Sweets of Sicily, a Dolce Vita
Dolcerie of Sicily explored! We have some tasty treats identified so you know what to search for, and some business recommendations. Jump to Where to Buy on this page.
For more information about Sagras--the food festivals of Sicily and wider Italy--check out our page Sagras (Food Festivals) of Sicily
Also check out our individual Sicily pages for restaurant and other food tips:
Dolcerie in Italy vary by region.
Dolceria: an Italian store specializing in sweets
Dolcerie: plural of dolceria
There are some sweets found throughout Italy, like the iconic tiramisu, but others you will only find hyper-locally. It's a great idea to try the specialities of whatever region you are in, and so we did! Our first Italy trip was to Sicily, so we start there, and we have some notes about regional variations you would find in other parts of the country.
Cannoli (singular: cannolo, but why would you buy only one?)
The first rule is you must buy it fresh. If it isn't fresh, then it's only for tourists, and just keep walking. The cannoli shells should be in the dolceria case (sometimes with filled ones for show), and when you order they fill it on the spot with fresh ricotta or fresh cream. If they try to give you one from the case, ask for "fresco" (IT) or "friscu" (Sicilian).
There may be flavor choices, like chocolate, or pistachio in east Sicily, and these often are prefilled. In other parts of Italy, you may find cannoli if someone from Sicily moved north and set up shop, or if someone is trying to tempt tourists. So while cannoli may be harder to find in the north, don't accept any that are not freshly filled.
A cannolo should have a shell that is crisp and fresh, and doesn't taste of the oil it has been fried in. The interior ricotta should be not too sweet. In addition to the flavor variations we described, any northern cannoli are likely made with cow's milk ricotta, which tastes different from the sheep or goat ricotta of Sicily. Our favorite cannoli from our tests had small bits of sugared fruit rind mixed into the cream! That was a surprise, especially since we are not fruit cake people, but the fruit bits added a flavor and texture balance that elevated the cannoli.
Left: a pistachio cannolo; right: ricotta with sugared fruits inside, from Dolceria Salemi of Zafferana Etnea, Sicily, Only available from them on Sat/Sun, though a visit midweek got us a sample tea cookie with ricotta cannoli filling on it.
Sciatore
Invented in 1924 in Zafferana Etnea town, the chocolate covered cake-like cookie became popular with visitors who refueled with one after skiing the local Mt. Etna. The confection was renamed "Biscotti Sciatore" or Skier's Biscuit because of this. Dona Peppina is the original inventor shop and is located on the main square in Zafferana Etnea town.
The interior of the cookie is slightly dry, but soft. If it is hard, then it is not fresh. There should be a light lemon taste to the cookie part, and the chocolate should be high quality.
Sciatore are usually in the case on racks like the one above. We tried sciatore at several locations in Zafferana Etna town and found them all comparable.
Mostarda di Uva
This is a seasonal dessert, available in the fall after the grape harvest. The grape must, leftover after pressing, is boiled with water (and sometimes cinnamon) to concentrate it, and then strained and mixed with cornstarch (and sometimes sugar) to form a pudding. A similar process is used, adding (more) sugar, to make a fruit paste that is pressed into molds. You may also see both the pudding and the molded versions made with juice from prickly pear fruit (fico d'india), which is yellow in the photos below. You will also see the empty molds for sale new and at antique stores.
The center photo shows fico d'india pudding at the back, di Uva (grape must) with nut garnish in the middle, and di Uva with cinnamon garnish in front.
Zeppole
This is a fried dough. You will likely find it more widely in Italy, but it looks very different depending upon the town and the holidays. Our first zeppole were served at our B & B, where the host explained that the Sicilian version is rice-based (zeppole di riz, photo below right), and from the 16th century, credited to Benedictine order in Catania (in the east of Siciliy). The rice version is available from Dulceria Salemi (info at the bottom of this page), which says this: "Always present on the table during holidays, especially on March 19th, the feast day of Saint Joseph. This unique fried dessert is made with rice, flour, sugar, milk, cinnamon, orange peel, and honey from Zafferana (the city of honey). Each zeppola is shaped individually on a cutting board; the artisanal dough is made using a recipe from the Benedictine monks."
They are covered in an orange honey syrup. This is obviously a culinary influence from the Muslim/Arab presence in Italy. The ruling empire of those times were from what we call modern Tunisia, and in this area they tend to use honey-based syrups rather than sugar syrups. Other zeppole we saw in town were more like donuts, and filled with various creams. If the idea of a donut soaked in syrup appeals to you, just ask for zeppole in whatever town you are in and see what shapes and options you get!
’Mpanatigghi
This is an unusual cookie, in a triangular or oval shape. The filling contains beef, chocolate, almonds and spices. It was supposedly invented in Modica during the 16th century by nuns trying to provide extra protein to pilgrims and monks who were going without meat during Lent. We found this one in Siracusa.
The beef flavor does not come through at all; it tastes of chocolate with a mild dough.
Paste di Mandorla
Mandorla means almond, and Paste di Mandorla are almond paste cookies. They come in a variety of flavors, the most common of which are plain, orange, lemon, and pistachio. In Palermo we enjoyed one with anise candies pressed into the top.The look of them will vary slightly, as, for example, the pistachio version we saw as a layered bar and as a mixed together round cookie. They may be in mounds in the display case, or sealed individually in plastic (as their shelf life is a little longer since they are by nature quite moist). They cost about 0.75-1Euro each.
