Amaretto Sours were very popular in the ‘70’s. Justifiably so, except that they were usually made with a mix. With its combination of almond, cherry and chocolate balanced with lemon, fortified with Bourbon and capped with snow-white foam; this is the perfect libation to serve at your Christmas gathering. We rim the glass with crushed amaretti. Here is how to make one from scratch.

A Gibson is essentially the same recipe as a martini. The garnish is an earthy pickled onion with a hint of acidity, instead of a briny olive. In our version we play up the flavor of the pickled onion by adding a bit of shallot infused red wine vinegar from France. The vinegar gives the cocktail a slight blush.

This soup is not one of chowders, bisques or squash purees typically served at Thanksgiving.  The texture is luxurious.  It will earn a place at your table.

Here is an old -fashioned favorite with a twist.  The cookies have a luscious filling of dulce de leche instead of jam. You could wash the cookies with egg white and roll them in finely chopped almonds or hazelnuts before baking for extra texture and flavor.

Cocoa and chocolate. Flour, sugar, butter and cream. Elegant in its simplicity. The pastry can be made ahead and refrigerated or frozen for that matter. The pastry shell is baked “blind,” that is, unfilled. Best served at room temperature.

Gianduja is hazelnut paste blended with chocolate and sugar. Amedei's is the finest.  In this recipe we blend it with cream and additional Amedei milk and dark chocolate to make a velvety ganache to fill the cookies, for those who really love chocolate. 

Vegan Option

Redolent of warm spices, gingersnaps that are more gingery than any that you have ever had. Compounded with 3 types of ginger; powdered, candied, and Villa Manodori Essenziale Ginger Extra Virgin Olive Oil. They have a crunchy sugar topping scented with ginger and cinnamon. Serve this alongside hot chocolate for an after-ski or skating treat. If you are feeling decadent, use them to scoop up a dollop of whipped cream (made with a drop or two of dark rum).

Easy to prepare fries that don’t require the mess and hassle of deep frying. A platter of these with a Turkey Club would make nice lunch on the day after Thanksgiving.  Start with a tablespoon of truffle oil and add more if desired.

A rich indulgence, thick, velvety hot chocolate and scented with warm spices made with Amedei Toscano, the world’s finest chocolate Treat yourself to a cup on a cold day.

This old-fashioned and alluring recipe, titled CHOCOLATE FEATHER PUDDING, is taken from the 1963 edition of the JOY of Cooking. The ladies recommend serving it with Vanilla Sauce. Let's keep it simple and finish this off with a dollop of whipped cream flavored with dark rum for all the Halloween pirates out there.

This is a nice transitional dish as we move from late summer into early autumn.  We are using Granna Padano, but you can certainly use Pecorino or Parmesan.  We are using sweet sausage today, but fennel sausage would be delicious with saffron as would a spicy variety.

Start your Labor Day festivities off with a preview of fall’s flavors.  There are teetoatler and spiked versions.

Intense. A drop or two of rum or Cointreau added to the ganache could only make a good thing better. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Allow to come to room temperature before serving. The ganache can be made in advance and stored for up to a week.