Christmas is the time of year when people reach for their aprons and measuring spoons to transform butter, sugar, and flour into delectable treats. Melissa Forti’s contemporary, yet steeped in tradition, approach to baking appeals to beginner and seasoned bakers alike. As the author of the acclaimed book The Italian Baker and owner of the utterly charming Melissa’s Tea Room and Cakes in her hometown of Sarzana, Italy, Forti combines a modern sensibility with old-world tradition. A self-taught baker, Forti’s artistry is based on centuries of Italian and European baking traditions. In this new book, she treats her readers to recipes that she has collected and modernized, as well as those she’s created herself. There’s Panettone revisited, a usually labor- intensive dish that Forti has simplified so people can make their own at home; Bonet, a chocolate caramel pudding, straight from the region of Piedmont; Torta delle rose, a brioche type of cake from the Lombardia region, shaped like a bouquet of roses, that will surely be a showstopper on any Christmas table! Each recipe is illustrated with a mouthwatering, full-color photograph. Forti knows that Christmas is more than a day—it’s a season for gathering with loved ones and celebrating the past as well as the present. Her Christmas baking book will help you make delicious treats as well as great memories during the coziest time of the year.

Photographs by: Danny Bernardini