Above, the first two photos are different versions of a pistachio paste di mandorla, from 2 different bakeries in Zafferana Etna town. The third photo shows paste di mandorla with anise candies (with a ricotta cake behind) in Palermo.
Marzipan
Marzipan is also almond paste, and it is shaped in to a variety of shapes, like realistic fruits.
Gelato and Realistic Fruit Ice Creams
While marzipan fruits are generally bite-sized, larger realistic fruits are usually filled with ice cream matching in flavor. Gelato is widely available throughout Italy. Look for regional flavors like pistachio and cannoli flavors featured in Sicily.
Rame di Napoli
This is a spiced chocolate pastry, flavored with cinnamon, cloves and grated orange zest, which are popular in Sicily around All Saints Day (early November) and Father's Day. The 2 pictured here were served at our B & B. The chocolate glazed is traditional, and has a dollop of orange marmalade between the icing and the cookie. The other is pistachio glazed. This was very good--moist and nicely spiced.
Sicilian Cassata Cake/ Cassata al Forno
The Sicilian cassata has a sponge soaked in liquor or fruit juice, a layer of sweet ricotta inside, and a covering of marzipan. They are usually decorated with candied fruits. Though the versions we tried didn't seem as soaked with anything as we would have liked, we probably hadn't hit the right dolceria yet. The Cassata also comes in a baked version, Cassata al Forno (below right).
Minna di Vergine (Alcomo)
"Breasts of the Virgin", this dome-shaped pastry is filled with sweet ricotta or cream, and its origins are a nunnery in Alcomo of northwestern Sicily. We saw it offered once in Palermo.
Foglie da Te
Tea cookies developed in Zafferana Etna town by Dolceria Salemi, and now widely produced by all the dolceria in that town. They are thin, with nuts, not too sweet and indeed lovely with tea.
Sfoglio--plus Genovesi and Iris
Sfoglio is a cake, or sometimes a shortcrust pastry, flavored with sweet cream and cinnamon, and sometimes including chocolate and candied pumpkin. We found the chocolate pumpkin version and though we didn't taste the pumpkin, the cake was very good and served slightly warm. It is worth seeking out if you are in Palermo at Le Angeliche Dolci al Volo.
Genovesi Limone and Pistachio are also available there, along with Iris con Ricotta
Iris con Ricotta is usually a brioche, though your particular dolceria might change the cake part, filled with sweet ricotta or cream and often chocolate chips. You may see "iris" used for savory items too.
Below are a variety of other cookies. The first photo is from the walnut festival in Motta Camastra and the C-shaped cookies are reminiscent of hamentaschen (which in Sephardic areas are often shaped as Haman's ear instead of his triangular hat). The filling was a mixture of nuts and fruits, and the dough not too sweet. At this food festival, there were also many cakes on display--each family with a booth figured why not sell food too? Thus, a variety of homemade goods you wouldn't find anywhere else.
The third photo shows panzarotti, which is a word equivalent to calzone (half moon stuffed item which is fried). Sweet panzarotti are usually filled with sweet ricotta or cream, but may have chocolate or almond or other regional preferences.
Especially in Sicily, the default filling was sweet ricotta. The pinched tartlette and small cake in photos 4 and 5 are examples. If you know the words for walnut (nocci), chocolate, ricotta, and pistachio, you will be able to understand most of the desserts on display at the Sicilian dolcerie we visited.
Where to buy:
We started our Sicily journey in Zafferana Etnea, and this turned out to be a great introduction to the sweets of Sicily in general. All of the dulcerie in that town had excellent sweets, and the small towns nearby where we went on day trips were similar. Two major desserts originated here (Foglie da Te and Sciatore). This area has more goat and sheep milk than cow milk, and that also affects the flavor (in a good way) of any ricotta-based dessert (of which there are many). When we hit the big cities (Palermo, Siracusa, Rome), there were many more dulcerie--and easier to find bad ones: spots that didn't have fresh cannoli, or featured dry cookies.
Dolceria Salemi--first choice if you can only visit one (Via E. Longo 28, Zafferana Etnea): family-run since the early 1900s, specializing in foglie da tè (thin almond-paste leaf cookies in almond, hazelnut, and Bronte pistachio). Full pastry case Sat/Sun only; weekdays biscotti only. No seating. Arrive early on a weekend day. In addition to the tea cookies, try their cannoli (first place choice), paste de Mandorla (our 2nd place choice), almond crescents (brioche dough with almond paste inside), sciatore, and anything else that looks good. Their website shows some holiday specials they make as well.
Dolceria Torrisi (Piazza Umberto, 40, Zafferana Etnea); open when you need them (e.g., late at night) with savory and sweet options (though we only tested the sweet) and seating outside. We thought the pistachio paste de Mandorla was best here, with Salemi's version a close runner up. Good sciatore and other pastries too, with a large selection of realistic fruit ice creams.
Antica Dolceria dell'Etna (Via Giuseppe Garibaldi, 309, 95019 Zafferana Etnea CT, Italy) Open when you need them, with sweet and savory options and plenty of seating. Good cannoli, large selection of items including a roche ball in various flavors.
Donna Peppina, (Via Roma, 220, Zafferana Etnea) operating since 1924 and the inventor of the sciatore, before selling the business in the 1980's. Now the sciatore is made by all the local dolceria. We visited Peppina twice but did not eat here.
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