ITALIAN DESSERTS TRUE ITALIAN TASTE In collaboration with GUIDEBOOK Online Guidebook
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table#italiandessertsofcontents A Journey into Italian Desserts Italian Holiday Desserts 10 Iconic Italian Desserts 12415
A Journey into Italian Desserts
It could be argued that almost everyone’s favorite part of a meal is when it’s time for dessert. Known for their rich cuisine, Italians do not disappoint when it comes to their selection of the sweeter things in life. It is not surprising, given their diverse cultures, that each region has its own selection of delectable desserts. To get to know more about these Italian guilty pleasures, let us embark on an adventure from the ports of Venice to the ancient streets of Rome through the sprawling vineyards of Sicily.
The accredited inventor of Tiramisu would finally be Ado Campeol. He was the owner of the restaurant “Le Beccherie” in Treviso and it was there that tiramisu was born in 1970, subsequently certified by the Italian Academy of Cuisine with a notary deed.
THE ITALIAN DESSERTS
The Tiramisù
The dessert’s name decomposed–tireme su, in the Treviso dialect–literally translates to “pick me up” or “cheer me up,” which is most certainly befitting of such a wonderful creation. For such an iconic dessert, the tiramisu is surprisingly easy to make. We’ve included its recipe in this guide toward the end for the curious readers who would like to try their hands at making this dessert.
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Docking our ship at a Venice port and traveling inwards to where Italy borders Austria, we reach Friuli Venezia Giulia–the officially recognized home of the most famous Italian dessert: tiramisù.
There are several stories concerning the origins of the tiramisù. The first testimonies regarding tiramisu lead us to another dessert of Treviso’s peasant tradition: the Sbatudin. From here the Tiramisu was born and then evolved. Egg yolk was beaten with sugar until it became a frothy cream. Already in the nineteenth century in the province of Treviso this original cream was prepared, to be consumed with biscuits and cheese. The Tiramisu evolved in the various Treviso homes and kitchens, with families interpreting the recipe in different ways, ending up including six main ingredients: cocoa, coffee, mascarpone, ladyfingers, egg yolk and sugar.
“The City Of Treviso With A Carrack”, 1493
The origins of the torrone purportedly dates back to ancient Roman times as a recipe for a delicacy called nucatum as outlined in the Apicius, a cookbook from that time, bears remarkable similarity to that of the torrone: a sweet made with nuts, honey, and egg whites.
Despite being such a culturally defining dessert, as you might have noticed, the tiramisu does not even come close to being one of the oldest and most traditional Italian dessert. A strong contender for the title is cantucci.
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Whilst playing a significant role in Italian cuisine, the delicacies which we have come to know as Italian desserts were not all created with the expressed purpose of post-meal consumption in mind. The cantucci was originally created as an easy-to-transport and nigh non-perishable source of sustenance for the Roman Legions during ancient wartime.
This kind of biscuits as we have come to know and love today are made with almonds and are associated with the Tuscan region of Italy in the 14th century. The creation of it is credited to a Tuscan baker who encouraged his patrons to dip them in the local sweet wine, a tradition that has survived up to the present
day.Before
we continue to discuss the sugar-laden recipes that came after, there is one last ancient dessert whose recipe consists wholly of natural sweeteners that we must mention: the torrone or nougat.
Roman Legionnaires marching Cantucci
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Another dessert with simple and easily modified recipe is zabaglione (or zabaione). It’s recipe includes only egg yolk, sugar, and sweet or fortified wine such as Marsala, Moscato, or Port and may be served with chocolate shavings or dusted with cocoa powder. In the summer it can be paired with fresh berries or biscotti.
Torrone
However local lore retells that the torrone name originated in 1441 on the wedding day of Francesco Sforza and Bianca Maria Visconti, the Duke and Duchess of Milan. Their cooks prepared the dessert with almonds, honey, and egg whites, and molded it after the city’s torrione (towers); hence, giving the sweet its name.
