Three Wise Men on horseback in the courtyard of the Uffizi Gallery, during the historical recreation of the “Procession of the Magi,” to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Image via iStock by Zummolo
Drive by any neighborhood in the US a few days after Christmas, and you’re likely to see Christmas trees at the curb, ready to be picked up by the town’s waste management team. I’ve seen my share with tinsel or fake show still on them. For many, the day after Christmas is the day they un-decorate their home, and remove Christmas from the house, as some might say. Having been raised in Italy, where the season is celebrated until January 6th, this is a sad sight for me to see.
January 6th, which is exactly 12 days after Christmas, is when Italians and all Catholics celebrate the feast of the Epiphany. This is the real last day of the Christmas season, not December 26th, as some might want to believe. If we want to get technical, the Christmas season actually starts on Christmas Day, and lasts until the Epiphany. The days prior to Christmas are actually part of the advent. While Italians and Italian Americans conjure up images of a friendly witch on a broom delivering small gifts to well-behaved children; the Epiphany of course, has a much deeper, religious meaning. 
The Parade of the Epiphany in Florence, Tuscany. Image via iStock by Darla Trevilofa
According to the Gregorian calendar, January 6th marks the day the Three Wise Men, also known as the Magi, arrive to visit the newly born baby Jesus after several days searching for him, by following the Star. It’s also believed to be Jesus’ Baptism day, some 30 years after his birth. The word itself is of Greek origin and it means “manifestation” or “to show or display” to an audience. Both the visit of the Magi and the Baptism are important times in which Jesus was displayed as being an important figure, the son of God. According to the Catholic Church, the Epiphany rejoices the adoration of Jesus by the visiting Wise Men.
So where and how does the Befana, the friendly which delivering goodies to all well-behaved Italian children, actually come into play? 
An image of the historical recreation of the "Procession of the Magi" in Florence, Tuscany. Image via iStock by Zummolo.
The Three Wise Men on horseback bringing gifts (gold, incense, myrrh) to the new born child Jesus, during the historical recreation of the “Procession of the Magi” to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany. Image via iStock by Zummolo.
Christian folklore tells us that the Three Wise Men approached a friendly older woman asking her for directions as to where they might find Jesus. She did not know, but as they were in for a long journey, and she being a gracious host, she welcomed them in for the night so they could rest before continuing their journey. As she kept a very clean home, always sweeping and tidying up, she was more than able to welcome in some guests.
The next day, they continue on their journey and invited the kind woman to join them in finding the newly born Prince. She turned them down, indicating far too much housework would keep her away from her responsibilities. She later changed her mind, however, and set out to find the Magi and Jesus. She was unable to find them, so to this day, every year she goes out on her broom, looking for the little baby. She enters every home with the hope of finding him, and when she doesn’t, she leaves behind small toys or candy for the children she does find. 
In Parma, a group of women dress as Befane during the town parade. Image via iStock by Glorez.
January 6th really is the end of the Christmas season in Italy. Starting on December 8th, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, the feast of the Epiphany closes the season, much to the dismay of children all over, who by this point, have enjoyed several weeks of time off from school, overdoing it on sweets, being spoiled by relatives they might not see regularly, as well as receiving not one batch of presents from Babbo Natale , but one also from La Befana.
When children and adults alike think of the Befana, it's typically an image such as this, a friendly old woman on a broom. Image via iStock by Corrado Baratta Photos.
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For breakfast, I'm typically a toast and jam with a cup of coffee kind of person. It's boring and predictable but gets the job done at 5.30AM. I will say it gets boring fast. To mix it up a bit, I do sometimes splurge on various options that are a bit more on the sweet side. Perhaps it's the Italian in me, since most Italians love starting the day with a cornetto, I'm going to blame my upbringing for my sweet cravings!
Breakfast breads are one of my favorite ways to start the day as it somehow feels better to have something called "bread" for the first meal. But let's be honest here, breakfast breads are really just coffee cakes and desserts disguised as "bread." That said, this is the time of year where I do treat myself to breakfast that consists of things like these homemade breads, crostata, a few biscotti, or some homemade anisette toasts. This tiramisu breakfast bread is definitely one of my favorite ways to start the day. It's got a nice kick of espresso, it's not overly sweet, and with the delicious spread to go with it, it just hits the spot with a delicious homemade cappuccino. What better way to start the day than with this "bread"? It's got all the flavors of a tiramisu, except in a baked form. 
Seriously, when these are some of the ingredients, you know it's going to be good!
Ingredients for the bread
1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour 1 Teaspoon Baking Powder 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda 1/4 Teaspoon Salt 8 Oz Mascarpone Cheese 3/4 Cups Sugar 2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract (or Vanilla Bean Paste) 2 Large Eggs 1/2 Cup Buttermilk 1 Tablespoon Cacao Powder 1 Teaspoon Instant Espresso Powder 1 Tablespoon Water Sugar crystals - Optional Ingredients for the espresso spread 8 Oz Mascarpone Cheese 3 Tablespoons Marsala Wine or Freshly Brewed and Cooled Espresso 2 Tablespoons Powdered / Confectioners Sugar Dark Chocolate Shavings - Optional Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a standard loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside. 2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and set aside. 3. In a larger mixing bowl, cream the mascarpone cheese, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes. 4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. 5. Alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed mascarpone mixture, starting and ending with the flour, until fully combined. Do not over mix. 6. Divide the batter in half. 7. In a small bowl, add the cacao powder, espresso powder and water. Mix well using a fork or very small whisk. Batter will be the consistency of Nutella spread. Add this mixture to one bowl containing 1/2 of the batter. Mix well until combined. 8. Spoon batters in prepared pan, alternating the plain mixture with the espresso/cacao mixture. Swirl batters together with a skewer or knife. Top bread with sugar crystals, if using. 9. Bake bread for 50 - 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from pan and cool completely before serving. 10. While the bread is baking, prepare the espresso spread by creaming together the mascarpone cheese, marsala wine and sugar until all the ingredients are well blended. Top with dark chocolate shavings, if using. Tip: The spread will need to be refrigerated if not used all at once. 
I'm pretty much addicted to this stuff. Use it in place of vanilla extract. The same amount will do.
This is the cacao, espresso powder and water mixture. I still have a few small lumps in there, need to keep stirring!
Here are my batters, divided in order to create a marble effect in the baked loaf. Yes, my spatula says "I love baking" - and I do!
Here's the loaf ready to go in the oven. I brought back these lovely sugar crystals from Italy that I just love. They're hard to find here in the US, so you can skip this step completely if you cannot find them, or add a few tablespoons of course sugar, if you like.
This is the incredibly delicious mascarpone spread. I'm not going to lie, I could just eat this by the spoon!
How good does this look? The spread is not at all overly sweet from the espresso powder and the bread is delicate. This is one great way to start any day!
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Ready to make your 2020 Italian Travel Dreams come true? Consider joining us in one of our Culinary Adventures! CHIANTI: MAY 1 - MAY 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! AMALFI: MAY 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! EMILIA ROMAGNA: MAY 19 - 26, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! SICILY: SEPTEMBER 1 - 8, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! CHRISTMAS in TUSCANY - SPECIAL CULINARY & MARKET TOUR: DECEMBER 10 - 17, 2020. Click here for all trip info on this great adventure! |