Christmas is a time for happiness, joy and fun, but also food! Italy has a long culinary tradition and several typical听dishes find place on our table this time of the year.听Fish, meat, cotechino and zampone are some of our favorite specialties, but cakes and sweets remain queens of the Italian Christmas pantry.
The tradition of the dolci di Natale is long and varied: hundreds of types of cakes, cookies and sweets are prepared from听North to South,听all of them different and delicious. Even if panettone and pandoro are the symbols of Christmas, there is more to this time of the year听than that, and a visit to any听pasticceria, bakery, in Italy will easily demonstrate that.
Here are some famous desserts you absolutely cannot miss, if you spend your Christmas in the country.
Croccante
It is made in almost every region of Italy, but especially in the Center and the South. There are debates about its origins: some believe听croccante hails from Spain, others that it was created in Sicily using an old Arabian recipe for a听sweet cake made with almonds, honey and spices. Whatever its听origins, croccante, whose main ingredients are almonds, honey, lemon and sugar, is consumed and loved everywhere in the country.
Ph. frangimus on flickr (flic.kr/p/7rSTFK)
Torrone
When you say听torrone, it is inevitably Christmas time. Torrone is a sweet, hard or soft type of nougat, made of whipped egg whites, honey, sugar and a variety of nuts: hazelnuts are particularly appreciated, but other varieties with almonds, pistachios and walnuts are also delicious.听Torrone听is usually covered in two layers of thin wafer that makes its consumption easier. Varieties covered in chocolate are popular, especially among children.听You can often find it at听Christmas street markets or local fairs.
Struffoli
Struffoli are typical Neapolitan听Christmas cake. The first struffoli,听it seems, were baked at the time of ancient Greece, as the very etymology of their names appear to suggest.听Strongoulos, in Greek, means “round shaped” and听struffoli听are just that, little round balls of sweet, deep fried pastry, dipped in honey and decorated with little colored sugar almonds. They are then arranged on a large plate to form one, single large cake.
Struffoli听are popular in other regions of Italy, too: they are known as听cicirata听or听迟耻谤诲颈诲诲矛听in Calabria and听cicerchiata听in Umbria and Abruzzo.
Certosino
The origins of this cake are linked to the city听of Bologna. Its main ingredients are almonds, pine nuts, dark chocolate and raisins, mixed with a series of spices. It is often prepared on the day of the Immacolata, on the 8th听of December, and kept ready for Christmas. Its receipe has been known since the Middle Ages.听Certosino听is very rich in flavor and texture and for this reason it is usually consumed in very thin slices.
Nadalin
Nadalin听is the ancestor of听pandoro and is actually very similar to it in ingredients, although it has a less buttery taste. It is sweeter and fragrant, a delight to the palate in its own right. Nadalin听has been baked in Verona since the 13th听century and it is considered a more traditional option to听pandoro听by many a Veronese.
Pandolce
This is a听cake from Genoa usually eaten for Christmas and it is very similar to a sweet loaf.听Marsala, an Italian liqueur, raisins and pine nuts are its main ingredients.
Ph. Luigi Rosa on flickr (flic.kr/p/21tmGN9)
Panforte
This is a typical Christmas cake from听Siena, but famous all over the Italian territory. Its origins are ancient and it used to be made only for the wealthy of the beautiful Tuscan town that made it famous. Its sticky, chewy texture is rendered by a mixture of candied orange and lemon, melon, almonds and spices.
Mustacciuoli and 搁辞肠肠辞肠貌
Once again, Naples steps up with its听mustacciuoli听and its 谤辞肠肠辞肠貌.听The first are soft pastry cookies, made with honey and candied fruit, covered with chocolate icing.听搁辞肠肠辞肠貌听are round cookies听made with almonds, sugar, spices and candied fruit. Often, marsala or vermouth is added to the dough to make it softer.
Ph. Caleb Lost on flickr (flic.kr/p/4e7cRg)
These are only some among the many听traditional Italian Christmas cakes and cookies you can find this time of the year,听but they are far from being the only ones. Cookies and chocolates are always present on our tables so you will certainly be spoiled for choices, wherever you decide to spend this most charming, delightfully sweet time of the year.听Buon Appetito!
Edited by Francesca Bezzone
