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…

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.