Come autumn and the cakes get nice and hearty! Here's la pinza in Veneto and the recipe... In Italy's north-east region of Veneto within...

Panettone's star partner Star-shaped and golden, this traditional, Italian Christmas cake has it's official origins in Verona but long before October 1894 'Breads of Gold' were found all over Italy: In Venice , 1500, during the Republic of Serenissima's reign, gold leaf was used to cover the most decadent of delicacies including a conical cake named 'Bread of Gold' - Pan de Oro . In Rome , 200AD, Pliny the Elder wrote of a recipe by Chef Vergilius Stephanus Senex - ' panis '

Much more than a merry celebration, Christmas in Italy is rooted in religious tradition. In Italy, Christmas is essentially a religious...