Sicily is globally renowned for its unique culinary culture, and among its most famous sweet specialties, you can find true masterpieces that delight the palate of every dessert lover. In this post, I will introduce you to the main Sicilian sweets, providing their recipes for you to prepare at home.
Cannoli
The Sicilian cannolo is perhaps the region's most famous dessert and stands as an iconic symbol of Italian cuisine. Its crispy outer shell, made from fried dough and filled with creamy ricotta filling, makes it an irresistible treat. Here's the recipe to make Sicilian cannoli:
Ingredients:
500g all-purpose flour
50g sugar
50g butter
1 egg
1 glass of dry white wine
1 pinch of salt
Peanut oil for frying
500g ricotta cheese
250g powdered sugar
Grated orange zest
Dark chocolate chips
Preparation:
Knead the flour with butter, sugar, egg, dry white wine, and salt until you get a soft and homogeneous dough.
Let the dough rest for about half an hour, then roll it out thinly and cut into strips.
Wrap them around metal cylinders and fry in hot oil until golden brown.
Drain the cylinders on paper towels and let them cool completely.
In a bowl, mix the ricotta cheese, powdered sugar, and grated orange zest.
Fill the cylinders with the ricotta cream and garnish with dark chocolate chips.
Cassata siciliana
Sicilian cassata is a traditional dessert of Sicilian cuisine, composed of an almond paste shell filled with ricotta cream and covered with colorful sugar icing and decorated with candied fruits. Here's the recipe to prepare Sicilian cassata:
Ingredients:
500g ricotta cheese
200g sugar
Grated lemon zest
100g chopped dark chocolate
100g mixed candied fruits
100g almond paste
300g powdered sugar
Food coloring
Preparation:
Mix the ricotta cheese, sugar, and grated lemon zest to obtain a smooth cream.
Add the chopped dark chocolate and mixed candied fruits, and mix well.
Prepare the almond paste by rolling it out thinly.
Line the bottom and sides of a cassata mold with the almond paste.
Fill the mold with the ricotta cream and cover with another layer of almond paste.
Place the cassata in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Prepare the colored icing by mixing powdered sugar with a few drops of food coloring until you achieve the desired color.
Remove the cassata from the mold and cover it with the colored icing, decorating with mixed candied fruits.
Sicilian Pasticciotto
Sicilian pasticciotto is a typical dessert from the city of Noto, consisting of a crispy pastry shell filled with custard cream. Here's the recipe to prepare Sicilian pasticciotto:
Ingredients:
500g all-purpose flour
200g butter
200g sugar
4 eggs
1 packet of baking powder
Grated lemon zest
500ml whole milk
4 egg yolks
150g sugar
50g all-purpose flour
Vanilla powder
Preparation:
Knead the flour with butter, sugar, eggs, baking powder, and grated lemon zest to obtain a soft and homogeneous dough.
Let the dough rest for about half an hour, then roll it out thinly and cut out discs.
Line the pasticciotto molds with the pastry dough and place them in the refrigerator.
In a saucepan, bring the milk to a boil along with the vanilla powder.
In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar and flour.
Add the egg and flour mixture to the hot milk, stirring continuously until the custard thickens.
Fill the pasticciotto molds with the custard cream and cover with another disc of pastry dough.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 20-25 minutes, until the pastries are golden brown.
In conclusion, these are just a few of the most famous and delicious Sicilian desserts that you can prepare at home using these recipes. Sicilian cuisine is a true Italian gastronomic heritage, and its desserts are a perfect example of that.
Bon appétit!
