pistachio shamrock cookies

 

Shamrock Cookies are not just a delightful treat but also come with a sprinkle of history and symbolism!

 

Shamrock cookies are typically associated with St. Patrick's Day, which is celebrated on March 17th. 

The shamrock itself is a three-leafed clover, which, according to legend, was used by St. Patrick to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) to the people of Ireland. Over time, the shamrock became a symbol of Ireland and St. Patrick's Day.

 

While shamrock cookies have Irish roots, their popularity as festive treats soared in the United States, where St. Patrick's Day is widely celebrated with parades, parties, and lots of green-themed foods. 

The cookies are often made in the shape of shamrocks and decorated with green icing and sprinkles. This recipe is a real gourmet upgrade!

Pistachio Shamrock Cookies are the most a delightful treat, especially for celebrating St. Patrick's Day! Here's a simple recipe from Better Homes & Gardens magazine for making these tasty and festive cookies.

St. Patrick's Day is bursting with delicious and festive treats! Here are of my other favorites, Including Irish Soda Bread which I make a lot. It’s not only a March treat, you know!

 

Irish Soda Bread: A traditional bread made with baking soda instead of yeast. It's often studded with raisins and caraway seeds. Check out my Soda Bread Recipe here.

 

Corned Beef and Cabbage: While not a "treat," it's a classic St. Patrick's Day meal in the U.S., often enjoyed with potatoes and carrots.

 

Shepherd's Pie: A hearty dish with ground meat, vegetables, and mashed potatoes baked to perfection. I make this every Christmas as well!

 

Potato Pancakes (Boxty): These crispy pancakes made from grated potatoes are a delicious savory treat.

 

Green Velvet Cake: A festive twist on the classic red velvet cake, usually adorned with green frosting. I must try this one!

 

 

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

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desserts: 3 celebrity recipes

What’s better than having to choose between three delicious dessert recipes to whip up this weekend!? This week’s magazine clippings bring us to one of my favorite topics…. Sweets!

 

I spotted these yummy recipes in one of the latest Star magazines and couldn’t resist sharing them with all of you.

(Just click on the recipe picture to enlarge and print.)

Of course, Martha Stewart is the queen of everything, including desserts so I know this Oatmeal Cookie recipe will be absolutely amazing!! 

Toffee chips, chocolate and dried cherries… yes!! I will be trying this exact recipe this weekend.

 

For back up, we have Kris Jenner’s Classic Brownie recipe and A real treat from Scarlett Johansson, Carmel Popcorn with Nutella. Wow!

 

Which one will you be making first?

ciao fabiana

 

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

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5 sweet recipes for valentine's day

 

While browsing through a few of my favorite magazines this week, I could help but notice so many yummy and gorgeous Valentine’s Day recipes. From the pages of Modern Garden, Women’s World and Star magazines, I bring you a delicious collection of 5 desserts that are sure to please your favorite Valentine.

I couldn’t help sharing these 5 fun and easy Valentine’s Day recipes with you all. If you love chocolate like I do, three of these lovely desserts offer a bit of luscious chocolate goodness.

All of these recipes are perfect for the whole family too! 

 

I hope you’ll follow along with me on Instagram for all the latest projects, décor and more Valentine's Day fun. 

 

 

ciao fabiana

 

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

double chocolate pecan pie

You’re in for a real treat today! A double chocolate pecan pie that is so delicious and easy to make, you’ll be saying, “It’s easy as this pie!”

I originally found this recipe in an old newspaper clipping from 1974. I was intrigued by the simplicity of its ingredients and the fact that it has no corn syrup like most pecan pies do.

Old-fashioned recipes are one of my favorite things to make and collect. They just are so homey and comforting. Check out some of my favorites here. 

The original newspaper clipping suggests eating hot or cold with ice cream or whipped cream, and I couldn’t agree more! It’s delicious any way you slice it!

I created this lux dessert for Country Sampler Farmhouse Style magazine for their Summer 2024 issue and it’s filed under “Blue Ribbon winning Recipes”, and this one sure is!! 

It's very tasty any  time of year, but here I have it styled for a Fourth of July party with lots of vintage accessories and table linens. 

Although the blue check tablecloth is a vintage find, the napkins are from Ikea, and offer that pretty calico country look. In fact, I've spotted these same napkins on the Great British Baking Show! 

A few pretty blooms and ivy from the garden brighten up the whole table! 

I do hope you’ll give it a try!

 

ciao fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials” 

 

 

 

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a very delicious and easy quiche recipe

Since March our veg garden has been producing a massive amount of Swiss chard, so I’m always looking for new ways to eat this super green.

 

One of the best recipes I’ve tried is for Rainbow Chard Quiche, a recipe from Martha Stewart. 