Zabaione with the classic Savoiardo, an iconic pair
Having competing claims of origin is a shared characteristic of a variety of Italian dishes. Zabaione is rumored to have made its first appearance at the court of Caterina de Medici in the form of a cold drink of sugar, egg, and wine in the 16th century. One of the more accredited theories states that it was invented in Turin in the 16th century in honor of the Franciscan Saint Pasquale Baylón, protector of cooks and pastry chefs. The delicacy was at first presented with the name of “cream of San Baylón’’ before simply being dubbed Sambayon. Today in Piedmontese dialect, the beverage is still called sanbajon.
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Baci di Dama
At the mention of Caterina de Medici’s court, we cannot neglect to give acknowledgements to a popular French dessert that evolved from an original recipe created by an Italian chef named Panterelli: the profiterole (cream puff, or chou à la crème) is a filled French choux pastry ball with a typically sweet and moist filling of whipped cream, custard, pastry cream, or ice cream. Panterelli was part of the queen’s entourage when she left Florence for the French court to marry King Henry II in 1530. His recipe was passed down to the next royal chef when he retired from his post after seven years before it was perfected in the 18th century by the pastry chef Avice.
Henry II, F. Clouet, 1559Profiterol
Caterina De’ Medici, François Clouet, c. 1560
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Taking a break from the heavy chocolate-laden cakes, you might want to give the “baci di dama” (“lady’s kisses”) cookies a try. The cookies were created in Piedmont for the king at the time, Vittorio Emanuele II, who enjoyed them very much. The name of the cookie analogizes its shape and composition: the two round hazelnut shells of the cookie share a kiss of sweet, lustful chocolate filling.
The torta di nocciole is actually a festive dish for the peasants in olden times. The exact origins of this dessert is unknown but we do know that it came from the Piedmont region. It is usually made with leftover hazelnuts from the summer harvest and could contain rum and flour, and would be served at Christmas for families with meager means.
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Moving away from confectionery enjoyed by the Italians aristocracy in medieval times, we have two significant cakes that have humble origins but of whose presence on the dinner table is still appreciated by Italian families throughout: the sbrisolona, literally means “crumble cake,” and the torta di nocciole, “hazelnut cake.”
Torta di nocciole
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To make the sbrisolona, in the 16th century in Mantuan, Lombardy, lard was mixed with corn flour to obtain a sort of granulate that was the typical breakfast of the poorer families. Over time two simple ingredients were added, such as sugar and eggs. Due to its tastiness, the recipe eventually reached the royal court and was then embossed with more expensive ingredients.
Mantova in medieval times
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Neapolitan Babà
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Ali Baba, the main character of an arab folk tale from the One Thousand and One Nights
Our search for delicacies will bring us finally to the south of Italy, notorious for its unique creations. Naples offers a wide variety of desserts, being one of the food capitals of Italy. Among all pastries that can be found there, Babà is the most iconic. It is a bouchon-shaped dessert soaked in a rum-flavored syrup. It may be served with whipped cream, fresh fruit, custard or just as it is. In pastry shops and bakeries, you’ll find it either as a large cake or a small pastry with a bouchon shape. The origins of this delicious pastry go back to the 18th century and not in Italy! Legend has it that it was invented by none other than Stanislas Leszcsynski, a former king of Poland and Duke of Lorraine, when he spilled some rum on a dry Lorrainian kugelhopf. He took a bite, liked what he was eating and named it after his favourite hero—Ali Baba of The Thousand and One Nights (although the name may well have come from the Polish word babka).
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If you have a sweet tooth, Sicily may be your spiritual home. Sicilian desserts are just something else. The food of Sicily is unique and differs from that of mainland Italy. It draws inspiration and techniques from cultures that have inhabited the island over many centuries. Ingredients such as lemons, almonds and pistachios were brought by the Arabs of North Africa and chocolate was later introduced by the Spanish. With these ingredients, Arabs also gave birth to one of the most loved Italian desserts: gelato (ice cream).
