Make Ahead

A drizzle of white chocolate makes these Italian cookies holiday ready. For what it's worth, it's equally good on a classic almond biscotti, too.

We used an empty 1/2-gallon cardboard milk carton as a mold for this cake to keep the checkerboard pattern even.

A thick layer of pure white chocolate truffle separates the amaretto-brushed layers, and a bit more truffle filling is used to flavor the whipped cream icing.

One bite of this exemplary antipasto entirely changed the way I thought about Italian cooking—and cooking in general. So Zen-like in their elegance and simplicity, so little and yet so much said, these delicious little dreamboats truly capture the dreamlike state of the Amalfi coast and the cooking that defines it. The cured anchovies will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.

These delicious breakfast treats from Circa 1886 are best served slightly warm.