Christmas in Italy: Sweet and Simple

Though to most Americans Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year, in Italy it ranks fourth or fifth in importance. Easter, All Soul’s Day (when Sicilian children receive gifts), St. Joseph’s Day (Fathers’ Day in Italy) and the feast of any town’s patron saint are celebrated with more fervor than Christmas. Traditionally, gifts are exchanged on Jan. 6, the Epiphany, a feast that commemorates the visit of the gift-bearing Magi to Bethlehem. In Italy the presents are brought by La Befana, an aged, broom-bearing crone, a sort of distinctly Italian version of Santa Claus.

Baking is not as elaborate as for the Italian Easter. It’s confined to easy-to-prepare specialties that are well within reach of the average home cook. Elaborate creations such as panettone, the traditional Milanese Christmas cake, or panforte , the Tuscan fruitcake from Siena, are usually factory products, but local specialties are still made in the home.

Nadalin is an easy yeast-risen Christmas cake, not nearly as complicated or rich as its descendant, the Veronese pandoro . It’s traditionally the first cake that young girls are allowed to prepare for the family. Nadalin is a practical choice for making in advance--it freezes perfectly.

Cucidati, the traditional Sicilian Christmas pastry, is a large ring of sweet dough filled with a mixture of dried figs, nuts and chocolate. It may be kept for weeks in a tin in a cool place. The unbaked ring of filled dough may also be sliced up to make Sicilian Fig Cookies.

The Alto Adige region, not far north of Verona, has been part of Italy for less than 80 years and retains a strong Austrian influence in all its food. Its capital, Bolzano, is the home of Zelten --a type of moist fruitcake that is probably Austrian in origin.

From Southern Italy comes Struffoli, a wreath of tiny fritters bound with caramel. Though this traditional Neapolitan pastry is usually bound together with a caramel made from honey, I prefer to use sugar for its better flavor and less sticky texture.

Though it may not be the most important holiday in Italy, Christmas is still observed with a hearty “ Buon Natale ,” a glass of sweet wine, and a sweet.

The star-shaped Nadalin or pandoro mold is available in many kitchenware shops. You may also use a 9x3-inch springform pan.

NADALIN (Christmas Bread From Verona) 1 package dry yeast 1/4 cup warm water 2 large eggs 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla 1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled 2 1/4 cups unbleached flour Powdered sugar

Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl. Set aside 5 minutes until yeast has dissolved and begun to bloom. Beat eggs in large mixing bowl. Beat in sugar, salt and vanilla. Beat in 1/2 cup melted butter. Stir in yeast mixture, then mix in flour. Knead dough until smooth and elastic, either by hand or in heavy-duty mixer with dough hook on low speed, about 10 minutes.

Turn dough into buttered bowl, then turn over so entire dough surface is buttered. Cover bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, at least 1 hour. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and fold it over on itself several times to deflate.

Butter star-shaped Pandoro mold or 9x3-inch springform pan and half-fill mold with dough. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until dough fills mold. Bake in lower third of 375-degree oven until long, thin knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Check for doneness after 25 minutes to make sure it does not overbake and become dry (different molds can shorten cooking time).

Immediately invert mold onto cake rack and remove bread from mold. Brush top and sides with remaining melted butter, then invert again and brush other side. Cool completely. Keep tightly wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature until serving time. Before serving, dust lightly with powdered sugar. Makes 12 servings.

These traditional Sicilian Christmas rings are made in many different versions throughout the island. They are often sprinkled with multicolored diavoletti (nonpareils) before being baked. The rings can also be sliced and baked into American-style cookies.

CUCIDATI (Sicilian Fig Rings, or Sicilian Fig Cookies) 4 cups flour 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter or lard, cut into 10 pieces 6 large eggs Fig Filling Multicolored nonpareils, optional

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of food processor and pulse several times to mix. Add butter and pulse again until mixture is reduced to fine powder. Add 5 eggs all at once and continue to pulse until dough forms into ball. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill. (Dough may be prepared several days in advance and kept refrigerated.) Beat 1 egg well with dash salt.

Divide dough into 4 portions. Draw out one portion of dough 12 inches long. On lightly floured surface, flatten dough to 12x4-inch rectangle. Brush long edges of rectangle with beaten egg. Arrange 1/4 of Fig Filling in line down middle of rectangle and draw up edges of dough around it to enclose Filling. Transfer roll to baking sheet lined with parchment paper or buttered foil. Join ends of roll together to make circle.

Repeat with remaining Fig Filling to make 4 rings. Chill until firm, about 1 hour. Reserve unused beaten egg in refrigerator.

To finish pastries, use point of scissors to slash rows of triangular flaps, first along the top, then outside and inside of rings. Brush pastries with remaining beaten egg and sprinkle with optional nonpareils. Bake at 350 degrees on racks in upper and lower third of oven until deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool on pans. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Fig Filling 1 pound dried figs, preferably Calimyrna (light-colored), stemmed and diced 1 cup dark or golden raisins or combination of both 1/2 cup candied orange peel, rinsed and diced 1/2 cup sliced or slivered almonds, lightly toasted 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 1/3 cup dark rum 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

Combine figs and raisins in saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to boil over medium heat and drain. Cool and combine with orange peel, almonds, chocolate, rum, cinnamon and cloves in bowl of food processor. Pulse mixture until well mixed and finely ground, being careful not to overprocess.

Scrape Filling into bowl. (Filling may be prepared several days in advance and kept tightly covered in refrigerator.)

Variation:

To prepare Sicilian Fig Cookies, prepare recipe up until point where dough is shaped into rolls with Fig Filling inside. Slice each roll into 16 cookies. Place cookies on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or buttered aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 5 to 6 dozen cookies.

This popular Italian Christmas treat is known by many names in various regions of Italy. The wreath is broken apart and eaten casually with your hands--rather like an Italian Crackerjack.

STRUFFOLI (Caramelized Neapolitan Fritters) 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened 3 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 1/2 quarts oil for deep frying Caramel 1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted Candied diced fruit

Rub flour and butter together in bowl until flour is consistency of fine meal. Beat eggs and vanilla in second bowl and add to flour mixture. Mix and allow to stand 1 minute for flour to absorb liquid. Knead dough lightly on generously floured surface. Wrap in plastic wrap and allow dough to rest 1 hour at room temperature.

Divide dough into 6 or 8 equal portions and roll each into rope about 1/2 inch in diameter. Cut each rope into 1/2-inch lengths. Allow pieces to dry for several minutes.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in large pan. Fry pieces of dough in 2 or 3 batches until deep golden. Drain fritters on paper towels, then place in large buttered bowl.

While fritters are still warm, prepare Caramel. Pour Caramel over fritters in bowl and quickly stir in pine nuts to coat mixture evenly with caramel. Turn out onto buttered platter.

Quickly and carefully, shape mass of fritters into wreath 12 to 14 inches in diameter. (Wear buttered rubber gloves if you fear burns.) Decorate with candied fruit. Loosen wreath from platter before caramel hardens completely. Makes 12 servings.

Caramel 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine sugar and lemon juice in saucepan and stir to mix. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar melts and caramelizes to deep amber color, 4 to 5 minutes. Do not allow to become too dark.