a good layer of sauce over this ( be generous with the sauce so it doesn’t dry when baking) and then crumble 2 meatballs and 2 sausage and sprinkle it over the sauce layer. Top with another layer of ricotta mixture and repeat for three layers of pasta. End with the pasta on top, sauce and sprinkle with the Mozzarella and the remaining grated cheese.

Cover with foil.
Bake covered with foil at 325-350 for about 1 to 1-1/2 hours until the center puffs and its hot all the way through.
Let it rest for about 20 minutes before cutting to serve.

This Cannoli filling recipe can be piped into a cannoli shell or used as a cake filling.  For a dip; serve with pound cake cubes, broken cannoli shells pieces, brownie cubes or fresh strawberries .

Ingredients:
15oz-16oz ricotta cheese, whole milk
5 TBLS confectioner’s sugar
1 TSP vanilla, paste type is preferred
1 TBLS cornstarch
½ TSP cinnamon
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips, plus a few for the ends
6 store bought cannoli shells
A piece of cheesecloth
**Optional;
8-10 shelled and crushed Pistachios
or a few pieces of dried candied fruit
like orange peel or red cherries

Put the ricotta cheese in a food processor for a few spins just to cream it, so it’s not grainy. Place the cheesecloth in a strainer, fill with ricotta cheese and set over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap place in the refrig overnight to drain off the extra liquid. Mix the drained ricotta cheese with all the other ingredients (except the nuts/fruit). Fill a freezer bag with the filling. You can store it like this for up to 2 days. When you want to use it cut a small slit in the corner and pipe into shells just before serving. Sprinkle the ends with the crushed nuts, mini chips or the candied fruit and dust with a little more confectioner’s sugar.

This was a special request so two postings today! This Italian Cheesecake recipe goes back to my grandmother then my mom. It’s the classic Neapolitan recipe.

PASTRY SHELL:
2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 LB unsalted butter, room temp
2 XLRG eggs, room temp
6 TBLS sugar
2 TSP lemon extract
dash of salt
Blend together and the add the flour slowly. Roll out dough between waxed paper about 1/8″ thick. Press into 8 inch spring form pan or use a square pan or large muffin cups if you like. Trim the dough at the top. If you want to really dress it up you can make four or six 1/2 ” wide strips with a pastry wheel to place like a tapestry over the top once you have the pan filled.

FILLING:
Preheat oven 350.
3 LBS whole milk ricotta cheese
2/3 cup sugar
4 XLRG eggs
1 TBLS vanilla
3 TBLS candied orange peel, diced
Blend together and fill the pastry lined pan up to about 1/2 inch from the top (1/4″ for muffin cup size). Bake for about 1 hour (30 mins for muffin cup size)until top is puffed but still pale wheat in color. See the pictures above for examples.

This  Rich Dream Cake recipe can be used for many flavors. Pistachio is just one,  Just change the pudding flavor in the cake and in the icing.  Pictured is a chocolate version.

Recipe Ingredients:
1 Box yellow cake mix or any flavor you like
1 Pkg pistachio INSTANT pudding or any flavor you like
4 X-Lrg eggs
1 Cup club soda
½ Cup vegetable oil
1 Cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Recipe Directions:
Beat all together about 2 mins and pour into greased & floured tube or bundt pan.

Bake at 350 for about 45 mins.

ICING
Ingredients:
1 Cup whole milk
1 8oz cool whip
1 Pkg pistachio INSTANT pudding or any flavor you like

Directions:
Beat together for 3 mins ans let set in refrig for 1 hour.

***Variation***
You can change the cake mix, nuts &/OR puddings to any flavor.
Chocolate – Red velvet
Maple Spice
Coconut
Vanilla
Banana

Sicilian Fig Cookies Ingredients:

2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 TSP baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 X·large egg
1 TSP vanilla
1/4 CUP milk
1/2 cup dried figs, soaked in water, water drained off when ready to use
1/2 cup dried dates, pitted & chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup honey
1/2 TSP cinnamon
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 large egg white beaten with 1 tablespoon water for egg wash
Colored non parell sprinkles
Parchment paper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt & sugar, set aside. Mix together the egg, milk, butter and vanilla, set aside. Mince up (food processor works best) the dried fruit, honey. cinnamon, marmalade & almonds until finely chopped, set aside. The fruit mixture will be thick. Beat the butter and add the flour mixture until smooth. Tum the dough out onto a floured work surface and knead a few times. Shape into a ball and cut In four pieces. Work with one piece at a time leaving the others covered with plastic wrap. Roll the dough out to about 12 x 4. Cut oblong pieces about 3 inches long by 2 inches wide, you can make larger cookies if you wish or other shapes. Place about a tablespoon (add more If you make larger cookies) of fruit mixture on the end and roll and pinch the seam. On a parchment paper lined cookie sheet place seam side down and pinch the ends and curve it into a crescent. Make 3 small cuts with a knife on the bent side of the crescent. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle with non parells.
Bake at 375 for about 17 mins until lightly brown. Makes about 35-40 cookies depending on how big you make them.

My Aunt Chris made Paglia e Fieno for us many years ago.  The name means “Hay and Straw in Italian. The original recipe was from a great Italian cook, Marcella Hazen.

