Though over two months have gone by since I came back from my trip to Sicily, the taste of the island have still been tickling my taste buds and mind. When looking for an idea for this joint SHF/IMBB event, I simply could not get Sicily from my mind. Also, that little stash of pastry ingredients I brought back seemed just to be calling out to be used in a special cookie recipe made up just for the event: that's exactly what I did. Yet, since this time we have three days to post our recipes, why not use the chance and present a little menu of posts on Sicilian sweets: one for each day, ending with the real recipe on Sunday. So today let's start with:
The amuse – Sicilian almond pastries
Almonds have been a part of Mediterranean cooking for over two thousand years, and while it may have lost relevance as ingredient in time – the Middle Ages with its many blancmange or biancomagiare long gone– it still remains a prized element in sweets. In some regions this is true more than in others. Sicily is undoubtedly the place in Italy where almonds are used at their best: from drinks (latte di mandorla) to ices (granita) up to a number of almond and almond paste based pastries. If that wasn't enough the island also produced what is considered to be one of the best kinds of almond: Mandorla d'Avola.
During our few days in Modica we visited Bonajuto, arguably the town's most famous pastry shop, and maybe the best (though some expert's opinion disagrees). Apart tasting their fantastic chocolate and cannoli, we had a good sampling of their almond pastries: the basic almond paste dough mellow, aromatic and simply delicious, and the different flavoured pastries all a special treat. Among them the candied orange (above) and carob (below) were definitely my favourite. That's all for now... more tomorrow.
I LOVE these cookies. My grandmother was from Rome but she would make these most often around the holidays! Thanks for the trip down memory lane! :-)
Posted by: laura @ cucina testa rossa | November 26, 2005 at 11:27 AM
whoa looked so beautiful, so good that i cant imagine taking a bite hahaha
Posted by: babe_kl | November 28, 2005 at 08:31 AM
Laura, you're welcome. It's a pleasure to give a little trip down memory lane to my favourite blogging pro-cook (or should I say chef?)
Babe, I can assure you that once you've tasted one you'll have no scruples in biting into them :-).
Posted by: Alberto | November 28, 2005 at 09:52 AM
They are so beautiful, they take my breath away. And thanks for the travelogue too.
Posted by: Ruth | December 01, 2005 at 04:51 AM
These are so beautiful. Would you mind sharing the recipe? Thank you!
Posted by: tokyoastrogirl | December 01, 2005 at 08:32 PM
Wow! What a visual treat Alberto! We instantly fell in love with this one.
Posted by: VK Narayanan | December 02, 2005 at 04:14 PM
Oh my Albert, each one of your entries is a sight to behold! Are we mailing you all twelve of those cookbooks? LOL. Just pure perfection of you ask me!
Posted by: chronicler | December 02, 2005 at 07:39 PM
Thanks everyone for the compliments. Ruth, unfortunately I don't have a tested recipe for these. I only eat them when I know I can buy them from a good pastry shop, home made ones are nice (at least the ones I have had at friends places in Italy) but never as good.
Chronicler, happy you liked the entries. No chance of me winning all the books though. MKe and Jennifer are out of the competition :-).
Posted by: Alberto | December 03, 2005 at 01:51 AM
I have a 92 yr young aunt who is lookin for a cookie recipe coming from a northern provience of Rome. the cook is call "CASTAGNOLI" If any one has a recipe for this cookie could you please forward it to me at my email address: [email protected]. Thank for your assistance.
MAS
Posted by: M. A. Simeoni | December 08, 2005 at 05:23 PM
I am looking for a recipe for a Sicilian cookie similar to "Bugie". I think it is called 'frollini"
Posted by: Nancy De Vincenzi-Melander | April 14, 2006 at 11:34 AM
I have a recipe for a ravasani cookie, made by Italian women in Kansas City, Missouri. It is boiled and then baked and the recipe makes a lot of cookies.(12 pounds of flour and 3 dozen eggs).
This is a hard cookie with fennel seeds baked into it and stores for months and is a great "munching" cookie with coffee.
Does anyone have a recipe for these and does anyone rmember what they are shaped like? I can remember the taste, not the shape.
V
Posted by: victoria deblase | April 27, 2006 at 04:22 PM
I'm looking for a cookie recipe called something like "cavadette" It is a sponge-type lady finger cookie, dipped in sugar water and sprinkled with almonds, cinnamon and sugar. Thanks
Posted by: Janet Hughes | August 30, 2006 at 01:01 AM