Italian Rainbow Cookies

I know cookies. So, when I come across a recipe that makes my mouth water, you can be sure it is a winner. I’ve just finished baking my Christmas cookies, and I’d like to post some of my favorites. Actually, I have so many special recipes to make them all, so I have had to put them in rotation. One that always makes the list is Italian Rainbow Cookies, a recipe that I learned a long time ago.
Zeppole for St. Joesph’s Day
Tommy Bahama’s Famous Piña Colada Cake
Lemon Meringue Cake
Limoncello Pound Cake from Frankie Avalon

The Frankie Avalon Italian Family Cookbook (which I cowrote with a man who can truly be called an American show business icon) is jam-packed with wonderful Italian-American recipes to savor again and again. This recipe for a moist and citrusy limoncello pound cake is based on the one from his Mom’s recipe box.
Berry Meringue Slices

It’s been over a dozen years since I first had this perfect summer dessert while researching my KAFFEEHAUS book in Vienna.. Hans Diglas’s cafe-restaurant is one of the most enjoyable spots for traditional food (including pastries), and it has the advantage of being around the corner from St. Stephen’s cathedral. It was there that I first […]
Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding
Concord Grape Pie
Chocolate-Orange Macarons
Warm Cheese Strudel with Vanilla Custard
Viennese Sachertorte

Sachertorte has been famous almost since its conception almost 200 years ago. It made its inventor so famous that he was able to build a hotel, one that is still one of the premier establishments in Vienna, a city renown for its elegance. But I will warn you…Sachertorte isn’t for everybody, and it takes a discerning […]
Spicy Stout Gingerbread

My friend Bruce Aidells wrote a great book on cooking with beer (look for a used copy), and he asked me to come up with a contribution. I offered this stout gingerbread, and the recipe now makes an annual appearance on my Christmas baking list. The caramel notes in the stout work beautifully with the […]
Spicy Stout Gingerbread

I offered this stout gingerbread, and the recipe now makes an annual appearance on my Christmas baking list. The caramel notes in the stout work beautifully with the molasses and brown sugar. It keeps forever…but it doesn’t last more than a couple of days in our house. Make it as a single cake, and it is a perfect addition to a holiday potluck.
Sarabeth’s Stollen

Sarabeth Levine is known as the Grande Dame of Manhattan bakers. I was lucky enough to work with her on her first cookbook, SARABETH’S BAKERY: FROM MY HANDS TO YOURS, which quickly established itself as a must-have for anyone who wants to learn how to bake her famous specialties. One of the many baked goods that no one bakery makes better is her holiday stollen, a buttery sweet bread studded with rum-soaked raisins, dried fruits, and nuts.