Italy’s most famous Italian liqueur, Disaronno, has launched this year’s limited-edition “Disaronno Wears…” bottle.

This year, Disaronno wears Trussardi.

For the past several years, Italy’s most famous liqueur has partnered with a top Italian fashion house to create a limited-edition bottle. This year, the bottle is “dressed” in a Trussardi pattern; the chartreuse figure at the top right of the bottle is an interpretation of Trussardi’s greyhound logo.

Past designers have included Etro, Missoni, Moschino, Roberto Cavalli and Versace.

These bottles become collectors’ items, so grab them for amaretto-loving friends.

The limited-edition collaboration also includes a set of six mini-bottles, which you can apportion as stocking stuffers.
 
 
MORE ABOUT DISARONNO

From the time it was first imported into the U.S, in the 1960s, Disaronno, an amaretto liqueur, quickly became a hit in cocktails and food preparation. Americans loved the marzipan flavor.

Other brands of amaretto are available in the U.S., but Disaronno is the premium brand in the category.

By the 1980s, it was second in sales only to Kahlùa. (Today, the top liqueurs are Baileys Irish Cream and Malibu Caribbean Rum, but Disaronno remains in the Top 10.)
 
How To Enjoy Disaronno

Our two most frequent uses of amaretto are with after-dinner coffee, and as a flavoring in cakes, mousse and ice cream. Amaretto ice cream is a blast, alone or with a slice of amaretto-infused pound cake (need we mention amaretto ice cream on a brownie with fudge sauce?).

Here’s our list of almost 40 ways to use amaretto, both sweet and savory.

[2] Three of the six miniatures.

Here’s the history of Disaronno.

Here’s the difference between a cordial, an eau de vie, a liqueur and schnapps.

Trivia: No almonds are used to make Disaronno. Rather, the marzipan-like flavor is achieved through apricot kernel oil, burnt sugar and a variety of spices.

[2] Finally, the greenest person can use K-cups (photo courtesy Tayst Coffee).

Committed environmentalists and those who try to live green are in a quandary: They may want the ease of single-serving K-cups, but can’t abide the plastic and foil sent to the landfill.

Tayst Coffee, which has an office coffee program for businesses that use hundreds of K-cups a month, developed an alternative: biodegradable/compostable K-cups for both Keurig and Nespresso machines.

Individuals can buy them too, via a monthly delivery “club.” You can buy 30, 40, or 60 pods a month, starting at $22.00.

You can try it yourself, with a free trial shipment that leads into the club.

Coffee options include

 
You can try a sampler before making a decision. You can change your selection or cancel at any time.

You can send a one-time gift, or a 3- or 6-month club.

Head to Tayst.com for your sample box or to send a gift.
 
 
BEYOND BIODEGRADABLE

Tayst Coffee produces its products following the guidelines of:

 
It’s coffee you can feel good about drinking, and gifting.
  

This past weekend we got into the seasonal spirit by making a batch of pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. Five dozen of them disappeared over the weekend (we had some guests for brunch), so we’re sharing the recipe with you.

The last time we made something similar was five years ago, when we made pumpkin chocolate chip cookies with spelt flour (photo #2). The spelt flavor adds a touch of flavor sophistication. If you have the flour, try this recipe, too.

By the way: The reason we haven’t made that recipe since is that we can’t resist them, although we could say that about the classic Nestlé Toll House recipe as well.

This recipe, from King Arthur Flour, adds a sugar glaze on top of the cookies. This glaze is beyond gilding the lily: It’s drowning the lily!

We’ve included the recipe for the glaze, with the advice that you pass it by (unless you really want sugar on top of your sugar).

If you don’t want the nuts, add an extra cup of chocolate chips for a gooier cookie. We substituted white chips.

Prep time is 45 minutes. Bake time is 17 minutes to 19 minutes.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients For 5 Dozen Cookies

 
Ingredients For The Sugar Glaze

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets, or line them with parchment paper.

2. WHISK together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl.

3. BEAT together the butter and sugars in a separate bowl. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat briefly, just until smooth. Add the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and orange zest, beating to blend.

[2] Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies made with spelt flour (photo courtesy Shiloh Farms).

[3] Bonus treat: pumpkin whoopie pies. Here’s the recipe from Kraft.

5. SCOOP and drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets in 1-1/4″ balls, using a tablespoon cookie scoop or a scoop spoon. Bake them on the middle oven rack for about 18 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Remove the cookies from the oven, and let them cool on the baking sheets 5 minutes before transferring them to racks.

6. OPTIONAL glaze: Stir together the sugar, milk and vanilla until the glaze is smooth. Dip the tops of the cookies in the glaze; or drizzle the glaze over the cookies. Place the cookies back on the rack for the glaze to set.

7. WRAP loosely, and store for several days at room temperature; freeze for longer storage. (We placed our cookies between layers of wax paper in a cookie tin.)