italian christmas – The Grapevine

Christmas is just a few days away and this big holiday usually comes with a lot of nostalgia and tradition. Every family has traditions to look forward to every year. Eating certain foods, spending days baking with loved ones, going to certain events… that’s the beauty of Christmastime! It evokes a certain joy and something to look forward to or count on each year.

Whether you are making new traditions or upholding life long ones– tradition is important to us! We know that many traditions revolve around food and we love to be a part of your family traditions.

One of our main goals is to keep tradition alive and we do this by having all the foods you grew up enjoying on Christmas! Here are 5 Italian Christmas Staples

Panettone

Panettone is a sweet bread, often filled with raisins and candied oranges (also available in a variety of other flavors), that is enjoyed as a dessert. It is an Italian holiday tradition to give panettone as a gift to be shared.

Cartellate

Cartellate are a classic dessert. Thin, fried dough that is coated with either honey or vino cotto, a fig syrup! The dough is made with simple ingredients, including wine. They are very common in the Puglia region and are said to resemble the halo around the infant Jesus or the crown of thorns Jesus wore during his crucifixion. We have both varieties imported from Italy.

Making your own? Although simple ingredients, the process is tedious, but another beautiful tradition shared by many families. We sell vincotto in stores!

Torrone

Torrone is a nougat candy found on many Italian dessert tables. Available in individual boxes, it is made with honey, sugar, and egg whites with toasted almonds or candied fruit!

Panforte

Panforte is a chewy cake dessert often made with fruit or nuts. It hails from Siena and is a dense, flavorful cake!

Cookies

Christmas cookies are a staple all around the world, but the type of cookie you prefer is what makes the tradition special! Italians have tons of special cookies which have memories linked back to Christmastime. Rainbow cookies, fig cookies, almond cookies… we have them all!

We hope everyone has a safe and Merry Christmas!

From Our Family To Yours

If you walk into an Italian house during Christmas, the odds that you’ll see a round, dome shaped bread is pretty high. That bread is panettone!

Panettone is a sweet bread like cake with an airy, soft inside that is usually enjoyed during major holidays like Christmas and Easter. Traditional panettone is made with dried fruits. Now, there are multiple different flavors and varieties of panettone to appeal to everyone- including some with chocolate.

There are many different stories regarding the origin of panettone, some dating back to the 15th century. One story states that a nobleman fell in love with a baker’s daughter, so he disguised himself as a baker to win her over. When the nobleman was working as a baker, he invented this sweet bread and added citrus and fruit to it.

Another legend states that the chef for the Sforza family burned the bread for the big Christmas Eve feast. A man named Toni offered up some yeast he had been saving for Christmas day. They kneaded the yeast into the bread and added some zest and fruit. The bread was a huge hit and they called it “il pan di Toni.”

Another legend dates back to Milan in the 1500s. Bakers were allowed to bake a wheat bread for their customers as a gift of appreciation during the holidays.

Just as there are numerous legends about Panettone, there are many ways to enjoy it. Some people toast it and have it with coffee, some make it into a french toast, and some just eat it as it is as a dessert. A new way to eat it created by Rossella Rago of Cooking with Nonna is to make a Panettone Trifle! The recipe is easy to follow and will help you wow your guests with fun twist on this traditional item.

Here’s what you need:

1 large Panettone cut into chunks
4 cups of my Easy Custard Cream cooled to room temp (Custard Recipe Below)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 cups Marsala wine (you can use more or less depending on how strong you like it)
1 1/2 cups crushed Savoiardi cookies
4 cups raspberries
3/4 cup chopped pistachios

For the full recipe head to Cooking with Nonna https://www.cookingwithnonna.com/italian-cuisine/panettone-trifle.html

From Our Family To Yours