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However, there is another version of the origin of Italian gelato. In fact, it is believed to be created by alchemist Cosimo Ruggieri, who resided in Florence during the reign of Catherine de’ Medici. Thanks to a frozen dessert of sweet fruit juice and ice, Cosimo Ruggieri won a cooking competition sponsored by the Medici family. He never imagined that his creation would evolve into one of the most loved desserts of all time: gelato.
Speaking of modern Italian gelato, we can say that it is typically spread with a flat spatula over cones and into cups rather than being scooped. There are countless taste options, from the traditional fruit, vanilla, or chocolate to some daring new combinations using herbs and spices.
An alchemist laboratory
Cannoli is a culinary perfection. With a crunchy tube, creamy ricotta, powdery icing sugar – the richness of textures primes the palate for the dance between sweet and nutty (in the hazelnut or pistachio versions), fruity (in the candied peel version) or velvety bitterness (in the dark chocolate chips version). Before the modern laws on hygiene, the pasta was rolled on small cylinders obtained by cutting out normal river reeds, which gave the cake its name, but today they are made of steel.
In a typical Gelateria (“Gelato shop”)
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Only later did the cooks of the emir’s court decide to wrap this ricotta cream in a layer of shortcrust pastry and bake it in the oven. Thus the first form of cassata al forno was born.
Cannolo in traditional style (bottomright) and Cannolo scomposto (“disassembled”, Cups in the center)
A humbler version of the cassata is the cassata al forno.
One legend has it that an Arab shepherd, who was already in Sicily, decided to mix ricotta with sugar. A Sicilian who saw what the saracino was doing, curious, asked him the name of the dessert, to which was replied quas’at. This was actually the name of the flared-shaped bowl that the saracino was using, and which we use today for making cassata al forno (baked cassata).
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Traditional Cassata
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Cannoli were originally a carnival dessert from Palermo, although another story has them first made in the Moorish harem of Kalt El Nissa, today’s Caltanissetta, and a third wants them an invention of pious nuns cloistered in a convent, also in Caltanissetta. Finally, we have Cassata, a round sponge cake filled with sweetened ricotta mixed with liqueur, chocolate chips and candied fruit, then iced and decorated with candied fruit and almond paste. This dessert is believed to have originated in Palermo in the 10th century under the Muslim rule. Historian John Dickie claims instead that the Sicilian word cassata did not derive from Arabic qaššāṭah (“bowl”), as is often claimed, but from Latin caseāta (“cheese concoction”).
The cannoli, must be filled when it is time to eat them; this is because, with the passage of time, the humidity of the ricotta is absorbed by the dough, making it lose its crunchiness. To avoid this inconvenience, some pastry chefs coat the inner surface of the cannolo with melted chocolate: in this way, the wrapper does not soak and remains crunchy for longer.
Cassata al forno
The eternal rival of Panettone is Pandoro. Made from a rich, eggy dough, this “golden bread” is baked in an eight-pointed star-shaped pan that gives it its signature form. Its origins are found in the magnificence of the Venetian court of ‘500, or more probably in the tradition of a typical sweet of that area, the Nadalin, which has a simple and soft dough.
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In Italy, it wouldn’t be a holiday feast without something sweet to finish. From Milan to Palermo and beyond, some of the most widespread holiday desserts find their origins in centuries-old recipes that are still celebrated to this day. The result? An abundance of cakes, biscotti, nougat, and more, which can even symbolize love and good wishes, and are perfect for sharing and gifting alike.
Typical Panettone
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Italian Holiday Desserts
Christmas is the most important holiday in Italy, and the one that offers the largest variety of desserts. The number one Christmas dessert in Italy is panettone, the pillowy, puffed-up holiday cake that finds its origins in Milano as far back as the 15th century. This delicious treat is made of sweet dough studded with candied fruits and raisins, and is typically consumed with hot chocolate, ice cream, or eggnog. Legend has it that panettone was invented by a Milanese noble named Ugheto Atellani as a means of conquering the heart of Adalgisa, the local baker’s daughter with whom he fell in love, and the bread was supposedly served at their wedding. Often exchanged as a gift among friends and family, panettone represents an act of kindness and a wish for a happy holiday.
