A DESSERT FOR EVERY REGION - (Part Two) CENTRAL ITALY

Part Two

Let us continue our sweet trip down the boot, while check out what traditional sweets central Italy has to offer.

Emilia Romagna

BURLENGO

This typical dessert from Forlì Cesena, also known as bostrengo, the main ingredients for this cake are barley, spelt, dried figs, cocoa and a typical herbal liquor called Strega.

Toscana

CANTUCCINI

Originally called “Biscotti di Prato” or Cantucci, they are instantly recognizable by any lover of Italian cuisine. These hard almond cookies are baked in a loaf, cut into single pieces, then toasted until they reach a golden hazelnut color. The traditional way to eat Cantucci is to dip them in Vinsanto, a sweet kind of wine made specifically for desserts, before you eat them.

Umbria

ROCCIATA DI ASSISI

In Foligno and Perugia, it is also known as Attorta. This dessert is sweet, rich and fragrant, it is very similar to Strudel with a different shape, and likely predates it. A donut- shaped pastry that is usually filled with ingredients like apples, raisins, fig jam, plums and almonds.

Marche

CASTAGNOLE

This traditional sweet is generally prepared during the Carnival season. Their name derives from their shape which is reminiscent of chestnuts: the dough is deep fried and then sprinkled with sugar. 

Abruzzo

SOFFIONI ABRUZZESI

This dessert is prepared throughout the region, for this reason, there are many variations salty and sweet. Usually, this sweet is made with a dough very similar to cookie dough, prepared with oil instead of butter and stuffed with a sweet ricotta cream..

Lazio

MARITOZZI

These cream filled sweets are a true regional specialty, according to some food historians, it already existed in ancient roman times. The dessert gets its name from an old tradition in which husbands (Marito in Italian) would give this dessert as a gift to their future wives as a symbol of wealth and luck.