Italian Holiday Cookies: Panforte, Amaretti, Biscotti & Baci di Dama
Bake Italian holiday cookies in Sonoma: panforte di Siena, pistachio amaretti, cranberry chocolate biscotti and baci di dama. Take a variety home.
program overview
Fill your holiday cookie tin with four Italian classics. Chef Maria Teresa Capdevielle brings the sweets of an Italian Christmas table to the Rotary Kitchen:
- Panforte di Siena: the dense, spiced Tuscan cake of honey, nuts and candied fruit
- Pistachio Amaretti: chewy almond and pistachio cookies, naturally gluten free
- Cranberry Chocolate Biscotti: twice baked and made for dunking
- Baci di Dama: “ladies’ kisses,” delicate hazelnut shortbread sandwiched with chocolate
You will work with nut flours, learn to judge doneness on a twice-baked cookie, and practice piping and sandwiching for a finish worth gifting. Students take home a variety of cookies to share.
All levels welcome, beginners included.
instructor Overview
Chef Maria Teresa Capdevielle
Maria Teresa Capdevielle is the author of “The Secrets of Baking with Olive Oil,” a professional pastry chef and a culinary chef/instructor from Abruzzo (Italy). She graduated from the California Culinary Academy in 2003 and did her internship at the famed Chez Panisse in Berkeley, where she learned about hand-selecting and gently preparing perfect produce. Her local experience includes V-Sattui, The Rose Pistola, The Waterfront, The Market Hall, The Townhouse Grill & Restaurant and V. Sattui Winery. She also teaches classes in-person and online at culinary centers in the SF Bay Area and at Milk Street in Boston, and consults for small restaurants and wineries to help them develop their dessert menu and train their teams.
http://www.mariateresaskitchen.com
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Materials fees are not discounted.
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Class FAQ
We ask that you notify us at least 10 days in advance of a class if you need to cancel your registration. You may cancel by phone or email and we will gladly offer you a refund or credit toward a future class. If you cancel with less than 10 days’ notice, we will not be able to provide refunds, due to our contractual obligations and material purchases for each class.
Sometimes, the Sonoma Community Center has to cancel a class due to low enrollment or unforeseen circumstances, such as a natural disaster or health emergency. If this happens and we do not offer a reschedule date, you will be refunded 100% of your registration fee (minus the payment processing and services fee), or credit towards a future class. If we are able to offer a reschedule date but you are unable to make the new date, we will gladly offer credit towards a future class.
All credits must be used within 1 year.
You can view our full class policies and guidelines here.
The Sonoma Community Center is committed to creating an accessible learning environment. If you require any special considerations(medical, physical, learning) please share them with Sean Baskin, Program Associate, by emailing him at [email protected] so that he can forward them to the relevant Program Director and Instructor.
Late additions to any program, class, or workshop that has already begun will be allowed on a per-case basis depending upon the Program Director & instructors approval. Late additions will have to pay the full registration cost of the class, along with any materials fees, and will not be prorated for the time missed. You may reach out to the program directors directly, or the Program Associate Sean Baskin at [email protected] to request a late addition.
We are always looking for new instructors. You can fill out the form directly here.
Saturday, December 19, 2026 from 10:30 am to 12:00 pm
Experience Level
BeginningAge(s)
18-overRegistration Cost:
$100
