Christmas Pandoro (Golden Cake) Recipe

Christmas Pandoro (Golden Cake) Recipe is a delicious traditional Italian-inspired family recipe.


Grandma from Rome, Italy made this recipe every year.


A yeast egg cake as they refer to it, I think it's a cross between rich egg bread and a kind of cake.


This is very traditional among the Venetians and Italians.


It's a tall cake you can buy a mold for or use an extra-large coffee can to make it.


After it cooled it's covered in a sifted powdered sugar or a thick frosting depending on the Region in Italy.


They are sold commercially almost everywhere, especially around the holidays like Christmas, New Year, and Befana.


Not to be confused with Panettone which is a rich egg bread with raisins and we always make this recipe too along with Amaretto Panettone, Panettone French Toast, and Panettone Strata.


Scroll down to the recipe card to print off the recipe.

Baked Caramel Corn

Growing up Baked Caramel Corn was a favorite made at home.


Dad and I loved it and every time we would go to a fair or a local favorite place in Verona, Beach called Midway, which was just like a fairground with rides, food, games, etc.


Although Dad is long since passed in 1995, the fairgrounds are still there and the memories will live on forever to cherish.


That popcorn stand was the first stop we hit at that Verona, Beach fairground, every time we went there the smell just stopped us dead in tracks and dad would immediately buy some freshly made caramel corn.


It was so addicting and gone in a New York Minute!


Since that place was only opened in the spring for a short time, we had to learn to make something similar to hold us over and this was the best recipe ever to duplicate that memory.


This delicious crunchy caramel-coated popcorn back in the 1960s was irresistible and still is today and so easy to make in your own kitchens.


Later on, we learned to make a version of this delectable popcorn at home that was easy and baked, and it's been a favorite for the last 50 years of my life.


I make this every holiday for Christmas and even sometimes at Easter along with some other treats the family loves.


Homemade candies are fabulous and from the heart and also make fond memories in the kitchen.


Having two grown sons, they both love the homemade peanut brittle, peanut butter oreo bars and this baked caramel corn is number one on that list of must makes every year without fail!


If you're a caramel corn lover, scroll to the recipe card, the first one is our favorite and the other two recipes are some we made along the way the kids loved also like marshmallow popcorn balls and Nutella popcorn, it's all in a printable recipe card below.

Oreo Balls, Chocolate Truffles and Keto Truffle Recipes

No matter what the occasion, oreo balls, and chocolate truffles are always a welcomed sweet gift.

Homemade chocolate truffles are an economical way to make a gift-worthy treat, but they also allow you to customize each one the way they like that's made with love.

I love to add colorful decadent truffles to a pretty paper-lined festive tin.

Making a variety for everyone to enjoy just on what they're rolled in.

I make three recipes every year for those I give candy gifts to that are diabetic, chocolate cravers and of course, the cookie monsters in the family, and those oreo balls are perfect for kids.

If you need some ideas on making no-bake candy treats you hit the jackpot of recipes, both are perfect.

You can even add my homemade baked caramel corn or rum balls and peanut brittle, which is another big hit around holiday times.

Whether it's a birthday, any kind of holiday, get well gift needed or even just because someone you're missing, trust me, they will love these.

The sugar-free keto recipe is perfect for those carb watchers also!

So what are you waiting for?

Let's get the best assortment and ideas for candy-making ever in one sweet treat.

Just get creative and I bet you will come up with even more ideas to give me to try.

Scroll down for the recipes and do leave a comment and sharing ideas we love reading them.

Christmas Spinach and Egg Breakfast

It's the most beautiful time of the year. I love making things festive looking and especially the foods we eat. This Christmas spinach and egg breakfast - brunch just shouts with holiday colors and cheer! We love the flavors and you can totally adapt by adding anything else you love with this basic holiday breakfast.

Every year we make something special and usually coordinates the colors to match the Holiday. This year being everyone loves poached eggs, I added the spinach and tomato for color. The cheese just adds an additional awesome flavor to this dish that everyone just goes crazy for.

