We’re lucky that our immediate family all live nearby. Because of that, one of our daughters usually hosts Christmas Eve dinner, I do Christmas breakfast, and the other daughter hosts Christmas dinner. We all contribute to the two dinners, of course, since it’s a lot of work for one person. My contribution to Christmas Eve this year will be a gratin dauphinois, which is a variety of scalloped potatoes made with lots of cream, Swiss cheese, garlic, and potatoes. This is a favorite of my grandchildren and was specially requested. 🙂

Christmas breakfast will include a Scandinavian-style bread with cardamom and glacéed fruits. It smells heavenly and tastes even better! I’ve made this every year for over twenty years now, and everyone still enjoys it. My husband and I used to enjoy the leftovers for several days after Christmas, but now our grandchildren eat a lot more than they used to! LOL!

This year I’m taking dessert to Christmas dinner. I love to bake, so that’s fine, though I’ve found out that there will be about three dozen of us, with friends and extended family! I never did get an answer from my daughter about whether anyone else was bringing dessert, so I’m guessing I need to provide for everyone — and I’m ready! I decided to make cassata, which is an Italian dish. I made the recipe once some years ago, and it was delicious. It begins with a pound cake, which is sliced horizontally and layered with a filling of ricotta, orange liqueur, chocolate, and candied fruit. Then it’s frosted with more chocolate, and I’ve decorated mine with candied cherries and silver sugar. I hope it will taste as good as I remember!

Merry Christmas!