It’s quite tasty with the added crunch of phyllo dough pastry crust.

  

I hope you get a chance to make this recipe. It’s easier than it looks and really tastes amazing!

 

 

ciao fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

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my friday five

 

Hello, dear friends. As 2022 comes to a close, I'd like to show you a few of my favorites from the past few weeks.

 

These five items have brought a smile to my face and made my heart tingle with joy, so I’m sharing them with you now…

 

Candles from Claire Burke have been burning nonstop here at Casa Ciao, and this Heirloom Fontana candle has had a place of honor on my dining room table for the whole month of December.

 

My dining room is at the center of my home, so when this candle is lit, the sweet scents of bergamot, clove, sage and cedarwood fills my home and drift softly from room to room.

For January, my candle of choice is the Claire Burke Original with scentimental notes of rose, lavender and patchouli.

 

This year has been the year of the tablecloth! Pacific and Rose designed so many gorgeous and colorful table linens this past year. One of my favorites is this pattern called Lilibet Cranberry Mint.

 

It’s such a versatile pattern and in this color palette, it’s truly so memorable to use during the holidays. I just love how it looks with my vintage red and white transferware plates and cups.

 

It really brings out the cranberry tones of the plates so beautifully and takes us outside the box of the traditional red and  green Christmas decor.

 

Now if it’s cozy stripes you’re after for your tablescape, look no further that Solino Home. Among my favorites are their

ü  Amalfi Stripe

ü  Capri Ticking Stripe

ü  Farmhouse Stripe

ü  French Stripe

Above you can see the Farmhouse Stripe in Black and Natural that I used for a Thanksgiving table. I also have these gorgeous Farmhouse Stripe linens in red that are soooo gorgeous!

 

Check out my table and blog post here: Gorgeous Farmhouse Stripes for the Christmas Table.

 

A lovely tablecloth with matching napkins are the best way to start your table setting, and then all the pieces seem to fall into place.

Recently, I’ve set several tables using some of August Table’s newest patterns and colorways, so I’m here today sharing with you one of my favorite looks.

This is a brand-new color way of the Talelayo pattern from August Table in brown.

 

I layered the fan-folded napkin on top of a salad plate, a dinner plate and a wooden charger. It's the perfect look for fall, but is also so elegant for starting the new year off in style.

If you’re looking for beautiful bakeware that works great in the oven and looks even better on your table, Wilton Texturra Non-Stick Bakeware is my pick!

 

I recently got this 7-piece baking set, and I’m totally obsessed! Cookies some out crisp and delicious, brownies just pop out of the pan with ease, and cakes come out with perfection!

 

And each pan has a non-stick coating, so cleanup is super easy. The color is just so pretty too, but honestly, these pans from Wilton just making baking my favorite desserts a joy!

 

ciao! fabiana

 

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You can check out some of my favorites here at “Tablescaping Essentials”*. 

 

 

 

 

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homemade strawberry rhubarb scones

Here’s a lovely little recipe that’s perfect for the weekend or for a special brunch. Chopped rhubarb is added to a classic scone recipe for the most delicious sweet and tart combo. The fresh strawberry glaze drizzled on top adds the sweetness. 

This recipe originally appeared in the Spring 2020 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, and I can now share it with all of you!  

Rhubarb Scones with Strawberry Glaze 

Yield: 6 

Ingredients 

¾ cup cold heavy cream 

1 large egg 

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 

1/4 cup granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons baking powder 

½ teaspoon fine salt 

6 tablespoons (¾  stick) very cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 

1 cup chopped cold rhubarb (about 1large stalks) 

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk together cream and egg. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. 

2. With a pastry blender or 2 forks, cut the cold butter into flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Stir in cold chopped rhubarb with a fork. Stir in the cream mixture until just combined. (The dough should be crumbly; do not overwork.) 

3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and pat into a 6-inch circle. Cut into 8 wedges and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until golden, 18 to 20 minutes, rotating sheet halfway through. 

4. Cool scones on a wire rack set on a baking sheet and make the glaze. Drizzle the glaze lightly over the cooled scones. Let glaze set for 30 minutes before serving. 

  

Strawberry Glaze 

  

½ cup chopped fresh strawberries to end up with ¼ cup puree 

1 ½ cups confectioners sugar 

  

1. Puree the fresh strawberries in a food processor or blender until smooth.  

2. With the confectioners sugar in a small bowl, whisk in the strawberry mixture a little bit at a time, until fully absorbed.  

3. Drizzle on cooled scones. (Note that the scones may absorb the glaze.) 

For those of us already thinking ahead to autumn, keep an eye out for the Fall 2020 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style. They’re featuring two of my favorite recipes using butternut squash... a Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake and luxurious Butternut Squash Pancakes!  

The autumn issue is available here.

ciao! fabiana

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