December

During Christams time, we use to decorate a tree in our home and make the crib. 
We decorate the fir with little coloured things, little balls and lights and we put the presents under the three, waiting to be opened on Christmas day.
The crib remembers us the Jesus birth. On the moss we put the hut, the characters and the  lights.

This is a delicious Christmas cake from Milano, spreaded in the whole Italy.
A story tells that this cake was born for an accident. Toni, a baker, during a  banquet burned the bread. So, to save it, he kneaded it with eggs, sugar and spice.
In this way was created the recipe of Panettone, "Bread of Toni" (Pane di Toni)
 

1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried yeast
4 tablespoons milk (or buttermilk)
100g (4oz) butter
50g (2oz) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
3 (free range if possible) eggs, beaten
finely grated rind of ½ a lemon
finely grated rind of ½ an orange
400g (14oz) plain (all purpose) flour or white bread flour, sifted
1 teaspoon salt
100g (4oz) raisins or sultanas
75g (3oz) chopped mixed peel
 

Preheat the oven to 200C. Butter a 20cm (8 in) cake tin and line with lightly buttered greaseproof paper.
Pour the milk (or buttermilk) into a bowl, then sprinkle on the sugar and yeast. Leave for around 10 minutes – it should start to go frothy.
Combine the butter and caster sugar in a bowl and beat them together until they are very fluffy. Then beat in the eggs gradually, followed by the lemon and orange rind (and the vanilla extract if you’re using it).
Place the flour and salt in a large bowl. Now gently fold in the milky/yeast fluid, followed by the creamed butter/sugar mixture. Mix them all together until you have a soft dough.
Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes until it’s smooth.
Then place the dough into an oiled plastic bag (or cover with a tea-towel and leave in a warm place). Leave it for about an hour until it has doubled in size.
Sprinkle the raisins/sultanas and mixed peel over the dough. Knead until they are completely mixed in. Place the mixture in the cake tin and leave it in a warm place, until it has doubled in size again. It will take about 45 minutes.
When it has risen, bake it in the oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C and bake it for another 30 minutes. When it’s done it should be golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool the panettone, and dust it with icing sugar.

Panforte

The Panforte, always present on Italian Christams table, is a cake typical of Siena and it has a very ancient origin, about 10th century. It was called  Cristmas bread or Pepper Bread (Panpepato). A story tells that the Panpepato, the ancestor of panforte, was invented during the Middle Age by a nun, who was worried for the health of people in Siena, weakened by the war. The nun cooked a very energy-giving cake, with honey, nuts, spice and ginger.
 

Melted butter, to grease
100g whole blanched almonds
100g whole hazelnuts
90g coarsely chopped dessert figs
55g coarsely chopped dried apricots
50g mixed peel
100g plain flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp mixed spice
125ml honey
55g caster sugar
Icing sugar, to dust
 

Preheat oven to 180°C. Brush a 20cm (base measurement) springform pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.
Spread the almonds over half a baking tray and spread the hazelnuts over the remaining half. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes or until toasted. Place the hazelnuts on a clean tea towel and rub to remove the skins. Reduce oven to 170°C.
Place almonds and hazelnuts in a large bowl. Add the figs, apricots and mixed peel and stir until well combined. Sift over the combined flour, cinnamon and mixed spice and stir to combine.
Place honey and sugar in a small saucepan and stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, for 2 minutes.
Pour the hot mixture into the fruit mixture and, working quickly, stir until well combined. Spoon into prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until just firm. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
To serve, dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges.

This cake is a Christmas specialty from Verona, famous like panettone. Someone says that it comes from Austria (Vienna bread), some others, instead, think that it become from the "Golden bread" (Pane d'oro) which was served on gthe tables of the rich people in Venice.
 

650 gr flour
30 gr beer yeast
200 gr sugar
8 eggs
250 gr butter
1 pinch vanilla
grated lemon peel
half glass of cream
vanilla-flavored powdered sugar

Knead together 75 gr flour, yeast, 10 gr sugar, and 1 egg yolk, adding some warm water if necessary. Let rise, covered, in a warm draft-free place for a couple of hours, or until doubled in size. Knead the risen dough with 160 gr flour, 25 gr softened butter, 90 gr sugar and 3 yolks. Knead energetically for 15 mins. Let rise for another two hours or until it has doubled in size again.
Place the remaining flour, butter, sugar, eggs and the fermented dough on the pastry board. Knead again for 20 mins. Let rise 2 hours for the third time. Take the dough again and knead in a pinch of vanilla, the grated lemon rind and 2 or 3 tsp. cream. When the dough is well mixed, roll into a 12x8-in. rectangle. Cut the butter into chunks, let it soften and place in the center of the dough.

Fold the dough back onto itself from both directions to make 3 layers and roll it out again. Let the dough rest for half an hour, fold again and roll out two more times, letting the dough rest in a warm place in between.

Butter and dust with sugar a deep mold, preferably a deep, star-shaped mold. Place the dough in the mold (it should fill it only halfway) and let rise until the dough reaches the upper rim of the pan. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 190°. After 20 mins. reduce the temperature to 160° and bake for another 20 mins.

Ricciarelli are almond cookies that originate from Siena, now they are famous in the whole world.
Ricciarelli cookies are related with Marzipan, cake made with almond and sugar.
 

Beat egg whites with salt until stiff and dry.
Gradually add 1 cup sugar.
Beat almonds, mixing until you have a very stiff paste.
Combine with remaining sugar.
Generously grease a baking sheet with the margarine
Drop batter 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.
Bake in a preheated 120 degrees oven until cookies are very firm and faintly browned, about 45 to 55 minutes.
Remove cookies from oven.
Place confectioners' sugar in a sifter and sprinkle over cookies.
Carefully remove cookies to a wire rack to cool.
When completely cool, store in a tightly closed cookie tin at room temperature.