I have so many memories preparing these trays of cookies with my mom. She made them for everyone – all of our relatives, the neighbors, friends, our crossing guard – really anyone who had shown us a kindness that year. She prepared them so carefully, with such pride. I can remember her hands carefully placing the cookies on the tray, placing chocolates in the crevices between the cookies, then wrapping them tightly with saran wrap and placing a bow on top. Making them now, for our family and friends, I can’t imagine how many batches my mom must have baked! The dining room table was lined with platters to give away, and the closet shelves were packed with large tupperware and popcorn tins filled to the brim with cookies – taralli shaped like wreaths, liquor soaked sandwich cookies with jam, le paste, cookies with a jam center, then iced with gileppo and covered in sprinkles – my favorites. For me, it wouldn’t be Christmas without these cookies.
All of these cookies are created from the same dough, but the preparation of each makes the flavors differ from one another. The cookie recipe itself makes about 4 dozen taralli (those shaped simply as a doughnut) and will make less depending on the shape you make. Still, the recipe should yield no less than 2 dozen cookies in total, even if you chose to make a variety of them. Pick your favorite, or mix and match – I hope these cookies give you a taste of the holidays – it wouldn’t be Christmas for me without them.
Christmas Wreaths
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Nonna’s Taralli
Directions
- Prepare the dough from Nonna’s Taralli. Be sure to allow it to rest before using it in the remainder of this recipe.
- Remove about a one inch ball and roll it in your hands. Place it on a clean work surface and roll it into “ropes” – about 3 inches long. Repeat to create two ropes.
- Place the ropes parallel to one another and pinch at one end to adhere. Then, twist the ropes in an alternating fashion and pinch to close at the other end.
- Shape to create a circle, pinch together to adhere.
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
Yo-Yo's
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Nonna’s Taralli
- 1 – 1 1/2 cups clear liquor used in recipe – Creme de Cacao, Sambuca, or Rum
- 1 cup strawberry or mixed berry preserves
Directions
- Prepare the dough from Nonna’s Taralli. Be sure to allow it to rest before using it in the remainder of this recipe.
- Cut off desired portion of dough and place onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour a rolling pin, and press down onto the dough and begin to roll out the dough. Flip the dough frequently to ensure it is not sticking to the surface. Lightly dust with more flour and work the dough out to be about a 1/4 inch thick.
- Use a round cookie cutter, or the rim of a wine glass, cut out an even number of cookies. Place on a lined cookie sheet – preferably with a silicone baking mat.
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes, until the cookie has puffed and is a golden color.
- Let cookies cool, and place liquor into a shallow bowl. When cookies have cooled, dip the bottom of the cookie into the liquor, and fill with 1 tablespoon of jam. Dip the bottom of a second cookie in the liquor, and sandwich together. Place in a cupcake liner, and store in an airtight container. The cookies are best enjoyed the next day.
Le Paste
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Nonna’s Taralli
- 1 cup strawberry or mixed berry preserves
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons whole milk
- Seasonal Sprinkles
Directions
- Prepare the dough from Nonna’s Taralli. Be sure to allow it to rest before using it in the remainder of this recipe.
- Cut off desired portion of dough and place onto a lightly floured surface. Lightly flour a rolling pin, and press down onto the dough and begin to roll out the dough. Flip the dough frequently to ensure it is not sticking to the surface. Lightly dust with more flour and work the dough out to be about a 1/4 inch thick.
- Use a round cookie cutter, or the rim of a wine glass, cut out an even number of cookies. Place 1 teaspoon of jelly directly in the center of the dough. Cover with another round of dough, and use your fingertips to press firmly down around the edges. Shape the edges if desired by cutting around with a fluted pastry cutter.
- Place on a lined cookie sheet – preferably with a silicone baking mat.
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes, until the cookie has puffed and is a golden color. Allow cookies to cool.
- When cookies have cooled, make the gileppo. In a bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla and milk. Whisk well until no lumps remain. Dip the cookie surface into the gileppo and swirl around to coat. Allow the excess to drip off.
- Place the cookie on a cooling rack, and ice remaining cookies. When you have coated all of the cookies, add sprinkles to each. Allow icing to harden for about 2 hours. Store in an airtight container.
Candy Canes
Ingredients
- 1 recipe Nonna’s Taralli
- red food coloring
Directions
- Prepare the dough from Nonna’s Taralli. Be sure to allow it to rest before using it in the remainder of this recipe.
- Separate the dough into two. Take one portion of dough, and add red food coloring – either powder, or gel. Knead the dough for as long as it takes for the color to distribute uniformly – this should take about 5 minutes.
- Remove about a one inch ball and roll it in your hands. Place it on a clean work surface and roll it into “ropes” – about 3 inches long. Repeat with the uncolored dough to create two ropes.
- Place the ropes parallel to one another and pinch at one end to adhere. Then, twist the ropes in an alternating fashion and pinch to close at the other end.
- Shape to create a candy cane, pinch together to adhere.
- Bake at 325 degrees Fahrenheit for 20-22 minutes. Let cool and store in an airtight container.
