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In keeping with the tradition of offering sweet and nut-laden treats at Christmas time, I wanted to share my favorite Biscotti recipe with you. Growing up in an Italian kitchen, I watched my mother and aunts prepare Biscotti for each coming Christmas. The fragrant scent of anise would fill the kitchen as huge batches of these twice-baked treats browned in the oven. My own take on this holiday favorite is a little more modernized than the cookie that my mother and her grandmother used to make, but a close friend told me that it was the most delicious Biscotti that he had ever tasted. I don't want to brag, but I am sticking with this, and any other, recipe that garners such compliments! My Christmas gift to you is this favorite recipe:

Tuscan Life Biscotti

8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

2/3 Cup Sugar

2 Large Eggs

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

1 teaspoon Anise Extract

Finely Grated Zest of 1 Lemon

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 Cup Whole Blanched Almonds (no skins)

1/3 Cup Hazelnuts, very lightly toasted and rubbed in a tea towel to remove the skins

4 ounces candied orange peel, diced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for about two minutes, until smooth. Add the eggs, extracts, zest and beat on medium speed until light and creamy, about two to three minutes.

Combine the dry ingredients, nuts and fruit, and add to the butter mixture. Mix on low speed until just incorporated. Remove dough to a work surface and divide into three parts. Form three logs, each will be about 10 by 2 by 1 inches. Place the logs on ungreased baking sheets, at least two inches apart. Bake until lightly browned, about 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, and cool slightly. Reduce the oven temperature to 275 degrees. Using a serrated knife, cut logs on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices. Arrange the Biscotti on their sides on baking sheets. Return to oven, and bake until golden, about 30 minutes. Turn the Biscotti over, and bake for 30 minutes more. Cool and enjoy!

Buon Natale; Christmas in Italy

When the Emperor Constantine gave approval for the Christians of Rome to worship Jesus Christ, in about 336 AD, the first Christmas celebrations took place in the Roman Empire. Since those ancient days, Christmas has become one of the most sacred and holy holidays in Italy, celebrated with the utmost reverence. Businesses close, and attention turns toward church, home and family.

As it is celebrated today, Christmas in Italy has two origins: from those first celebrations mentioned above, the Roman Christians blended the pagan traditions of the Roman Empire with the newly developing practices of Christianity. For the Romans, the great winter feast was that of the winter solstice celebration, known as Saturnalia . As the winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year, and the beginning of reappearing sunshine, the feast of Saturnalia celebrated the "Birth of the Unconquered Sun." The Italian word for Christmas is Natale , which translates

to "birthday" in English. The earliest Christmas celebrations, and today's Christmas Markets, merry-making and torch processions, honor not only the birth of Christ, but also the birth of the "Unconquered Sun."

Christmas Eve

One traditional way that many people celebrate Christmas Eve is to view some of Italy's elaborate manger scenes, or presepe . These are figurines, made of clay or plaster, of the infant Jesus, Mary and Joseph. An ox and ass are often included, because legend has it that these animals warmed the Holy Child with their breath in the cold of the manger.

The figures of the Holy Family and the ox and ass provide a focal point around which individual artisans create their own intricate landscapes. These may include grottoes, trees, lakes, rivers, backgrounds featuring the lights of Bethlehem, and angels hung

from wires.

Amidst the general merrymaking and religious observance of December 24th, Christmas candles are lit and a holiday feast is prepared. In some parts of Italy, Christmas Eve dinner is a meal made of many types of seafood; as many as 10 to 20 fish dishes may be prepared for a single meal! In our family, some of the traditional Christmas Eve dishes are salt cod (baccala) prepared in various ways, scampi alla griglia (shrimp grilled with garlic, lemon, and olive oil), and delicious clams, sometimes appearing in Linguine al Vongole, and sometimes baked with a topping of garlic, olive oil, bread crumbs, sharp grated cheese and oregano.

The Giving of Gifts

Christmas gift giving has its own special history and tradition in Italy. For many generations, the principal gift-bringer in some areas was a uniquely Italian folk character named La Befana who would distribute toys in honor of the Feast of the Epiphany, celebrated on January 6th, when the Christmas season comes to its official end.

