RECIPES &TIPS FROM THE VILLAGE BLEND

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Generous trays of cookies, baked by the women of my family, were a delicious and important addition to our Italian wedding feasts. But cookies aren’t just eaten at special occasions in Italian culture. Biscotti, pizzelles (sweet waffle cookies), and many other kinds are enjoyed at all hours of the day: at breakfast with cappuccinos, in the afternoon with an espresso pick-me-up, or after dinner on a dessert dish.

(Glazed Lemon Cookies)

The anginetti are a satisfying treat to have with coffee. Light and buttery with a sweet lemon glaze, they often make their appearance during the holidays, and the (optional) sprinkle of nonpareils (confetti in Italian) over the glaze makes them an excellent wedding cookie, too, since the colorful sugar balls call to mind the long-standing wedding tradition of giving guests almonds coated with hard-sugar shells as favors. (The bitterness of the almonds and the sweetness of the sugar represent the bittersweet truths of married life.) While recipes for anginetti vary-some bakers shape figure eights from a rope of dough, others simply create lemon drops-my version uses the ring shape in honor of Nunzio’s wedding rings. My version is also a bit sweeter than more traditional recipes.

Makes between 3 and 4 dozen cookies (depending on size and shape of cookie)

6 tablespoons butter

¾ cup granulated white sugar

1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon lemon extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest (grated from rind)

⅛ teaspoon salt (pinch or two)

3 large eggs

¼ cup whole milk

2½ cups all-purpose flour (sifted)

4 teaspoons baking powder

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together with vanilla and lemon extracts, lemon zest, and salt. Add eggs and milk and beat for a minute or two until light and fluffy. Add flour and baking powder, blending well with mixer until you have a dough (be careful not to overmix the dough or cookies will be tough). Dough should be soft and sticky. Chill for at least one hour; cold dough is easier to work with.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon sheets, or spray surface with cooking spray. With well-greased hands (I rub butter over my fingers and palms), shape bits of dough into small ropes (about the thickness of a woman’s wedding ring finger), make a ring with the rope of dough about 2 inches in diameter, and press the ends together on the baking sheet. Or for lemon drops simply roll pieces of dough into balls about 1 inch in size and place on baking sheets. (If you want to go really rustic, then don’t even bother chilling the dough. Simply drop teaspoonfuls of the sticky dough onto the baking sheet.) Bake about 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t overcook. Baking time may vary, depending on your oven! Let cookies cool before glazing and decorating.

2 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons lemon extract

2 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)

In a nonstick saucepan, place the butter, water, and lemon extract over low heat, stir slowly until butter melts (do not let butter brown or burn). Add confectioners’ sugar, a little at a time, stirring constantly. Wait until sugar dissolves before adding more. Continue until all sugar has been added. Stir or whisk if needed until your glaze is smooth. Use a pastry brush to glaze your cooled cookies. (Optional: If you wish to add decorations to your cookies, such as nonpareils or colored sugar, be sure to sprinkle while glaze is still warm. I actually prefer the cookies without any decorations, just the lemon glaze.)

TIPS: Lemon glaze must be kept warm to stay a liquid. If it hardens up on you, simply warm up the glaze again, stirring or whisking to regain the smooth, liquid consistency. If you like a thicker glaze on your cookie (like I do), try “painting” a second or even a third layer of glaze on the cookie after the first layer hardens. Enjoy!

Baci di Romeo

(Romeo’s Kisses)

Rich chocolate ganache seals the kiss of two delicious, almond-flavor cookies.

Makes about 2¹⁄2 dozen sandwiches

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 teaspoons almond extract

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

⅛ teaspoon salt

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ cup ground, toasted almonds

Cream butter and sugar. Add vanilla, almond extract, egg, milk, and salt; mix until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking powder, and ground almonds. Mix just until blended (don’t overmix at this stage). Chill dough for 30 minutes (makes it easier to handle). Preheat oven to 350°F. Roll out dough into 1-inch balls. Roll them in sugar, place on lined or greased baking sheet, and flatten balls with bottom of a glass. Bake 10-12 minutes (watch your oven!). If cookies overbake, they will be dry.

½ cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons butter

12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

or chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Heat the cream, sugar, and butter in saucepan. Stir until butter melts and liquid simmers, but do not let mixture boil! Pour hot cream mixture over chocolate (in a glass or metal bowl). Waiting two minutes, whisk well until smooth, and whisk in vanilla. Let ganache cool for a half hour in fridge, no more! Next drop (or pipe with pastry bag) about a teaspoonful on the flat side of one cookie and gently sandwich together with a second cookie’s flat side. Press lightly to seal the kiss! Repeat until all cookies are kissing. (Optional use: while still warm, ganache can be used as a glaze for a cake.) If ganache harden too much, reheat. Makes about 2 cups.

Bellini

Like Nunzio’s Lover’s Spring, this classic cocktail was created in Italy. It was invented in 1943, at Harry’s Bar in Venice, during an exhibition of art by the fifteenth-century Venetian painter, Giovanni Bellini.

According to the man who created the drink, Giuseppe Cipriani, the cocktail’s color matched the hue of a toga in one of Bellini’s masterpieces, so he named the drink after the artist.

The Bellini is traditionally made with pureed white peaches, but in America (due to the limited availability of the white variety) yellow peaches are often substituted. Sometimes a touch of cherry or raspberry juice is added to blush the drink into an especially vibrant color.

Prosecco is the sparkling wine of choice when making this cocktail. Other sparkling wines can certainly be substituted, but the heavier flavor of French champagne doesn’t pair as well with the light, fruity taste of the peach.

1 part well-pureed peaches (remove skins) [2]