First the News

Dear Readers, Many of you know that I wrote my first book as a fantasy/memoir of my life in Italy. But did you know that the next books I wrote were middle grade fantasies? It happened like this. 

After seeing Dog Days in Italy: How I Became an Expat Dog, three little boys in my life asked if I was going to write a story with them in it. Well, what started as a story became The Book of Mysteries, the first book in a fantasy trilogy for middle grade readers and readers of all ages. It’s the story of three young boys transported to a spooky old mansion by an old book. The mansion, rather like Alice’s Wonderland, is inhabited by all sorts of strange beings and a wacky train, a old tree who stands guard at the door to  another kingdom, and a wicked old witch who runs it all with an iron hand – or perhaps with an old cane and a number of big, ugly, and mean creatures who do her bidding. The boys escape only to be brought back once more to fulfill their destiny. 

This week, Monday through Friday, book one in the trilogy, The Book of Mysteries: Grimstone Mansion, is free on Amazon. It’s not just for kids anymore. Join, Charlie, Rafe, and Dash on their first adventure. It’s just the beginning.

 

And Then the Musings

On another note, thanks to all of you who took advantage of my free book last week, The Glass Ceiling Club. It scored 520 downloads on Amazon. This was my best sales week ever.  Now I am working on book four in the series which I am happy to say is about a third of the way through the first writing. Then there are multiple rounds of editing to go. This book follows from book three where Chiara and friends were in Venice. Following their experiences there, they and their partners decide it is time for a real vacation – away from the murdering crowd. They end up in beautiful Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast. But, of course, wherever Chiara goes murder seems to follow. I am hoping this book, Death Wore Sunglasses, will be available in the fall of 2026.

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 Well, enough said. I have to go and make some bread or we’ll be out of it and, of course, some cookies for snacking. But before I go, let me share my absolutely favorite cookie recipe. It’s perfect for those avoiding dairy and gluten. Until next time, Enjoy.

Brutti ma Buoni (Ugly but Good)  Brutti ma Buoni cookies differ in each region of Italy.  When I make these and tell my Italian neighbors and friends in Le Marche that they are Brutti ma Buoni they tell me that they are meringues.  In Le Marche, the recipe for Brutti ma Buoni contains flour, but this version is a wonderful flour-less cookie that will melt in your mouth.  It also contains chocolate which is not usually in the typical version.  In some areas, the cookie will be made with hazelnuts, but I generally use almonds which are more readily available.  When  I first made these cookies  in California a number of years ago, an acquaintance who had grown up in Piemonte, Italy, said they were just like the ones from the bakery down the street in his home town.  Friends from Puglia requested that we bring a batch of these cookies along when we visit them.

Brutti Ma Buoni

 Ingredients

2 cups of blanched almonds or hazelnuts toasted and coarsely chopped (After toasting roll the nuts in a towel to remove the skins if you can not buy them without the skins)

1 cup sugar

4 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Making the Brutti Ma Buoni

Step 1:  Toast almonds or hazelnuts on a baking sheet.  At 350 degrees this could take 5 to 10 minutes, but watch carefully because they will go from golden brown to overly brown very quickly.  

Step 2:  Remove nuts from the oven.  While they are still warm roll them in a towel to remove the skins if necessary. I usually buy skinless for this recipe. Let them cool completely.  If they are not completely cool, they will turn into a paste when you chop them.  

Step 3:  Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.

Step 4:  In a food processor with the metal blade chop the almonds.  They should be slightly coarsely chopped for this recipe, not the consistency of almond flour.

Step 5:  Place the four egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.

Step 6:  Fold in the nuts and chocolate chips.  Do not over mix as you will be taking the air out of the dough.

Step 7:  Drop the batter by scant tablespoons onto the prepared cookie sheet leaving room in between as the cookies will expand when they bake.  (I use parchment on the cookie sheets for this recipe.)

Step 8:  If desired you may top each cookie with a large chocolate chip or a whole almond before baking, but I generally i love them without the added embellishment.

Step 9:  Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes until they are so very lightly browned. I usually judge doneness when they can be lifted from the parchment paper.

Step 10:  Let the cookies cool for a few minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.