During February, Carnevale (carnival) is the most important holiday in Italy. Like France’s Mardi Gras, Carnevale is the final hurrah before the restrictions of Lent begin on Ash Wednesday (February 14). As for other holidays, this celebration has its own traditional sweets. Chiacchiere are, hands down, one of the symbols of Carnevale. These pastry fritters are made from dough that is cut into thin, rectangular sheets, which are then twisted into ribbons or kept flat with wavy borders. They are then deep-fried and usually finished with a sprinkling of powdered sugar. Sometimes called angel wings due to their appearance, this carnival treat has many names depending on the region, and every region in Italy seems to claim chiacchiere as their own.
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The pandoro is the product of the ancient art of breadmaking, and was reserved solely for the rich to enjoy throughout the Middle Ages. Pastry chef Domenico Melegatti was the first to transform this golden leavened cake (it was called Pan d’oro for the nuance of its outer part) into a delicious Christmas dessert. Since then, Christmas has never been the same.
Chiacchiere with icing sugar on top
Pandoro
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Colomba Pasquale
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Pastiera napoletana
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During Easter, Colomba di Pasqua (Easter Dove Bread) is the most eaten cake in Italy. It is the Easter’s counterpart of Panettone and Pandoro. The dough of the colomba is made with flour, eggs, sugar, natural yeast, and butter and is covered with pearl sugar and almonds and is baked in the shape of a dove to symbolize peace.
Finally, Pastiera Napoletana is a favorite throughout Italy during the Easter period. With simple ingredients like ricotta cheese, candied peel, and orange flower water, the cake perfectly evoke the flavors and scents of spring in the bay of Naples, one of the most suggestive cities in Italy, where this cake is said to have originated.
10 Iconic Italian Desserts
THE ITALIAN DESSERTS
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The dessert’s name decomposed–tireme su, in the Treviso dialect–literally translates to “pick me up” or “cheer me up,” which is most certainly befitting of such a wonderful creation. For such an iconic dessert, the tiramisu is surprisingly easy to make. The original recipe only includes savoiardi (ladyfingers) soaked in espresso, mascarpone, eggs, and cacao. Yet, its variations run abound.
Typical Italian Tiramisù
Tiramisù “decomposed”: a modern version of the classic Italian dessert
1. Tiramisù
Cannoli from Sicily
Cannoli is a culinary perfection. With a crunchy tube, creamy ricotta, powdery icing sugar – the richness of textures primes the palate for the dance between sweet and nutty (in the hazelnut or pistachio versions), fruity (in the candied peel version) or velvety bitterness (in the dark chocolate chips version).
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Gelato, often referred to as Italian-style ice cream, is famous all around the world. As with ice cream, the base for gelato is made with milk, cream, eggs, and sugar, to which fruit purees, nuts, fruit, or other various flavorings are later added. However, the main difference between Gelato and icecream is that gelato has a lower percentage of fat, slow mixing process, and denser texture. Italian gelato is typically spread with a flat spatula over cones and into cups rather than being scooped. There are countless taste options, from the traditional fruit, vanilla, or chocolate to some daring new combinations using herbs and spices.
A cone of gelato eaten in front of Canal Grande in Venice
2. Gelato
3. Cannolo
Panna cotta with red berries on top
4. Panna Cotta
One of the best known and frequently requested desserts, panna cotta – literally “cooked cream” – originated in Piedmont and is made of cream and sugar. Some alleged testimonies, of which there is no evidence, would tell of a Cuneo-based chef named Ettore Songia who in the mid-sixties would have developed the recipe for this dessert. We can say that panna cotta is one of the most popular desserts to be eaten with the spoon. There are different versions and flavorings like coffee, some with lavender, or perhaps almond, rosemary or caramel; and they are always brought to the table with warm sauces based on berries, chocolate, cream or caramel. Its delicate sweetness, smooth texture and the elegant way it is plated make it a perfect treat at the end of a meal.
