IAP 05: The Sounds of an Italian American Kitchen at Christmas Time

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This is a very special Christmas episode that is dedicated to our family member Pina Maietta, who left us too early. We celebrate her in this episode by doing what she would have been doing at this time of the year. Getting together with family and friends in the kitchen baking delicious Italian holiday treats.

You’ll hear in this episode, though, that holiday baking is about more than the treats. It’s really about the people and the conversations that go on around the counter and the oven while those treats are being made. So this episode is mostly those conversations, and a lot of Italian American kitchen background noise. We think you’ll enjoy it…

You can scroll down for photos of our baking gathering, the treats, and the recipes.

Buon Natale to you and your family from The Italian American Podcast hosts and our families…

In Memory of Pina Maietta. A true Italian American.

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You can scroll down or just click the recipe below that you would like to see:

TESSIE COOKIES (WALNUT)
CRESCENT MOON COOKIES
PIZZA RUSTICA

STRUFFOLI

OTHER PHOTOS

TESSIE COOKIES

For the shells:

2, 3-ounce packages of cream cheese

1/2 lb margarine (or 2 sticks of butter)

2 cups of flour

You’ll need special, mini cupcake forms for this; like this.

Divide the dough into balls the size of a small fig. Grease the forms, and press a dough ball into each one, pressing down to create a cup for the filling to be poured into.

For the filling:

3 tbsp of butter

2 cups of light brown sugar

4 eggs

2 1/2 cups of chopped walnuts

4 tsp vanilla

Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour filling into each one of the cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until the cups begin to brown.

CRESCENT MOON COOKIES

1/2 pound soft butter

2 cups flour

2 cups chopped pecans

5 tablespoons sugar

2 tsp vanilla

1 tablespoon water

1/2 tsp salt

Cream butter. Add sugar, vanilla, and water. Sift flour, add salt, and stir together. Stir in pecans. Combine all ingredients. Using portions about the size of walnuts, make into crescent shapes. Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. While cookies are still warm, roll in powdered sugar.

MINI RUSTICA

For the shells:

You’ll need special pan forms for these. This is the closest we could find to match the one’s Dolores’ mother uses, which are from Italy.

5 cups of flour
1 cup of sugar
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
3 eggs at room temperature
1 package of Paneangeli

Form flour into a bowl, with a hole in the center. Place sugar, butter, and eggs in center hole. Beat together. Add the package of Paneangeli, slowly working flour into the hole and the mixture. When a dough is formed, cut it into quarters, and roll out one quarter at a time to about a 1/4 inch thickness. You will need one sheet in the bottom of the pan form, and one for the top (like any pie).

For the filling:

2 lbs of ricotta

About 2 salami – diced (you can alter amount to preference)

About 1/2 a large round of sheep’s cheese – diced (you can alter amount to preference)

salt, pepper to taste

2 eggs

Add filling just below the lip of each dough-filled form. Place the other layer of dough on top of each form, and pinch the sides together to make sure it’s closed. When all forms are filled and pinched, take 2 additional eggs, beat them, add a tablespoon of milk and beat some more. With a braising brush, brush egg mixture over the top of each form. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until the tops are golden.

STRUFFOLI

2 1/2 cups flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 to 4 tablespoons of soft butter

4 eggs

2 tablespoons of Strega

Zest of 1 lemon and 1/2 an orange

Honey

Colored sprinkles

Put flour in a large bowl or on a working table. Make a center hole, add eggs, butter, and sugar and beat until soft. Add the remaining ingredients, and then begin to work in the flour. Cut a finger’s width of the dough at a time and roll into long ropes. Cut into inch slices. Heat up enough vegetable oil in a deep pan so that the dough pieces are slightly submerged. When oil is very hot, add pieces of dough. When they pop up through the oil golden brown, use a strainer spoon to remove them, leaving oil to drip behind in the pan. Add to a clean pan (the one you intend to serve them in) and drizzle with honey until coated, and then top with sprinkles.

OTHER PHOTOS

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