Panforte di Siena

    Well, Christmas is almost upon us!  I can hardly believe it!!  In just shy of two weeks it will be here!!!  Every year I tell myself  I'm going to get all my baking, etc. done early, but......somehow that never seems to happen.  We usually take our vacation toward the end of October and, when we get back, it's time to start thinking about the holidays.  Well, we have several birthdays in October and November, then there's Thanksgiving, and then Christmas is....well....HERE!  (And this year we didn't get back until two days before Thanksgiving!!)

    O.K., now that I've vented a little about my lack of time to prepare for  this WONDERFUL HOLIDAY, let me say that  I LOVE CHRISTMAS!! 

Italian Espresso, Chocolate, and Cinnamon Brownies with Creamy Espresso Frosting

   
    I know, I know, another chocolate recipe .... and so soon.  Well, I might as well be honest.  Chocolate and I go way back ..... I mean, waaaaaay back.  And, as far as I can tell, the relationship isn't goin' south any time soon.  I think it will be making somewhat of a regular appearance on my little blog.  All in favor say "aye".  (can't imagine there would be any "nays".)
    These brownies are really decadent!  They're nice and thick and fudgey and are topped with a creamy espresso frosting.  The crunchy hazelnuts add a nice contrast of texture.  I just wouldn't eat these right before going to bed.  Between the chocolate and the espresso these pack a bit of a caffeine punch.  Maybe better for breakfast, huh? ( I probably shouldn't have said that, but I know a few family members that might like that idea.)

One Little Tree.....Two recipes

    When I was a little girl I spent a lot of time with my Italian grandparents (my dad's parents).  They had a small house but a yard and garden area that seemed to go on forever....at least that's what it seemed like at the time.  They grew all sorts of vegetables and had several fruit trees like cherry, pear, fig, and mulberry.  My grandmother would sell flowers that she had grown.  I remember sitting outside with her, waiting for people to come and buy the plants.  They had a long, narrow hallway at one side of the house that I always thought of as a sun porch because it was lined with windows and was filled with african violets and various other plants.  My grandmother had the greenest thumb I've ever seen.  She even had a miniature orange tree in the dining room!