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THE ITALIAN DESSERTS
Neapolitan Babà soaked in rum-flavored syrup
5. Babà
Naples offers a wide variety of desserts, being one of the food capitals of Italy. Among all pastries can be found in Naples, Babà is the most iconic. It is a bouchon-shaped dessert soaked in a rum-flavored syrup. It may be served with whipped cream, fresh fruit, custard or just as it is. In pastry shops and bakeries, you’ll find it either as a large cake or a small pastry with a bouchon shape.
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Modern version of Sicilian Cassata, to be eaten with a teaspoon
7. Cassata
Homemade apricot crostata with some powdered sugar on top
6. Crostata
Cassata, a round sponge cake filled with sweetened ricotta mixed with liqueur, chocolate chips and candied fruit, then iced and decorated with candied fruit and almond paste. The rich, baroque look of this dessert is a tribute to the important occasions in the Sicilian tradition when it is eaten, namely Easter and Christmas.
Italian Crostata is the Italian dessert recipe for excellence, made with pasta frolla and jam. Crostata is a genuine, simple, incredibly greedy dessert that everyone in Italy loves deeply! There’s no specific time when to eat crostata, you can have it for breakfast with a glass of milk, hot coffee, or fruit juice. It can also be eaten as a snack during the afternoon or as a perfect dessert after dinner. This timeless classic is a sweet treat for any occasion. You can transform it into a thousand different tarts, depending on the filling: fruit tart, chocolate tart, custard tart, ricotta tart or apple tart. The most classic and traditional Italian jam tart is the apricot crostata. But you can use any type of jam for this recipe: peaches, strawberries, berries, and figs. In short, use the jam you like the most!
9. Sfogliatella
from Naples with some powdered sugar on top
Salame al cioccolato, the funniest Italian
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dessertSfogliatelle
8. Salame al cioccolato
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Sfogliatella is a shellshaped layered pastry, with a sweet custardlike filling made with semolina, ricotta, and candied citrus fruit. Other fillings can be: simple whipped cream, almond paste, or chocolate cream. This dessert is mostly associated with Naples and has two main styles – riccia and frolla. Riccia means “curly” and is the original version made with flaky, layered pastry. This style is best when freshly baked and hot out of the oven to get its famous crunch. Frolla features a less labour-intensive shortcrust pastry shell, so doesn’t have sfogliatella’s signature thin layers. But it’s still delicious and can be eaten hot or cold.
A salame di cioccolato, or Chocolate Salami, is a traditional and delicious little dessert. This “salami” is just dark chocolate whisked with eggs and sugar to form a kind of mousse, then folded with broken up tea biscuits. After firming up overnight in the fridge, the salami is dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Some people even take the effect a step further and tie it up with string. Chocolate Salami can be served on a cutting board, with the first few slices already cut, along with a small knife so your guests can help themselves to more slices if they like, just as you would with a real salami. A festive dessert for a holiday party or just anytime you’d like to treat yourself to something sweet and pretty.
Zuppa Inglese is a spoon dessert typical of Central Italy, in particular Emilia Romagna region. This really famous and ancient Italian dessert is made with layers of ladyfingers (or sponge cake) dipped in Alchermes liqueur, pastry cream and chocolate cream. Zuppa Inglese is a great classic of Italian pastry, an evergreen dessert. Zuppa inglese is very easy to make and, thanks to the layers of different colors, it has a great visual effect too. Like all traditional Italian recipes, it has many variations. Many use toppings and decorations, such as meringue, whipped cream, or pieces of chocolate.
10. Zuppa Inglese
Zuppa Inglese, an eye-catching dessert
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“Life
Our journey into Italian desserts has come to an end. Hoping that you have enjoyed the time you spent with us, we would like you to try to cook at home some of the most delicious desserts you have seen during this trip. Don’t panic, in the next section you can find the recipes!
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__ Jacques Torres __ is short. Eat the dessert first.”
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Finish with a mascarpone layer and sift on the remaining cocoa powder. Decorate the dish to your liking.
