"Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray: A Cookbook"

If you want to have cookies as favors or just as part of a sweet table and want to make them yourself, the cookbook "Sweet Maria's Italian Cookie Tray: A Cookbook" by Maria Bruscino Sanchez is a great reference book for you. Available from Amazon.com and other major booksellers, Maria's cookbook is a fantastic resource for recipes that range from drop and molded cookies to filled ones, biscotti, biscuits, taralle and pizelles, and many more. Cookie lovers will find plenty to devour in this compilation of Italian American favorites. Maria grew up in a closely knit Italian family, surrounded by Italian traditions and celebrations that her family brought with them from the 'old country.' As an adult she opened up her own bakery called "Sweet Maria's." It was at "Sweet Maria's" that she developed her recipes into Italian cookies with an American twist. Sanchez's precise directions ensure consistent results in the home kitchen, although you may need to go to the Italian Market to get all the ingredients needed. If you try it, please leave feedback on which cookies were a hit!

Under the Tuscan Sun -- Warm Going Down

There's a herbal liquer called Galliano that comes from the seaside of Tuscany. It's smooth and one of the ingredients of a lethal cocktail famous in the 70's called a Harvey Wallbanger. Now we have a new Tuscan cocktail called The Livorno Cocktail. It's light, fruity and a perfect sparkling drink for your wedding.

The Livorno Cocktail:

TIME/SERVINGS

Total Time: Under 5 mins

Makes: 2 drinks

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 ounces Galliano
2 1/2 ounces sparkling apple juice
Ice
8 ounces chilled Prosecco

Combine Galliano and apple juice in a cocktail shaker filled halfway with ice. Stir until chilled and frost is forming on the shaker, about 10 stirs. Strain between two champagne flutes and divide Prosecco evenly.

(Recipe courtesy of : http://www.chow.com)

Italian Wedding Cookies

Italian wedding cookies come in a variety of shapes, sizes and flavors.  Some are fig stuffed, some anise flavored, some covered with white confectioner's sugar, but the one thing they have in common is you can't eat just one!  I saw these beauties and fell in love!  Then I tasted them, and I was hooked!  Try them out, even if you don't make them for your wedding they'll soon become a family favorite for special occasions and holidays. 

The recipe for these beauties is as follows.  (Thanks to my husband's family)
These Italian anise cookies have a light frosting and and you can dust them with sprinkles.  I prefer them with icing colored with food coloring just to pastel prettiness.

Original Recipe Yield 5 dozen (depending on if you are snitching dough before you bake)

Ingredients:

5 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons baking powder
2 tsp. anise

Icing:


3 Tblsp. melted butter
3 Cups powdered sugar
3 Tblsp. lite whipping cream or 1/2 and 1/2.
2 tsp. anise
(food coloring as desired) (I like pink, pale green, yellows)

Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F
Grease cookie sheets.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar . Cut in butter using a pastry blender or rub between fingers until well blended.

Stir in the eggs, vanilla and anise extracts and mix into a firm dough.

Then turn dough out onto a floured surface, knead for about 5 minutes. Roll tablespoonfuls of dough into balls. Place them about an inch apart onto cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks. In a small bowl, stir together 1 cup confectioners' sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons water. Drizzle over cooled cookies and decorate with sprinkles if you like them.  They're just fine without them.