Welcome to the 4^th Annual Italian Christmas Cookies class!

A platter of beautiful homemade cookies is one of the highlights of the holidays; even better if they are Italian cookies. Step inside a pasticceria in any Italian town, or an Italian bakery anywhere else, and you will be met with a near-endless selection of cookies: butter cookies and nut cookies, fruit-filled and rolled, chocolate-dipped, spiced, and sandwiched.

In past years we’ve made Baci di Dama, Ricciarelli, Chocolate Amaretti, and Giuggiulena (sesame candy). We’ve even made Panforte di Siena, the lovely, dense, spiced confection that graces holiday tables all over Tuscany (and beyond).

Here’s what on the baking menu this year:

• BISCOTTI AL COCCO E CIOCCOLATO FONDENTE: These delicately crispy coconut biscotti are dipped in bittersweet chocolate. They veer gently away from tradition but are still somehow quintessentially Italian.

• BISCOTTI DI FROLLA ALLA NOCCIOLA: Buttery shortbread dough is known as “pasta frolla” in Italian. Depending on the ratio of ingredients it can be used as a tart shell or rolled and cut into buttery cookies. This holiday version is made with a buttery hazelnut dough that is cut into moons and stars, then decorated with chocolate drizzles and/or sprinkles.

• FIG JAMARETTI: Almond paste in the dough gives these sliced and iced cookies a sweet and tender crumb with just a tinge of bitterness. The cookies are topped with fig (or your favorite flavor) jam and drizzled with orange-vanilla icing.

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 12 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive the complete recipes and an email with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!

Welcome to the 4^th Annual Italian Christmas Cookies class!

A platter of beautiful homemade cookies is one of the highlights of the holidays; even better if they are Italian cookies. Step inside a pasticceria in any Italian town, or an Italian bakery anywhere else, and you will be met with a near-endless selection of cookies: butter cookies and nut cookies, fruit-filled and rolled, chocolate-dipped, spiced, and sandwiched.

In past years we’ve made Baci di Dama, Ricciarelli, Chocolate Amaretti, and Giuggiulena (sesame candy). We’ve even made Panforte di Siena, the lovely, dense, spiced confection that graces holiday tables all over Tuscany (and beyond).

Here’s what on the baking menu this year:

• BISCOTTI AL COCCO E CIOCCOLATO FONDENTE: These delicately crispy coconut biscotti are dipped in bittersweet chocolate. They veer gently away from tradition but are still somehow quintessentially Italian.

• BISCOTTI DI FROLLA ALLA NOCCIOLA: Buttery shortbread dough is known as “pasta frolla” in Italian. Depending on the ratio of ingredients it can be used as a tart shell or rolled and cut into buttery cookies. This holiday version is made with a buttery hazelnut dough that is cut into moons and stars, then decorated with chocolate drizzles and/or sprinkles.

• FIG JAMARETTI: Almond paste in the dough gives these sliced and iced cookies a sweet and tender crumb with just a tinge of bitterness. The cookies are topped with fig (or your favorite flavor) jam and drizzled with orange-vanilla icing.

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 12 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive the complete recipes and an email with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!

Welcome to the 4^th Annual Italian Christmas Cookies class!

A platter of beautiful homemade cookies is one of the highlights of the holidays; even better if they are Italian cookies. Step inside a pasticceria in any Italian town, or an Italian bakery anywhere else, and you will be met with a near-endless selection of cookies: butter cookies and nut cookies, fruit-filled and rolled, chocolate-dipped, spiced, and sandwiched.

In past years we’ve made Baci di Dama, Ricciarelli, Chocolate Amaretti, and Giuggiulena (sesame candy). We’ve even made Panforte di Siena, the lovely, dense, spiced confection that graces holiday tables all over Tuscany (and beyond).

Here’s what on the baking menu this year:

• BISCOTTI AL COCCO E CIOCCOLATO FONDENTE: These delicately crispy coconut biscotti are dipped in bittersweet chocolate. They veer gently away from tradition but are still somehow quintessentially Italian.

• BISCOTTI DI FROLLA ALLA NOCCIOLA: Buttery shortbread dough is known as “pasta frolla” in Italian. Depending on the ratio of ingredients it can be used as a tart shell or rolled and cut into buttery cookies. This holiday version is made with a buttery hazelnut dough that is cut into moons and stars, then decorated with chocolate drizzles and/or sprinkles.

