Plumcake alle Carote (Italian Carrot Cake)

Set aside everything you ever thought you knew about carrot cake. The American version could not be more antithetical to Italian-style pastry: ultra-sweet, dense, slathered in cream cheese frosting. Now, before I go any further, lest you think I’m a carrot cake heretic, I’d like to offer my full support and advocacy for American carrot […]

Sicilian Cuccidati (Christmas Fruit & Nut Cookies)

As you might remember if you’ve been following this blog for a while, I have a deep affinity for Italy, and while it took me a while to come around to Italian desserts, they’ve really grown on me over the years. These are my favorite Italian holiday cookies, called Cuccidati (coo-chee-DAH-tee), as requested a few […]

Tuscany: Torta di Mele (Apple Cake)

I’ve been writing about Italy for several weeks now (except for a little hiatus due to work craziness), and I know every place I write about is all amazing and beautiful and historic and delicious and OMG-level. But I hadn’t gotten to Tuscany yet. And all the stuff about those other regions was 100% true, […]