What are the typical Sicilian Christmas sweets that cannot fail to find space in Christmas baskets ? If you're wondering, it's probably because you're already starting to think about holidays (because you know, from the end of summer to December 25th it's a snap…).
Seriously, Sicilian Christmas sweets are an excellent choice to make a welcome gift. If every occasion is the right one to feast on it, the festivities that end with the Epiphany authorize us, in a certain sense, not to miss even one.
6 typical Sicilian Christmas sweets
Let's take a brief overview of the delicacies of Sicilian pastry that you just can't miss. That is, the best Sicilian sweets to include in your Christmas baskets (to make a great impression!).
Sicilian buccellato
Buccellato is the prince of Sicilian Christmas sweets. A thick shell of shortcrust pastry that encloses a rich filling of dried fruit (dried figs, raisins, almonds, chocolate, orange peel which vary according to the area) in the shape of a donut. It is a very caloric dessert as well as all the Christmas sweets after all, which is decorated with candied fruit and icing sugar. Of Palermo origin, perhaps not everyone knows it, but this was the first sweet to be included in the list of traditional Italian agri-food products (PAT).
READ: The History of Sicilian Cassata
Sicilian cassata
Of all the Sicilian Christmas desserts, cassata is probably the most famous. They even know her abroad. The cake itself is a riot of sweetness (in fact not everyone likes it, many prefer baked cassata , a completely different preparation). Layers of sponge cake filled with ricotta cream, candied fruit, chocolate drops, marzipan and decorated with large pieces of candied fruit, just to give you an idea. But if one thing is certain, it is that it is a unique dessert of its kind, and for this reason it absolutely deserves to find a place in a basket of typical Sicilian products . It was born in Palermo but is of Arab origin, and was initially the typical Easter cake.
Nucatoli
Ragusan nucatoli are S-shaped Sicilian Christmas biscuits made with a filling based on almonds and honey (or dried figs). The term nucatoli derives from the Latin " nucatus ", which means "seasoned with walnuts" With which in fact they were stuffed in their initial version. Some argue instead that they owe their name to the Arabic term " naqal ", which means "dried fruit". Whatever the meaning of their name, the fact remains that they are among the delicacies enjoyed on the island at Christmas, in all their modern flavor variations.
Nougat
The list of Sicilian Christmas desserts is long, and also includes nougat . This is made with a dough made from egg whites and sugar to which almonds are usually added, at least in its traditional version. Already because, over time, a series of variations have come to be added, from the hazelnut one to the chocolate one, capable of tickling the palate even more. Sicilian nougat is very often made at home, even if you can find it online practically everywhere. Naturally on Sicilyaddict there is something for every taste: from the white one to the orange one . The nougat is one of the best typical Sicilian Christmas sweets with almonds . Don't let him get away.
READ ALSO: Almond paste, how to use it in the kitchen
Mostaccioli (or mustazzoli)
Mostaccioli are biscuits spread throughout Italy, but Sicilian ones are generally made with cooked wine. Although on the same island there are countless variations. In fact, there are those who make them with almonds and those with honey instead of cooked wine. Who prefers to enrich them with orange pieces and who with pistachios. In short, it could happen that you come across biscuits called nucatoli but find yourself eating a dessert that is quite different from the one you may have tried a few km away. Don't worry, they're all good, you won't be disappointed.
Almond paste
What party would it be without almond paste ? Raise your hand if you've never heard of them. These are pastries made with a very sweet mixture of almonds and sugar, the symbol of Sicilian pastry par excellence. The legend of the Sicilian almond paste recipe has its roots in the late 1100s in Palermo, in the Martorana convent. A long time has passed since then, but their popularity has never ceased, on the contrary. And the classic version has been joined by almond paste with pistachio, lemon and chocolate (you can find them all here ).