• FIG JAMARETTI: Almond paste in the dough gives these sliced and iced cookies a sweet and tender crumb with just a tinge of bitterness. The cookies are topped with fig (or your favorite flavor) jam and drizzled with orange-vanilla icing.

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 12 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive the complete recipes and an email with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!

Making gnocchi from scratch strikes fear in the hearts of many home cooks. But once you roll up your sleeves and take the plunge, you’ll see it’s not so hard and definitely worth it.

In this class, we will make the spring version of gnocchi, using fresh ricotta cheese in place of potatoes. The result is light and delicious. We’ll also make a savory lamb ragù to go with our gnocchi, because springtime means lamb!

You will receive the recipes as well as a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before class, you will receive an email reminder with a link to join the class online.

All classes take place on Zoom and generally run about 2 hours. Space is limited to 8 to 10 participants so that everyone can get the individual attention needed to successfully make perfect little pillows of ricotta gnocchi.

Making gnocchi from scratch can seem daunting, but it's also rewarding and once you get going, you'll be unstoppable!

Agnolotti del Plin are a specialty of Italy’s Piedmont region. These charming “pinched” ravioli are traditionally filled with minced roast meat. In this Showstopper Pasta class, we will master the technique of making this bite-sized stuffed pasta. We’ll make all components, starting with homemade egg pasta dough. We’ll also make a rich meat stuffing to fill the agnolotti and a simple sauce to dress them. Note that prior pasta-making aking experience is useful for this class.

You will receive a link to the private class information page, which includes recipes and a list of ingredients and equipment needed, a week before class. The day before class, you will receive an email with a link to join the class on Zoom.

All classes take place on Zoom and generally run for about 2 hours. Space in this class is limited to 8 to 10 participants so that everyone can get the individual attention needed to successfully make beautiful agnolotti.

Making pasta by hand can seem daunting, but it's also rewarding and once you get going, you'll be unstoppable!

Welcome to the 3^rd Annual Italian Christmas Cookies class!

A platter of beautiful homemade cookies is one of the highlights of the holidays; even better if they are Italian cookies. Step inside a pasticceria in any Italian town, or an Italian bakery anywhere else, and you will be met with a near-endless selection of cookies: butter cookies and nut cookies, fruit-filled and rolled, chocolate-dipped, spiced, and sandwiched.

In past years we’ve made Baci di Dama, Ricciarelli, and Giuggiulena (sesame candy). This year, we’re making two types of cookies and Panforte di Siena, the lovely, dense, spiced confection that graces holiday tables all over Tuscany (and beyond).

Here’s what on the baking menu this year:

• Chocolate Amaretti: Delicately crispy on the outside, with a tender, chewy interior, this variation on traditional amaretti are my new favorites. With their sugar-dusted tops and crackled surface, they are as pretty as they are delicious, and look beautiful on a holiday cookie plate.

• Occhi di Bue: Think of these as Italian jam sandwich cookies—two rich, butter cookies with a layer of your best jam in between. They look easy to make but getting the correct ratio of flour-sugar-butter and handling this rich dough can be a challenge. We’ve got it just right. Best of all, these cookies seem to get better over time, so they keep well.

• Panforte di Siena: This dense, spiced fruit and nut “cake” is a specialty of Siena, Tuscany, and dates to the Medieval era. It lasts for weeks and gets better as it ages (like all good things!).

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 12 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive the recipes as well as a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive an email with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!

Welcome to the 3^rd Annual Italian Christmas Cookies class!

A platter of beautiful homemade cookies is one of the highlights of the holidays; even better if they are Italian cookies. Step inside a pasticceria in any Italian town, or an Italian bakery anywhere else, and you will be met with a near-endless selection of cookies: butter cookies and nut cookies, fruit-filled and rolled, chocolate-dipped, spiced, and sandwiched.

In past years we’ve made Baci di Dama, Ricciarelli, and Giuggiulena (sesame candy). This year, we’re making two types of cookies and Panforte di Siena, the lovely, dense, spiced confection that graces holiday tables all over Tuscany (and beyond).

Here’s what on the baking menu this year:

• Chocolate Amaretti: Delicately crispy on the outside, with a tender, chewy interior, this variation on traditional amaretti are my new favorites. With their sugar-dusted tops and crackled surface, they are as pretty as they are delicious, and look beautiful on a holiday cookie plate.

• Occhi di Bue: Think of these as Italian jam sandwich cookies—two rich, butter cookies with a layer of your best jam in between. They look easy to make but getting the correct ratio of flour-sugar-butter and handling this rich dough can be a challenge. We’ve got it just right. Best of all, these cookies seem to get better over time, so they keep well.

