Tiramisu is an Italian dessert made of ladyfinger pastries (savoiardi) dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar and mascarpone and flavoured with cocoa. The recipe has been adapted into many varieties of cakes and other desserts. Its origin is disputed between the Italian regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The name comes from the Italian tirami su.
Cannoli is a Sicilian pastry consisting of a tube-shaped shell of fried pastry dough, filled with a sweet, creamy filling containing ricotta cheese. Its range in size from 9 to 20 centimetres. In mainland Italy, it is commonly known as cannolo siciliano.
Sicilian cuisine is the style of cooking on the island of Sicily. It shows traces of all cultures that have existed on the island of Sicily over the last two millennia. Although its cuisine has much in common with Italian cuisine, Sicilian food also has Greek, Spanish, French, Jewish, and Arab influences.
Frutta martorana is a Sicilian marzipan sweet in the form of fruits and vegetables from the provinces of Palermo and Trapani.
Gelato is the common word in Italian for all types of ice cream. In English, it specifically refers to a frozen dessert of Italian origin. Artisanal gelato in Italy generally contains 6–9% butterfat, which is lower than other styles of frozen dessert. Gelato typically contains 35% air and more flavoring than other types of frozen desserts, giving it a density and richness that distinguishes it from other ice creams.
Granita is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings. Originally from Sicily, it is available throughout Italy in varying forms. It is related to sorbet and Italian ice; however, throughout Sicily its consistency varies. Food writer Jeffrey Steingarten says that "the desired texture seems to vary from city to city" on the island; on the west coast and in Palermo, it is at its chunkiest, and in the east, it is nearly as smooth as sorbet. This is largely the result of different freezing techniques: the smoother types are produced in a gelato machine, while the coarser varieties are frozen with only occasional agitation, then scraped or shaved to produce separated crystals. Although its texture varies from coarse to smooth, it is always different from that of ice cream, which is creamier, and from that of sorbet, which is more compact; this makes granita distinct and unique.
Italian ice is a semi-frozen sweetened treat composed of finely granulated ice and fruit concentrates, juices, or purées, or other natural or artificial food flavorings. Italian ice is derived from Italian granita and is in many ways similar to sorbet and snow cones, but differs from American-style sherbet in that it does not contain dairy or egg ingredients. The ingredients in Italian ice are mixed, then whipped during the freezing process similar to the process for making ice cream. As a group, Italian ice comes in a variety of consistencies from crunchy, to smooth, to slushy. In Philadelphia and the Delaware Valley, including South Jersey and northern Delaware, Italian ice is known as water ice.
Panforte is a traditional chewy Italian dessert containing fruit and nuts. It is similar to a florentine but much thicker and is a little like a lebkuchen. Known throughout Italy, it is an Italian Christmas tradition associated especially with the province of Siena.
Cassata or cassata siciliana is a traditional cake from the Sicily region of Italy. Cassata is typically composed of a round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and layered with ricotta cheese and candied fruit. Cassata has a shell of marzipan, pink and green colored icing, and decorative designs. Cassata may also refer to a Neapolitan ice cream containing candied or dried fruit and nuts.
Italian cuisine is a Mediterranean cuisine consisting of the ingredients, recipes, and cooking techniques developed in Italy since Roman times and later spread around the world together with waves of Italian diaspora. Significant changes occurred with the colonization of the Americas and the introduction of potatoes, tomatoes, capsicums, maize, and sugar beet—the latter introduced in quantity in the 18th century. It is one of the best-known and most appreciated gastronomies worldwide.
Danilo Dolci was an Italian social activist, sociologist, popular educator and poet. He is best known for his opposition to poverty, social exclusion and the Mafia in Sicily, and is considered to be one of the protagonists of the non-violence movement in Italy. He became known as the "Gandhi of Sicily".
Ricciarelli are traditional Italian biscuits – specifically, a type of macaroon – originating in 14th century Siena. It is considered one of the signature sweets of Siena, in addition to panforte, cenci, and cavallucci.
Biscotti regina or reginelle are small Sicilian biscuits, coated with sesame seeds. They are typical of the province of Palermo but are also widespread in other Sicilian provinces. These cakes taste halfway between sweet and salty (savoury), reminiscent of their roots Arab cuisine.
Bruttiboni, also known as mandorlati di San Clemente and brutti ma buoni, is a type of hazelnut or almond-flavoured biscuit made in Prato, Tuscany, and many other cities. These biscuits are made by incorporating meringue, which is an egg white and sugar mixture, with roasted chopped nuts. The biscuits are crunchy on the outside with a soft texture in the middle. As with many other Italian biscuits, their origin is disputed, but they have been made since at least the mid-1800s.
The giurgiulena, also known as giuggiulena, cubaita or cumpittu, is a traditional Christmas nougat-like candy, typical of the Sicilian cuisine and in use in a large part of Calabria.
Sanguinaccio dolce is an Italian sweet cream based on bitter dark chocolate and pig blood, recognised as a prodotto agroalimentare tradizionale (PAT) in several Italian regions. There are local variations in the degree to which it is served warm and runny for dipping or allowed to set and formed into a pudding or cake. In Naples, it is traditionally prepared for Carnival. However, public sale of pig blood was banned for health reasons in 1992.
Cassatella di sant'Agata is a traditional Sicilian pastry from Catania made during the Festival of Saint Agatha, held from February 3rd to February 5th each year.