In Venezia and Mantova, St. Lucia distributed gifts, and in some regions Gesu' Bambino , or the Infant Jesus, brought Christmas presents. Through a highly successful Coca Cola advertising campaign in 1936, Santa Claus became a part of Christmas in Italy. He now makes his rounds in various regions on Christmas Eve as Babbo Natale , or Father Christmas.

Christmas Cuisine

Across Italy, the country's diverse cultural backgrounds show off their best expressions in the cuisine of the Christmas holiday. The dishes served at the cenone , or "big supper," as well as the sweets that appear at Christmas time, vary greatly throughout the different areas of the country.

In the South, the meals of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are based on seafood, and almost always include spaghetti with clams, mussels, salt cod and various shellfish. A famous Christmas sweet in the South is struffoli , made from tiny balls of fried dough which are shaped into a circle or mound on a plate and covered with honey and small colored candies.

In the North, both meat and fish are served for the holiday meals. There are some Christmas treats that are enjoyed all over Italy, including dried fruits, which are very special holiday additions to the traditional holiday table. These include dried figs and dates, which are often served with walnuts, almonds, and hazelnuts.

Some desserts that were traditionally associated with specific regions are now enjoyed throughout Italy at holiday time. These include Panettone, Pandoro, Panforte, and Torrone . Panettone is baked from a yeast-leavened sweet dough and is filled with raisins, currents, and candied fruit. Pandoro (golden bread) gets its color, and thus its name, from the quantities of butter and egg that enrich it. Both of these are treats that were originally made in the North: Panettone originated in Milano, and Pandoro came from Verona.

The dense, spicy, fruit and nut laden Panforte comes from Siena, as do the small sweets called Ricciarelli . These are oval shaped cookies, made from a ground almond-based dough, and covered with powdered sugar or chocolate. Finally, from the South, comes Torrone , or almond nougat, which are usually small rectangles, very sweet, and made from honey, sugar, almonds, and sometimes other nuts, such as pistachios. Torrone occasionally come in fancy versions, coated with chocolate or infused with liqueurs.

Santo Stefano

In Italy, December 26, the day after Christmas, known as Santo Stefano , or Saint Stephen's Day, is an important Catholic holiday that celebrates the announcement of the birth of Jesus and the arrival of the three wise men. Government offices, banks, public institutions, other offices, and many forms of public transportation remain closed on this day. In recent years, some retail stores have begun to stay open on the 26th of December in order to conduct post-Christmas sales and to handle exchanges.

December 26 is the Feast Day of St. Stephen, who is the patron saint of stonemasons. Stephen's name means "crown," and he was the first disciple of Jesus to receive the martyr's crown. Traditional Catholic teachings tell us that Stephen was a deacon in the early Christian Church, appointed by the apostles, who had found that they needed helpers to look after the care of the poor. They then ordained seven deacons, and Stephen is the most famous of these.

St. Stephen is said to have spoken with such wisdom and grace

that many of his hearers became followers of Jesus. Early enemies of the Church became infuriated by the success of Stephen's preaching. These enemies besmirched his reputation, and called upon Stephen to account for the blasphemous words they accused him of uttering. Legend has it that when faced with a great assembly of these enemies, Santo Stefano met them without fear, and wore the expression of an angel.

During this confrontation, Stefano said that he saw the heavens opening and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He was then dragged outside the city of Jerusalem and stoned to death. At the scene of his death, St. Stephen is reported to have fallen to his knees and begged God not to punish his enemies for killing him! It is no wonder that he is revered throughout Italy for this great act of forgiveness and love.

The Feast of Saint Stephen is quickly followed by the New Year celebrations, and the season comes to a close with the Feast of the Epiphany.

We hope that you have enjoyed this brief look at some of the traditions surrounding the celebration of Christmas in Italy. We would love to hear your feedback on our newsletter, and any comments or questions (concerning the newsletter only ) can be sent to us at:

TuscanLifeEdit@netscape.net