Italian Cookies

? In her ninth cookbook, Marchetti presents 100 recipes showcasing the special Italian touch for turning the same basic ingredients (butter, olive oil, nuts, and sugar) into unique, delicate, and craveable bites. As with all Italian cooking and baking, lore is baked into each recipe, such as the anecdote Marchetti shares about the famous alpine butter–rich canestrelletti and occhi di bue (bull’s eye) jam sandwiches. Bakers will learn more about regional ingredients and their influence–like cornmeal from the Po valley, which makes for a lightly crunchy bite when mixed with wheat flour in paste di meliga and krumiri and adds a deep golden hue to the Veneto’s raisin-studded zaletti. Bakers will be inspired to make the nutty meringues called brutti ma buoni (“ugly but good cookies”) and the biscotti of the country’s central and southern regions. Anginetti (orange and anise cookie knots with a citrus glaze) exemplify southern Italian, citrus-infused creativity, and a smattering of wine-infused biscotti shows off a talent for incorporating easy-to-find ingredients in a lightly sweet, post-meal treat. This book is a must for dedicated bakers, encouraging a focus on Mediterranean sweets and spices, with an emphasis on natural flavors inspired by the regional foods throughout “the Boot.”–Jessica S. Levy “Booklist, Starred Review”Marchetti (Everyday Italian Cookbook: 90+ Favorite Recipes for La Cucina Italiana) has produced a sumptuously illustrated volume that demonstrates how to make classic Italian cookies. Four introductory chapters cover practical information: “Essentials of Italian Cookies Baking,” “Ingredients,” “Equipment,” and “Essential Techniques.” Following those are four chapters devoted to a particular region of Italy and cookies specific to those locations: the North (baci di Alassio, amaretti di Gallarate, caviadini, chifferi all nocciola), central Italy (biscotti della nonna, cantucci di Prato, frollini al farro, mattoncini), the South (amaretti Abruzzeri, baci di Dama Calabresi, cambellini al vino, quaresemali), and the islands (anicini, amarettus, cuccidati, tileccas). The final chapter includes directions for making basic doughs and preserves. Each recipe is preceded by a brief history of the cookie, including its relation to a holiday (when applicable), and all recipes include measurements in volume and weight. VERDICT An excellent volume describing specialties from each Italian region and how to create bakery-worthy cookies at home. Marchetti’s easy-to-follow recipes will appeal to bakers of all levels.–Jacqueline Parascandola “Library Journal”

Domenica Marchetti is a professional recipe developer and cooking class instructor who has taught all over the country and online. She also leads occasional small-group culinary tours and food writing workshops in Italy. Domenica is the author of numerous books on Italian home cooking, including The Glorious Pasta of Italy; Preserving Italy: Canning, Curing, Infusing, and Bottling Italian Flavors and Traditions; and Williams-Sonoma Everyday Italian. A former newspaper reporter who earned her master’s degree in journalism at Columbia University in New York, Domenica has published articles and recipes in many publications, including The Washington Post, Eating Well, Food and Wine, and in Italy, La Cucina Italiana and Sale e Pepe. She also writes the popular weekly recipe newsletter “Buona Domenica.” Italian Cookies is her ninth cookbook. She splits her time between Abruzzo, Italy, where her family is from, and Alexandria, Virginia.

Lauren Volo is originally from Connecticut and has lived in New York City for over 20 years, now calling Brooklyn home. She earned a BFA in art photography from Syracuse University and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in art education at Brooklyn College. She has photographed over 50 cookbooks and worked on numerous advertising campaigns, bringing a thoughtful, detail-oriented approach to each project.

Daniela Bracco is a Sicilian illustrator who lives and works in Rome. She graduated with a degree in product design and a Master’s degree in visual communication design in Venice. Her first work experience, which lasted two years, was within the editorial staff of Sole24ORE with the role of illustrator, in Milan. She now works as a freelance illustrator and graphic designer collaborating with various agencies, magazines, and individuals such as Il Gambero Rosso magazine, Lonely Planet magazine, Monocle magazine, La Repubblica, Sky, Tennis and Padel Federation, and Slow Food Editore.