My Italian American Mom Makes Hundreds of Holiday Cookies Every Year—These Are My Favorites
If you’re going to bake cookies this season, these should be it.
EatingWell
My childhood memories during Christmastime were, for the most part, pretty average for an Italian American. My family devoured the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve, our decorations consisted of handmade ornaments and a near-ancient nativity scene and there was no doubt that Mom was baking cookies, both traditional as well as her own creations.
But my mom doesn’t just bake cookies—it’s a whole event. Think of your favorite cookie, and my mom probably has a recipe for it. Dozens and dozens of types of cookies have been baked in our kitchen. On a soft year, hundreds of delicious cookies are being pulled out of the oven to enjoy.
For cookie-swap season, I thought I’d share some of my favorites that my mom has had me taste-test. I don’t think I’ve ever tasted a bad cookie from Mom, but these top three are the standouts. These are the ones that I’m waiting by the oven (or the iron!) to shovel into my mouth.
Related: 14 Cookies You Can Make Without a Stand Mixer
Ricotta Cookies
If you’re Italian or have tried ricotta cookies before, you know what’s up. These pillowy cookies have more of a cake consistency, which sounds like it may be too much for a bite-size treat. But trust me: once you try them, you’ll never go back. Ricotta cookies are a traditional cookie decorated with icing and sprinkles that I look forward to Mom making every holiday season. Our friends over at Allrecipes have a very classic recipe you’ll want to try.
EatingWell’s Cannoli Cookies are similar to the retro recipe and add a fresh twist. Instead of sprinkles, the recipe calls for a topping of chopped pistachios and orange zest. Yum!
Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Cranberries & White Chocolate Chips
Even if you’re not a fan of a typical oatmeal-raisin cookie, you’re going to love these. These chewy cookies balance sweet and freshness for a not-your-average bite that will blow you away.
When I asked Mom for this recipe, she kept it real: it’s a modified version of a recipe seen on some Ocean Spray Craisins packages. And it’s very similar to EatingWell’s own Oatmeal-Coconut Cookies with Cranberries & White Chocolate, just spare the coconut. Although when I told my mom about EatingWell’s version, she loved the idea of adding coconut to these cookies, so this may be the recipe she follows this year!
Pizzelle
This cookie is the most intricate of the bunch because you need a pizzelle iron to pull it off. But if you’re looking to make that investment for the holiday season, leave it to me to say that it’s definitely worth it. Some of my fondest childhood memories include watching a Christmas movie with my mom as she makes pizzelle with me, leaving it to myself and the dog to be her official taste-testers before wrapping them up and gifting them to the rest of the family.
It’s really easy to find a classic pizzelle recipe. If (maybe I should say when) you buy a pizzelle iron to make the crispy, vanilla- and anise-flavored cookie, it should come with a standard recipe for you to try. Allrecipes also has a classic recipe on their site that you can try, although it’s missing a key ingredient: anise. Mom knows best to keep the flavor light with just a touch of anise, as a little goes a long way.
Related: The #1 Baking Mistake You’re Probably Making, According to Claire Saffitz
Read the original article on Eating Well.
