Healthy and Delicious

Date and Nut Bars



Italians love their fruits, dried and fresh alike.

These cookies are wonderful and healthy all at the same time. And, you will love eating them without too much quilt.



12 tbsp butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
2 cups chopped dates
2 cups chopped walnut



Using a 12 x 16 inch cookie sheet, with lip or jelly roll pan, spray with a non-stick cooking spray.


Pre-heat your oven 350 degrees.


With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar.


Add the vanilla and the eggs, one at a time, mixing until well blended.


On low speed, add the salt, flour, dates and nut meats.
Mix until just blended.


Turn batter out onto prepared cookie sheet and spread evenly using a large off-set metal spatula.


Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned.

Cool the cookie in the pan on a wire cooling rack.

When completely cooled, slice into 1 or 1 1/2 inch
squares. Sift confectioners' sugar over tops of cookies.

Fantastic Combination of Flavors

Orange Almond Drops

Italians are known for cooking and baking with the ingredients that are common to the area in which they live. Oranges and almonds are grown in several areas of Italy so the combined flavorings are common in many recipes. If you have never tried the combination you are missing out on something outstanding. Give this cookie a try, you will be very pleased.


1/4 pound of unsalted butter, room temperature
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
Grated rind of 1 med/large orange
1/2 cup orange juice
2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped almonds


Yields About 40 to 50 cookies


With an electric mixer with the whip attachment, cream butter and sugar until light.

Add the eggs, one at a time, blending well.

With the mixer on low speed add the flour, salt and baking soda mixing until just blended.

The dough should be soft. Using a wooden spoon mix in the chopped nuts.

Using a teaspoon drop cookie dough, 2 inches apart, on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in pre-heated 375 degree oven. Cookies should be lightly browned.

Use a metal spatula to remove cookies from baking sheet and place on a wire cooling rack.

You can ice the cookies with orange flavored confectioners' sugar frosting. Let the icing dry completely before storing in air tight container.

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Orange Flavored Confectioners' Icing

6 cups Confectioners' sugar (10x sugar)
2 tsp orange extract
( I like using 2 tsp Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur)
1/2 cup water


Use an electric mixer at low speed mixing all the ingredients until smooth. Frosting should be opaque but not too thick.

Using a teaspoon or a small off-set metal spatula, frost the tops of the cookies. Don't worry about the icing if drips down the sides of the cookies. Let them dry on the wire cooling rack.

Tip: Before you ice the cookies, place wax paper under the wire racks. It will help with the clean up.

The Italian Feast of St. Joseph on March 19th

In the Italian family the Feast of St. Joseph is very special, especially for those who are named Joseph or Josephine. On this wonderful day special "pastries" are made to celebrate those who have the honored name. These are a very special favorite of mine, so much so that I don't limit the enjoyment of these pastries just for the date of March 19 th.

Sfingi di San Giusepe
(St. Joseph's Day Cream Puffs)

1/2 cup of unsalted butter
Dash of salt
1 cup of water
1 cup of cake flour
4 eggs
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp grated orange peel
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

Combine butter, salt, and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Using a wooden spoon add the cake flour all at one time and mix well until mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

Remove from the stove and cool for about 10 minutes or so.

Still using a wooden spoon add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add the sugar, orange and lemon peel and mix thoroughly.

Drop dough by the tablespoonful on a greased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper that has been greased, leaving a 3 inch space between them. Batter makes about 14 to 16 sfingi.

Bake in hot oven 400 degrees for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 325 degrees and bake 30 minutes more or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool on the parchment paper.

When cool make a slit in side of each puff and fill with Ricotta Filling. See recipe below.

Ricotta Filling

1 pound whole milk ricotta cheese
2 tbsp mini chocolate chips
1 tbsp candied orange peel, cut very fine
1 ounce of Creme de Cacao
or any other liqueur that you prefer
2 tbsp sugar

Using an electric mixer cream the ricotta well. Then add chocolate chips, orange peel, creme de cacao and sugar and mix very well.

Put creamed mixture into a pastry bag using a wide tip and pipe the mixture into the pastry puffs. OR using a serrated knife you can gently slice the top off of the
pastry puffs and fill the bottoms and then replace the tops of the puffs.

This is an easy and lovely pastry to make and the flavors will never be forgotten once you have tried them. Enjoy with a cappuccino and be sure to share them with someone named Joseph or Josephine. They make a great gift, especially since they are homemade.
Enjoy!!!!!!!!!