A Window Into An Italian Christmas Eve And A Recipe For Italian Christmas Cookies

Last Christmas Eve, I touched down in Rome just around midnight. Now, there are many magical traditions in Italy around Christmas eve, one of them being that Italian families will often stay up until midnight to “toast in” Christmas Day.

I love this tradition as it is about celebrating Christmas to the absolute maximum. Because of the midnight tradition, I plan my Italian route quite carefully, ensuring I don’t arrive too early while everyone is still up and about!

So, as I was saying about last Christmas eve in Rome, I noticed a familiar sensation: the rumbling of my belly as I popped into the first home.

Now, we know about how incredible Italian food is, and it was all laid out there in that first home. Traditionally, Italians feast on meat-free dishes the night before Christmas, and I just happened to stumble upon a table of plentiful leftovers. Appetizers like fried mussels and crostini topped with fish mousse. Main courses like seafood risotto and squid-ink pasta. Grilled swordfish laid out beside bowls of sauteed vegetables and roasted potatoes.

And then I saw them. They were set out with a tall glass of milk just for me. How touched I was that with all that cooking, the family had baked a fresh batch of delicious Italian Christmas Cookies for me.

I love eating these cookies because they lie somewhere between a cookie and a piece of cake. The heady almond flavor tells you straight away where you are. In Italy, of course!

Here is a simple and fun recipe for Italian Christmas cookies, to make. If you’re looking for Christmas cookies to decorate, this is for you. This is also a great option for a Christmas cookie without butter, so enjoy!