...While visions of sugarplums danced through their heads...

I don't know about you, but at Christmas visions of anything sugary are dancing through my head! (But then again, when are sweets not on my mind?)

While at this time of the year sweet treats are a big focus for me, family is the most important part of the holiday season...appreciating those who are always there for you and remembering those who have passed.  Two special ladies that I remember at this time of the year are my Grandma Millie and my Great Aunt Fannie.  I remember them not only for being wonderful, loving women, but for the delicious treats that they would procure at Christmas as well.  Being good little Italian ladies, they would religiously make the same yummy delights every year...creating desserts that we all loved and looked forward to at the holidays. 

One thing that my grandma would always make were were biscotti.  I vividly recall them being transported to our house in a Macy's shirt box...rows and rows of them.  As a child I did not have a real appreciation for these "hard cookies" :).  (I was the little girl that loved a chewy, soft cookie.)  I seriously remember sitting at the table during dessert thinking, "Does Grandma know how hard these cookies are?" Haha, how foolish I was!  Biscotti are now a cookie that I love, make quite often, and enjoy creating different variations of.  My latest ones were butterscotch/hazelnut....

and they were super yummy, if I don't say so myself!  I know several members of my family that enjoyed them...and finished them off in a matter of a day! :)

Another treat I would look forward to at Christmas time was my Great Aunt Fannie's pizzelles.
These were also brought to our house in a shirt box lined with tissue paper...God love these ladies!... recycle, reduce, reuse...they were so ahead of their time! hahaa :)

I remember their sweet anise smell wafting out of the box and their light airy taste in my mouth. So simple, but so delicious! 

This weekend I decided I would try to make these airy delights for the first time.  I broke out my aunt's pizzelle maker (yes, the very same one she used in her little Bronx apartment to crank them out by the dozen!) and gave it a whirl.  Let me tell you...they are trickier to make than you would think!  You have to get the batter consistency right, the timing in the pizzelle maker right...don't leave them in for too long! 

Well, I am happy to say that I think I have these pizzelles down! Here's the final product:

They tasted great and even my hardest critic (miss Leah herself) loves them. And I quote, "I like these cookies mama!"  Enough to make this baker feel happy and satisfied that my final product came out yummy :)

I can't wait to share these with my family to see if they get the seal of approval and if they would my Aunt Fannie proud.

Ok everyone, this exhausted gal is off to bed...I hope more visions of sugary sweets dance through my head...and yours too as we get closer and closer to Christmas.

Thanks for reading everyone and don't forget to eat your sweets!