Mangia Mangia!!
I know you’d think with a name like Erin Whelan, I’m all Irish. But no. I’m 1/2 Irish, 1/4 Italian, and 1/4 mix of French/Spanish/Cuban. This post is dedicated to the 1/4 bit of Italian. It comes from my mom’s dad, Grandpa Joe. He was a firecracker;). Full of stories and comments about the world that could sometimes make you laugh so hard you’d fall off your chair. He knew the best Italian phrases which he willingly shared with anyone who would listen. And… he was a phenomenal Italian cook. You see, Joe (Giuseppe) came here from Italy when he was just a boy. He learned to cook from his mother, Antoinette and thankfully passed those skills down to my mom. One of our long-standing family traditions has been the making of Italian cookies, Pizzelles (pit-zelle) and Biscotti (bish-cotte). I’ve been making Pizzelles on my own for quite a while now thanks to a hand-me-down Pizzelle iron compliments of my mom. I’ve never, however, made Biscotti until today.
My mom drove in to meet me for a day of Italian baking in my new apartment. We did the Biscotti first, as they require a fair amount of baking time, and the Pizzelles while the Biscotti were cooking. I’ve got take-away bags full for J’s Gram and Mom, for my step-dad, my dad, my land-lady (whose family is from the same area in Italy as my Grandfather!) and one, of course, for me. The apartment smells fantastic, I had a gorgeous day hanging out with my mom, and everyone gets treats. What could be better?
Feeling sad that you’re not on the cookie distribution short-list? Drop me a line and maybe you’ll get a treat for the holidays;)
Pizelle Iron
Nice stacks of 10;)
Nice stacks of 10;)
Biscotti - After the first round of baking, before making the cuts.
Biscotti - After the cuts, going in for more baking.
Pizzelles
Biscotti - ready to eat!!
Erin | Erin's Musings, Things I Love
Dear Erin, That was so much fun. It was such a reminder of days gone by when I used to make cookies with Grandpa’s Aunt Millie, your Great Grandmother Antoinette and Grandpa. It warms my heart to pass along these family traditions to you. Just as Anna is full of stories, you will someday be full of stories to share with your children and grandchildren. One of life’s most enduring pleasures. Love, Mom
Hi there Erin,
I just got the e-mail that you sent to me last September - thanks for your kind words. I’m glad to see that you checked out brook’s designs - have you been to her shop ?
What fun that you had a day baking all of these delicious Italian cookies together with your mom - my favorite holiday memories are the baking ones (with my mom and sister). My mom always timed the pizelle’s to the exact second. After I became vegan many years ago, she would make a vegan version of these for me. My sister makes a wonderful vegan biscotti for me and I have veganized her taralle recipe. It’s been many years since our baking together - it’s not the cookies that I miss - it’s the togetherness.