20 Sicilian Sweets & Desserts You Must Try

In Sicily desserts are the crowning finish to a meal and not just for those of us who have a sweet tooth.

The "Dulce Finale" demands a chefs undivided attention because the end result remains fixed longest in our culinary memories.

The Sicilians love for all things sweet has ancient roots and in antiquity honey on the island was prized for sweetening local produce and wine.

When the Arabs arrived in Sicily in the ninth century they brought sugar cane, crystallized fruit and other delicious goodies such as sugared almonds. They also left much more than sugary traces behind. During their 250 years domination on the island they created an elaborate irrigation system thereby making possible the Sicilian fruit orchards.

The sugar cane industry flourished in Sicily until the late fifteenth century when, with the discovery of the New World, the sugar plantations moved across the Atlantic. The Sicilian sugar industry responded to foreign competition but survived only until the late seventeenth century.

When in Sicily one look in the window of a Sicilian pasticceria will make you forget any thoughts of the so called Mediterranean diet. The sweetness of nuts and sugar, marzipan and ricotta cream seem to waft in the air and lure you inside like a child in a candy shop.

Our fertile volcanic land provides us with almonds, pistachios and hazelnuts, big juicy citrus fruits and creamy rich ricotta creating a riotous indulgence of sweets and desserts with intense flavours, rich colours and sadly a lot of calories.

Sicilian sweets and desserts are one of the highlights of any trip to Sicily, so with that in mind it is best to prepare yourself, therefore here are 20 Sicilian Sweets and Desserts that you must try:

Cannoli

The Cannolo Siciliano is one of Sicily's signature creations with Arabic roots and was supposedly invented in the harems of Caltanisetta. They are crispy rolls of pastry that are deep fried and then filled with a sweet ricotta cream which are then decorated with crystallized fruits, pistachios or chocolate, then dusted with icing sugar. This sweet proved so seductive for the Benedictine monks that they spent fortunes on them earning them the nickname "Porci di Cristo" (Pigs of Christ).

Cassata Siciliana

The cassata consists of round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur and is layered with sweetened ricotta and candied fruit. Cassata has a shell of marzipan with bright pink and green colouring with decorative icing designs. A cassata is certainly worth giving up your diet for as it is often decorated so seductively that one simply cannot resist its allure. Cassata would have traditonally been eaten at Easter.

Gelato

Gelato is Italian for ice cream, this delicate frozen treat comes in a variety of delicious mouth watering flavours and is the essence of Italian culture. Gelato in Sicily is served in cones, in a coppa (paper cup of various sizes) or in a large sweet brioche bun which is often eaten for breakfast in the hot summer months. The Sicilians claim that ice cream was invented on their island and indeed they do have an even more fantastic frozen creation here more than anywhere else in the world.

Granita con Brioche

The Sicilians did not create the gelato but they did create the granita, an ice cold refreshment made of water, sugar and originally lemon juice. Even in the smallest bars in Sicily you may well find one of the giant mixers that keep the almost fluid sorbet fresh all day long. The Granita was created by the Arabs, who looking to quench their thirst in the Sicilian heat, ate snow from Mount Etna which they flavoured with Lemons from the slopes of the volcano. These days there are many more delightful flavours such as almond, chocolate and coffee which are best enjoyed by dipping a warm brioche bun inside and this tradition is the great Sicilian breakfast.

Pasta di Mandorle

The Mandorle (Almond) was brought to Sicily by the ancient Greeks who already knew how to make a sort of marzipan with ground almonds and honey. The Arabs subsequently had introduced sugar cane which created a partnership that introduced the great tradition of Sicilian sweetmeats. Pasta di Mandorle (almond paste cookies) are soft and chewy and are made by using a combination of ground almonds, honey and egg white.

Biancomangiare

Biancomangiare translates as "white dish". This dish has a long history and was by the end of the 14th century a refined dessert served at noble Sicilian banquets. This pleasant dessert has the consistency of a blancmange and is made with milk or cream along with sugar which is then thickened with cornflour and is most often flavoured with Sicilian almonds or sometimes lemons.

Minne di Sant'Agata

Minne di Sant'Agata, meaning the breasts of St Agatha, is a cake that hails from the city of Catania where it is traditionally prepared during the festival held in honour of the city's patron saint. One of the tortures that Agata endured was to have her breasts cut off and from the memory of this sad but heroic episode came one of the most iconic sweets of Sicily which are made with sponge cake and marzipan in a shape reminiscent of a girl's breast.

Giuggiulena

Giurgiulena is a traditional hard nougat-like sweet typical of Sicily. The main ingredient is sesame. The recipe is based on the combination of sesame seeds poured in honey which are fixed by the caramelization of sugar. It takes a very long preparation with a resting period of twenty four hours, then it is usually cut into diamond shapes or rectangles. As with the other sweets on the island it is considered a legacy of the Arabs but mind your teeth as you bite into it.

Frutta di Martorana

It is in marzipan modelling, known as pasta reale, that Sicilian sweet making reaches a climax. Marzipan replicas are know as Frutta di Martorana after a convent in Palermo where the nuns once hung marzipan oranges on the trees to play a prank on a visiting bishop. You will see these tempting sweets in the windows of a pasticceria with marzipan replicas such as strawberries, red tomatoes, peaches and figs painted in vibrant colours and you might even see bizarre shapes such as seafood or fried eggs. On All Souls Day in Sicily on the 2nd November marzipan fruits are given to children and they are told that they are gifts left by their long gone ancestors.

