October 31st/November 1st: All Hallow's Sweets

Dates: October 31 & November 1, 2020

Time: 5:30 PM CEST (11:30 AM EST/8:30 AM PST)

Halloween is only recently been celebrated in Italy, but November 1st and 2nd are important holidays that call for sweets. The first of November is All-Saints Day, a moment to honour all the Saints. While November 2nd is il Giorno di Tutti Morti, a holiday to honour the memory of relatives and friends who have passed. 

Traditionally, marzipan fruits and sugar-glass puppets are made by professional pastry-makers and purchased as gifts for children. While these are beyond the scale of a home kitchen, we thought it would be wonderful to dedicate a weekend to all things sweet! 

Saturday will be all about cookies. Biscotti Regina - The Queen's Cookies - are a deliciously buttery biscuit rolled in sesame seeds and baked until golden. While Brutti ma Buoni (Ugly but Good) are airy and chewy almond meringues. 

Sunday instead will focus on the fruits of the season: apples and pears! Poached pears are a delight on a fall afternoon, filling your kitchen with the aromas of simmering cinnamon, cloves and saffron. Then we will make a simple apple cake that pairs perfectly with a cup of tea!