• Cocoa powder ex brute 10gr
• 5 long espresso
• Mascarpone 500gr
Tiramisu RecipeCooking method
• Sugar 250gr
Start with a layer of biscuits, sprinkle over a little dark chocolate and a dusting of cocoa. Spread a layer of the mascarpone mixture all over. Arrange 8 more lady fingers on top, more chocolate and cocoa, then another layer of mascarpone and another layer of biscuits, then the last of the chocolate and some more cocoa.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl in a pot with steaming hot water inside until the mixture gets pale and doubles in volume. Whisk the mascarpone and cream together until thick. Then whisk the two mixtures together. Make the dip for the lady fingers. Dissolve the vanilla sugar with the hot espresso. Dip the lady fingers into the coffee mixture, so that they evenly absorb the liquid. You want the lady fingers to absorb as much liquid as possible without turning soggy.
• Lady finger 24 pieces
• Dark chocolate (optional)
For 10-12 people
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Line the base and sides of a large bread tin with a strip of baking parchment long enough to hang over at the ends. This will enable you to easily lift the Tiramisu out of the tin to serve. Aim to make 3 layers of mascarpone and 3 layers of biscuits with 8 lady fingers on each layer.
• Egg yolk 80 gr
• Whipping cream 250gr
Cannolo Dough (10-12 Ricottapieces)cream• Flour 00 w300/320 100g • Sugar 10gr • Butter 15gr • Salt 5 gr (1 tablespoon) • Egg 1 • Marsala Wine 30gr • Grated lemon qb (“at your •discretion”)Cinnamon qb (“at your •••discretion”)Ricotta400grIcingSugar50gr Chocolate pearls 40gr • Candied orange 40gr THE ITALIAN DESSERTS
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Decorate
Cannolo dough: Mix all the ingredients in the mixer until a smooth dough is formed. Wrap the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.After the resting time, roll out the dough to 1mm thick and cut out some ovalshaped portions of the appropriate size. Brush with egg (lightly beaten) an edge of the oval, wrap on the straw and close by attaching the edges one to the other. Fry the dough in boiling oil (at 170 “) paying attention that cooking is quick, place them on a grill and let them rest.
Ricotta cream: Energetically mix the icing sugar with the ricotta, then pass them through a sieve to obtain a smooth and soft cream. Add the chocolate pearls and candied orange in cubes (finely chopped) and mix evenly. the cannoli with a piping bag and the smooth nozzle, sprinkle with icing sugar and garnish with diced candied orange and pistachio (optional, for decoration). the dish to your liking.
- Fill
Cannoli recipeCooking method
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the dough on it, flatten it by about 1 cm, add the berries purée. Preheat the oven at 100 degrees and then cook the meringue at 90 degrees for about 2 hours and 30 minutes to 3 hours, keeping the oven door slightly open in order to remove the humidity (you can use a wooden spoon). Take out the meringue from the oven and let it cool in a dry place.
• Icing sugar 100gr
• Cream 500gr
Pannacotta
Meringue
• Vanilla bean 1gr
• Sugar 100gr
• Pasteurized milk 500gr
• Lemon juice 5-6 drops (1/4 purée
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Soak the gelatine in cold water, lightly boil the milk and the cream over medium heat with sugar and vanilla bean. Squeeze the gelatin in order to remove water, put it in the sauce pan and mix all the ingredients together until the gelatine completely melts, after that put the mixture in the glass. Cool it down for 10 minutes and then put it in the fridge.
Begin to whisk them with an electric whisk or a planetary mixer, adding half of the sifted icing sugar one spoonful at a time. Whip until stiff.
•lemon)Berry
Pannacotta 90gr (for 10-12 people)
• Sugar 120gr
• Egg white 100gr
Combine the egg whites in a bowl together with a pinch of salt.
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Add the remaining sifted icing sugar, always one tablespoon at a time, followed by the lemon juice, stirring from bottom to top with a spatula until blended.
Meringue
Panna Cotta RecipeCooking method
Take the panna cotta out from the fridge, pour the berry purée and fresh mint leaves in the glass with the panna cotta and finish the dish by putting the meringue on top as a decoration.
• Gelatine 18gr