Cioccolato di Modica

Modica is a city of the late Baroque period in the heart of the Noto Valley in south east Sicily. It boasts opulent architecture but it is also famous for its chocolate. The towns famous chocolate production has been crafted there since the 1600's and follows an Aztec recipe. Chocolate can be eaten at the height of summer without it melting in your hands. This is possible with thanks to the cold processing of the cocoa solids that do not blend with the sugar. The look and taste of this chocolate is recognised internationally.

Torta di Lava al Cioccolato

Not a traditional dessert but a modern creation, these days you will find chocolate lava cake on many dessert menus in Sicily. It is also known as molten cake which derives from the desserts liquid chocolate centre. As you cut through the warm sponge with a spoon the decadent gooey centre oozes out just like the lava that flows down the slopes of Mount Etna. It is best shared with two spoons as it is the ultimate romantic dessert to order in Sicily. I like mine served with a pistachio gelato on the side and it never lasts very long.

Tiramisù

Whilst not a Sicilian dessert you will always find Tiramisù on a menu. Tiramisù literally means "pick me up" which most likely derives from the fact that this perfect mix of espresso, cocoa, sugar and marsala wine has an invigorating effect and therefore you have the Sicilian influence. Sweet marsala wine is produced in Marsala on the western side of Sicily. Marsala wine was discovered by the Englishmen Benjamin Ingham and John Woodhouse who founded a wine factory in the 1770's and then exported this fortified wine to England, North America and Australia.

Semifreddo alle Mandorle

With an abundance of almonds on the island we love to use them in desserts. Semifreddo means "half cold" in Italian and this dessert is more like a frozen mousse with a nutty flavour. A semifreddo is usually a combination of ground almonds, cream, sugar and eggs and it does not need churning. The almonds give this dessert a wonderful flavour and texture.

Cassatelle

Cassatelle is a Sicilian sweet dough which is usually enriched with Marsala wine. They are filled with a sweetened ricotta and a chocolate mixture. They are usually deep fried but can also be baked and are perfect sprinkled with icing sugar. For the best cassatelle head to Modica where they are filled with the traditional chocolate which the town is famous for.

Sugared Almonds

Confetti or sugared almonds come in a variety of colours which symbolise weddings and special occasions in Sicily. White is used for a wedding which is a symbol of purity, also for communion and confirmation, pink or blue for a christening or announcing the birth of a baby, red for graduation, green for an engagement and silver and gold for wedding anniversaries. The sugared almonds in Sicily are different to the hard sugar shelled ones we find in the UK. Sicilian almonds are covered in chocolate then a crisp candy shell. Think posh M&M's Sicilian style.

Gelo di Melone

The Gelo di Melone is a dessert traditionally prepared in summer for Ferragosto, a public holiday on the 15th August which marks the beginning of the Italian summer holidays. It is a jellied watermelon pudding. It is also popular for the Santa Rosalia celebrations in Palermo and is yet again an inheritance of Arab influence. This pudding boasts a jewel like colour and is a particularly striking dessert when topped with bright green pistachios like royal Sicilian gems.

Frutti di Bosco

A very popular dessert with tourists is Frutti di Bosco (Fruits of the Forest). In Sicily we have many wonderful seasonal fruits and late summer and autumn is the perfect time for berries. Mount Etna's volcanic soil helps bear the most wonderful berries with the most popular being Gelsi (mulberry), along with raspberries and small wild strawberries, you can enjoy a wonderful fruit salad partnered with a rich and creamy gelato.

Torrone Siciliano

Torrone from Sicily features a traditional nougat like texture with a base of toasted Avolan almonds or pistachios from Bronte. They are made using locally produced honey then egg whites and then they are covered in either dark or white chocolate. They taste smooth and soft and are wholly absorbing and moreish. They come presented in tempting bright coloured foil wrapping. Torrone is traditionally eaten at Christmas but you can buy them in Sicily at any time of year.

Arancia Candita

Sicily is famous for its candied fruit and one of the most naughty but nice indulgences is candied Sicilian orange peel. The orange peel is simmered with sugar and water creating a sweet that will make your taste buds explode and this sweet brings out the true flavour of the orange oil in the peel. They are mind blowing dipped in dark chocolate and you might just even find a whole candied orange. Only the Sicilians could turn a simple fruit into a sugary but slightly bitter delight.

Buccellato

This rich sweet pastry cake comes in many shapes, sizes and regional variations with just as many recipes for the fruit and nut filling. Sicilian sun-dried figs are the one constant ingredient. Figs were once only for the poor as the rich used raisins. Figs grow in abundance in Sicily, but the vines needed for raisins were scarce. This cake is usually eaten at Christmas.

and Finally

No Sicilian meal is complete after dessert and no Sicilian pastry is complete without coffee

Caffè

Sicilians love coffee and it is a culture that starts early in the morning. Coffee in Sicily is high-octane, dark as midnight and syrupy sweet. Coffee consumption on the island is a daily routine and it is more than a tradition, it is a ritual. There are many details in the quest to get the perfect coffee. The fine quality of an espresso is immediately apparent in the 'crema', the light foam floating on the surface. In Sicily coffee is served at the perfect temperature and is a cup of pure perfect pleasure.

This week I have been drinking the new 'Palermo' blend by luxury Italian brand Caffè Tramoni.

Tramoni is originally a Sicilian name from south west of Palermo and was a old an aristocratic family name in the old feudal days. Their 'Palermo' blend is smooth, sleek and strong, rich and velvety with a refined smooth aftertaste that will make you feel transported to Sicily. It is the perfect coffee to give you the energy for planning your 2021 perfect trip to our beautiful island.

Visit www.tramoni.com to order your coffee pods now.