• Panforte di Siena: This dense, spiced fruit and nut “cake” is a specialty of Siena, Tuscany, and dates to the Medieval era. It lasts for weeks and gets better as it ages (like all good things!).

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 12 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive the recipes as well as a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive an email with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!

Join me for this hands-on class on Zoom to improve your pasta-making prowess. In this class we will make semolina pasta dough, typical of the Italian South. Just semolina and water ~ no fancy equipment, no rolling out thin sheets. Instead, we'll roll up our sleeves, mix and knead the dough by hand, and then shape it into cavatelli and orecchiette, with a focus on mastering the movements and techniques to make that classic "little ear” shape of the orecchiete—a challenging shape to get right!

We’ll also make a traditional sausage and rapini sauce to go with our pasta, and we’ll talk about a variety of other sauces that pair well with it, as well as other flours to incorporate into the basic dough for variation.

You will gain access to a private class information page that includes printable recipes and a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive an email reminder with a link to the class on Zoom.

All classes take place on Zoom and generally run for 2 hours. Spaces are limited to 8 to 10, depending on the class, so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master pasta-making and shaping techniques.

If you’ve been wanting to learn how to make homemade pasta, or improve your shaping skills and technique, this class is for you.

In this hands-on Zoom class we will be making beautiful herb-laminated pasta. We’ll start by mixing the dough and rolling and stretching it with a pasta machine (or a stand mixer pasta attachment). Then we’ll create designs by embedding fresh herbs right into the sheets. We’ll cut the laminated sheets into pappardelle and other shapes suited to display the pretty herb designs.

We’ll also make a sauce to go with our herb-laced pasta.

You will receive recipes as well as a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before class, you’ll receive an email with a link to join the class on Zoom.

All classes take place on Zoom and generally run for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Spaces are limited to 8 to 10 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master pasta-making and shaping techniques.

Laminated pasta is an art and can be tricky to make, but once you do it you’ll see how fun and rewarding it is.

We had so much fun in last year’s online Italian Christmas Cookies class that we’re doing it again. This year, however, we are switching things up a bit and adding some holiday cheer in the way of a special homemade Italian liqueur.

Here’s what we’ll be making:

1. Spiced and Iced Christmas Cranberry Biscotti: Crunchy yet tender, these are one of the prettiest, and tastiest, cookies to grace a holiday platter. The recipe makes a lot, so there are plenty to share.

2. Chiacchiere: Light and airy with bubbles, these fried pastry ribbons are typically made during Carnival, but we always make them for Christmas. Also known as bugie, crostoli, frappe, and angels’ wings, they are delicious hot out of the frying pan or at room temperature, drizzled with honey or showered with confectioners’ sugar.

3. Homemade VOV, Italian Zabaglione Liqueur: Think of this luscious boozy drink, made with egg yolks, milk and cream, and Cognac, as Italy’s version of eggnog. Mix up a batch and keep it in your refrigerator, where it will improve as it ages.

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 8 to 10 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive the recipes as well as a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive an email reminder with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!

We had so much fun in last year’s online Italian Christmas Cookies class that we’re doing it again. This year, however, we are switching things up a bit and adding some holiday cheer in the way of a special homemade Italian liqueur.

Here’s what we’ll be making:

1. Spiced and Iced Christmas Cranberry Biscotti: Crunchy yet tender, these are one of the prettiest, and tastiest, cookies to grace a holiday platter. The recipe makes a lot, so there are plenty to share.

2. Chiacchiere: Light and airy with bubbles, these fried pastry ribbons are typically made during Carnival, but we always make them for Christmas. Also known as bugie, crostoli, frappe, and angels’ wings, they are delicious hot out of the frying pan or at room temperature, drizzled with honey or showered with confectioners’ sugar.

3. Homemade VOV, Italian Zabaglione Liqueur: Think of this luscious boozy drink, made with egg yolks, milk and cream, and Cognac, as Italy’s version of eggnog. Mix up a batch and keep it in your refrigerator, where it will improve as it ages.

All classes take place on Zoom. Spaces is limited to 8 to 10 students so that everyone can receive the individual instruction necessary to master specific techniques. You will receive the recipes as well as a list of ingredients and equipment needed a week before class. The day before, you will receive an email reminder with a link to the class on Zoom.

Join me for this cookie celebration!