Italy is known for many things, including amazing art, sleek automobiles, and pasta. But that’s not all. Italian desserts like creamy tiramisu or cookies that melt in your mouth are legendary. These 20 treats will take you straight to the heart of the once-mighty Roman Empire!
Pastiera Napoletana
Think of Pastiera Napoletana as Italy’s version of an Easter pie made with sweet ricotta, cooked wheat, and a buttery crust. It’s creamy and citrusy. Plus, each family adds their special touch, making tradition just as important as the ingredients. However, no matter how it’s made, one thing’s for sure: every bite tastes like spring.
Strawberry Tiramisu
No coffee? No problem! This fresh, no-coffee tiramisu swaps the espresso for strawberry syrup and layers it with mascarpone cream and fresh berries. It’s best served chilled, topped with fresh strawberries for a refreshing, fruity treat. You should consider making this piece during spring or summer.
Torrone
Torrone is chewy and sweet, unlike other desserts that melt in your mouth. You can make yours with honey, egg whites, and roasted nuts. The mixture is spread into a pan lined with wafer paper, covered with another sheet, and pressed flat. Some versions even add chocolate or dried fruit. If you’ve never tried Italian nougat, get ready.
Buttery Pecan Snowball Cookies
These little melt-in-your-mouth cookies might look simple, but they’re packed with butter and nuts. Rolled in powdered sugar and soft like shortbread, they’re perfect with tea, coffee, or straight from the cookie jar. Pecan Snowball Cookies are popular in Italian-American baking and are called Mexican Wedding Cookies or Russian Tea Cakes.
Italian Pistachio Cookies
Pistachio cookies are a beloved treat, especially in Sicily, where pistachios are abundant. They showcase the nut’s rich flavor in a tender cookie. They are great for a quick recipe any time of the year, and their green color makes them a great fit for a Christmas dessert!
Baba (Baba au Rhum)
Take a minute to imagine a soft, spongy cake soaked in sweet rum syrup. Sounds amazing, right? That’s Baba. Originally from France, it gained fame in Naples as a light and boozy dessert. Just add whipped cream or fruit on top, and you’re good to go.
Italian Fig Cookies (Cuccidati)
Cuccidati or Buccellati aren’t your average fig cookies, especially because of their rich origins, possibly dating back to the Arab rule of Sicily. This dessert is stuffed with a spiced mix of dried figs, raisins, nuts, and orange zest, all wrapped in soft dough and topped with icing and rainbow sprinkles.
Lemon Panna Cotta
Here’s a treat best served chilled and often garnished with fresh berries, lemon curls, or mint. Panna cotta, meaning “cooked cream,” is a creamy, gelatin-based dessert from Northern Italy. This lemon version is refreshing, smooth, tangy, and perfect after a big meal.
Easy Tiramisu Recipe
Tiramisu means “pick me up,” and this one delivers. You don’t even need to bake. Just fold the whipped eggs into the mascarpone, layer the cream with coffee-soaked ladyfingers, dust on cocoa, and chill. It’s a rich, sweet 15-minute side attraction with the energizing power of coffee and cocoa.
Zuccotto (Sponge Cake With Ricotta Filling)
Here, we have a traditional dome-shaped cake from Florence that dates back to the Renaissance and is linked to the Medici family. You only need to dip sponge cake strips in liquor syrup, stuff them with sweet ricotta and chocolate chips, and then freeze them until firm. You can expect something rich and creamy with a hint of liquor and chocolate.
Walnut Cookies
These little cookies pack a serious nutty punch. They’re soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. You can make yours with ground walnuts and simple ingredients like walnuts and egg whites. After you’re done, dust with sugar, pour some tea, and enjoy the sweet, homemade vibe of Walnut Roll-Up Cookies.
Traditional Italian Pizzelle
We finally reached one of the oldest cookies worldwide, the pizzelle, from the Abruzzo region. Pizzelle are super-thin waffle cookies that snap when you bite them and are pretty (like snowflakes!). Plus, they taste lightly sweet with hints of vanilla or anise. You should eat them plain, adding ice cream or dusting them with sugar.
Affogato
Affogato is one of this list’s coolest (and hottest) goodies. This simple and elegant sweet is rooted in Italy’s coffee culture. The process involves adding a scoop of vanilla ice cream to a shot of hot espresso to get melty, creamy coffee confectionery. Enjoy it with a spoon, or sip it with a straw as it melts. It’s simple and perfect for coffee lovers.
Holiday Biscotti
You can dip it in coffee, wine, or hot cocoa if you want confectionery. Biscotti is the real deal. Also known as cantucci, they’re twice-baked Italian cookies made of almonds with Prato (Tuscany) origins. These crunchy cookies contain festive flavors like cranberries, pistachios, and white chocolate.
Panettone Tiramisu
Maybe it’s about time you swapped the usual ladyfingers with panettone. That way, you’ll get a Christmasy tiramisu. This one gets soaked in coffee and layered with creamy mascarpone. You can easily make this home with something comforting and delicious, especially with leftover panettone.
Classic Italian Crostata
This rustic fruit tart is what Italians bake when they want something simple but delicious. It’s been a staple in most households for centuries. Crostatas have jam or fresh fruit filling, topped with a crisscross crust, and are perfect for sharing. Bonus points if you eat it with a scoop of gelato.
Italian Ricotta Cookies
Italian-American communities love this goodie, but it doesn’t have to be for them alone. These soft, pillowy cookies are like little bites of cake made with ricotta cheese and a touch of citrus. Enjoy them with coffee or tea; their tender texture and subtle citrus flavor make them a comforting dessert.
Dessert Gnocchi With Balsamic Strawberry Sauce
Gnocchi… as dessert? Yep! You can warm, sweet, soft dumplings with a tangy strawberry-balsamic sauce and even white chocolate-dipped berries. Mind you, it’s a creative adaptation of traditional gnocchi but with sweetened dough and fruit sauces. It might all sound unusual, but everything is a truly tasty treat.
Homemade Cannoli
Italians started making Cannoli in Sicily during Arab rule (800-1100 AD). They’re crispy pastry tubes filled with sweet ricotta cream and mini chocolate chips. While the exterior is crunchy, the cream on the inside is refreshing and addictive. If you want to make it look more fancy, add powdered sugar or fruit toppings.
Limoncello Tiramisu
This delicacy is a variation of the classic tiramisu that trades coffee for Limoncello, a zingy lemon liqueur from Southern Italy. So you have a refreshing piece with layers of lemon-soaked ladyfingers and mascarpone cream, topped with white chocolate. You’ll also need eggs, powdered sugar, lemon zest, and juice.
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