Sicilian desserts, from the Arabs to the convents
The sweets
THE SWEETS: FROM THE ARABS TO THE CONVENTS
Sugar, almond, pistachio, ricotta: the Arabs brought the ingredients, the cloistered convents the recipes, the Florios the pastry of the court. No other island in Europe has so long a tradition of sweets.
Cassata — Arab in name (qas'at, the bowl) and in ingredients; Norman and conventual in form, with green marzipan and icing. The Baroque version is by the pastry chef Gulì, 1873. Cappello · Costa · Massaro
Cannolo — legend has it born in a Saracen harem at Caltanissetta; history places it in the convents. Fried shell, sheep's-milk ricotta, filled to order or it is not a cannolo. Oscar · Cappello · Piana degli Albanesi
Frutta martorana — almond paste modelled into lifelike fruit, created in the Martorana monastery to astonish a visiting bishop; given to children on 2 November. Costa · Spinnato
Genovesi di Erice — warm shortcrust with pastry cream, a recipe from the convent of San Carlo, saved by Maria Grammatico, who grew up there as a child. Erice · Maria Grammatico
Sfincia di San Giuseppe and iris — the fried choux with ricotta and pistachio (from the Arabic isfanǧ, sponge), and the iris, the filled fried brioche invented by Costa in 1901 for Mascagni's opera. Cappello · Costa · the bars of the Capo market
Gelo di mellone and biancomangiare — the watermelon pudding with jasmine and chocolate of mid-August, and the almond-milk pudding: two Arab legacies, intact. Spinnato · Massaro
Granita and brioche col tuppo — from the Arab sherbet, made with Etna snow stored in the ice houses: mulberry, almond, pistachio, fig. On board, the hostess makes it. Caffè Sicilia in Noto · Spinnato
Buccellato, cubbaita, cuccìa — the Christmas ring cake with figs and almonds; the sesame-and-honey brittle (qubbayta) of the markets; the wheat of Saint Lucy with ricotta, from the vow of 1646. Ballarò · Cappello
Paste di mandorla and Setteveli — the pure almond pastries of the convents of Noto and Avola; and the Setteveli cake, born in Palermo in 1997 and world pastry champion. Massaro · Cappello
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