Recipe Ingredients:
12oz fettuccini, mixed yellow & spinach is preferred
1 cup heavy cream
5 TBLS unsalted butter
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 egg yolk
5oz pancetta, diced
12oz mushrooms, chopped, any kind
2 TBLS shallot, minced
1/2 TSP salt
Pepper to taste
Dash of nutmeg

Recipe Directions:
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Melt butter in pan (big enough to hold all ingredients) and add shallots. Cook for a few mins until they are soft. Add the chopped mushrooms bring them to a simmer on med-high then reduce temp to med & add the salt. The juices will dry and then add the pancetta and cook 5 mins or so and then add half the cream.
Simmer a few mins until all is hot. Add the egg yolk to the remaining cream and stir to blend and add it into the pan along with the cheese, nutmeg & pepper to taste. Make sure the pasta is ready and pour over & toss & serve immediately.

These Pignoli Cookies are a very old Italian favorite. They have no flour so they are gluten free.

Recipe Ingredients:

2 x 8oz Almond paste (Solo brand is what most supermarkets carry)
3 X-Lrg egg whites
1/2 Cup Confectioners sugar
1 TSP baking powder
8oz raw Pignoli (Pine Nuts)
Parchment paper

Recipe Directions:
All ingredients should be at room temperature.
Blend all ingredients together except for nuts.
The dough will be very sticky. Drop dough by level tablespoons full into nuts and place nut side up onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 18-20 mins until very lightly brown.

This recipe is not as difficult as some may think. The tender crepes are just soft and creamy as can be.
A classic Italian holiday pasta.

Recipe Ingredients:
Shell:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
4 cups water
4 eggs
4 TBLS olive oil
30 wax paper squares
Shell Recipe Directions:
Blend together until smooth. Mixture will be a very thin crepe like batter.
In a very good non stick pan pour 1/4 cup of batter to form a crepe.

Let cook a few mins until just set but not brown and flip over for another minute. Place on plate with wax paper sheets in between the crepes. Repeat until batter is gone.

Filling Recipe Ingredients:
3LBS whole milk ricotta
3 X-Lrg eggs
2/3 cups grated Romano cheese
2/3 cup grated mozzarella cheese
pepper to taste
3 TBLS minced parsley
3-4 cups of tomato sauce, your own or store bought
Recipe Directions:
Blend together (all but the tomato sauce) and fill center of crepe with about 3 heaping tablespoons of cheese mixture.

Fold crepe rolling over the sides to curl around the cheese forming a tube like shape

At this point you can also freeze them, wrapped as pictured in wax paper. Just take out what you want to make and leave the rest frozen.

Place open side down in a roasting pan that has a coating of tomato sauce. Space a inch or so in between the manicotti as they expand when cooked. Once pan is filled, top with a thin layer of tomato sauce and cover with foil. Bake in a 350 oven for about 30-40 mins until the manicotti have puffed and expanded. Let set 10 mins before serving.

Makes about 30 manicotti

This Prime Rib roast recipe seems too easy to be true, but that’s it.
A beautiful impressive roast comes out of just these few steps.

Ingredients:
Prime Rib roast (about 4.5LBS), with or without ribs
3 large garlic cloves, cut into slivers
2 TBLS flour
1 TSP pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 500. Cut 10-15 slits in the meat and insert garlic slivers. Mix the flour & pepper and coat the roast. Place the meat in a roasting pan (rib side down, if you have ribs) otherwise fat side up. Roast for about 1 hour for rare-med rare and add another 12 mins for med. Turn the oven off and do not open the oven, leave the roast in the oven for another 1 hour. Take the roast out of the oven and let it sit for 15-20 mins before carving.
**you can use a meat thermometer if you wish. Just be sure the tip is not in fat or on the bone.

Recipe Ingredients:
Smoked Ham, any style, whole, half or spiral cut
1 can of ginger ale
Lrg can of pineapple rings
Small jar maraschino cherries
10 whole cloves

Recipe Directions:
Place the ham on its side in a large roasting pan (spirals go cut side down).
Score with a knife ( not spiral) in a tic-tac-toe pattern.
Place the cloves into the ham and pour the ginger ale over it. Place the pineapple rings around the ham and put a cherry in each ring whole secured with a toothpick. See the below glaze recipe. Glaze twice beginning at the half way point of roasting time.
Roast on 325 for 1-3 hours depending on the size of the ham and cut. See the package time recommendation.

Ham Glaze
Recipe Ingredients:
1/2LB light brown sugar
1 TSP cinnamon
1 TBLS mustard, dark is better
the juice from the pineapple rings
1/4 cup orange juice
1 TSP orange zest

Recipe Directions:
Place all ingredients in a sauce pan and heat until hot and blended. 10 minutes or so.

Recipe Ingredients:
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour + a little extra for currants
5 TBLS sugar
1 TSP baking soda
1 1/2 TSP kosher salt
4 TBLS (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cold and diced
1 3/4 cups cold whole buttermilk, shaken
1 X-large or jumbo egg, beaten
1 TSP grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants
1/2 TSP caraway seeds

Recipe Directions:
Preheat oven 375 & line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Combine the all dry ingredients (not the currants).
Mix the butter into the dry ingredients.
Mix the currants with 1 TBLS of flour.
Combine all the wet ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients into the dry slowly. Add the currants. The mixture will be very wet.
Place the dough on a well floured surface and knead a few times. Either keep whole for one large loaf or cut dough in half for two loaves. Shape into a ball and cut 1/2 deep slice X on the top.
Bake 40-55 mins depending on the size loaf you choose or until a tester comes out clean .
Serve slightly warm or cool completely before wrapping.
Serve with butter or apple butter for an extra treat.