I really love the buttery taste of the poached eggs on Italian toast with the spinach and tomato. All the flavors go perfect together and easy to makeChristmastas morning is usually so busy with the kids, no one remembers to eat. This usually ends up a brunch. We really celebrate all day long, this is the perfect beginning to start the day.

White Chocolate Peanut Butter Krispies

Here is a favorite Holiday candy-cookie, we make every year.

White chocolate with peanut butter, marshmallows, and Rice Krispies. Creamy, smooth decadent and a divine confection. Plus the bonus making this, they're a no-bake treat.

Back in the 1970s, we loved a candy called boyer smoothie cups, maybe some of my readers remember them. I was a huge fan of those.

Well, these reminded me of those little candy cups ( just minus the marshmallows) when I first made them back in 2009 they brought me back to that taste of my childhood favorite candy bar.

This year, I decided these clusters needed to be dressed up for the Christmas holiday. These are the perfect addition to our candy or cookie trays.

Macadamia Coconut Chip Cookies

Whether it's holiday season or just because you love these kinds of cookies, they're always a hit! These Macadamia Nut Coconut Chip cookies are all dressed up for the Holiday season.

These delicious golden White Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Cookies are chocked full of white chocolate chips, macadamia nuts and coconut. The island flavors will blow you away with one bite. Crispy around the edges and filled with a taste of the tropics!

These won't last long, so make a double batch!

Graham Cracker Houses

These easy Graham Cracker Christmas houses are a great project for the kids to make at Christmas and perfect for gift giving.

We love making these easy festive edible houses and they are perfect for gift giving or a wonderful centerpiece on the holiday table.

The kids are so excited to make these with me every year and so proud of their finished project that just shouts the Christmas season.

Not only are these adorable and fun but they're delicious too and believe me the kids devour them quickly.

Using graham crackers is so easy and a fun project for the little ones, and they really makes a memorable experience.

Just get creative and make a walk way, use some candy canes on the sides and build a little dream of Christmas magic with your little ones.

If you love homemade gifts, do check out my Mason Jar Ideas and Gifts with Free downloadable recipes!

Christmas Tree Recipe Ideas

Every year I try something new and creative with my Christmas Tree Pan here are just a few suggestions this year.

I used it for my Krispie treats tinted with green food coloring, always a favorite at any function.

This pan can be purchased at any dollar store or you can find one online. You can make some very festive treats with this shaped pan.

I left mine plain for a good visual but just think how festive you can dress this up. Use some color sprinkles, sugar decorations, maraschino cherries, cut out mini star cookies etc.

Use some creative imagination and this is perfect for school parties, events and more, anything disposable works great to and the perfect shaped mold for the holidays!!

Christmas Befana Cookies

La Befana was approached by the three Wise Men (Magi), Melchior, Balthazar, and Gaspar, who asked her how to get to the road to Bethlehem and they asked her to join them on their journey to bring gifts to the Christ child.

First, she refused to say she was too busy however later that night, she saw a great light in the sky and decided to join the Wise Men and the shepherd bearing gifts that had belonged to her child who had passed away.

She relentlessly looked for Baby Jesus but got lost and never found the manger, this is just one story of the many legends that's been written.

The Feast of the Epiphany is celebrated on January 6 as a national holiday in Italy, and the tradition of La Befana is a big part of Italian Christmas celebrations.

The old woman who visits children in Italy on the eve of January 5th and on January 6th the Epiphany is celebrated similarly to the story of Santa Claus.

The woman enters children's homes through the chimney to deliver the gifts and through her visions and the loss of her child, he brings those gifts into her child's memory and feels like she became the mother of every child in Italy.

Every Epiphany Eve, the old witch is covered in black soot, from the chimney, has tattered clothes, and flies around the world on a broomstick, then comes down chimneys to deliver candy and presents to children that have been good all year.

To those who were naughty, she left coal so we have included both cookie recipes we make for this traditional legend to celebrate and recognize La Befana on this traditional day.