Beyond Cannoli: 8 Essential Pastries Of Palermo
Palermo, Sicily’s agricultural and cultural riches have made it a mecca for food enthusiasts. However, the city is most famous for its desserts, many of which migrated to the U.S. with Italians from the south of Italy and Sicily.
“Sicilian desserts are the sweetest and most extravagant in all of Italy,” write Rick Steves and Fred Plotkin in Italy for Food Lovers (Avalon, 2023).
What makes the pastries of Palermo so delicious?
- These pastries and desserts reflect the traditions of the many invaders who left their mark on Sicilian culture: Norman, Spanish, Arab, and others. For example, the Arabs introduced sugar cane in Sicily, which became a thriving industry in Palermo.
- Nuns and monks in the city’s convents and monasteries first crafted many of these creative sweets.
- The desserts showcase the bounty of fresh, wholesome ingredients sourced from the surrounding countryside, most notably ricotta cheese (which tastes better in Palermo than any other place in the world), citrus fruits, and nuts.
Not-To-Be-Missed Pastries of Palermo
If you are traveling to Palermo, you’ll find an abundance of pastry shops and coffee bars. Here are some not-to-be-missed pastry desserts:
Cannoli
Called the “King” of Sicilian pastry, cannoli are crunchy pastry tubes filled with creamy ricotta cheese and are a sensation throughout the world. They are ubiquitous in Palermo, eaten throughout the day, even at breakfast.
Conolli are believed to have originated in Palermo during its Arab domination.
Torta alla Arrancia
This moist orange cake has the citrus flavor of fresh oranges. Sometimes, orange juice is added to the batter.
The once fertile plain in which Palermo is located was called the Conca d’Oro or Golden Valley because of its rich citrus groves.
Cornetti al Pistacchio
Bronte (in the province of Catania) is the pistachio capital of Sicily known for its high-quality pistachios. However, pistachio-based sweets are a common sight in pastry shops in Palermo. These buttery croissants are filled with delicious pistachio cream. Cornetti (little horns, in Italian) come in different sizes with different fillings.
Torta di Mandorle
This almond torte is one of the most popular almond-based pastries in Sicily. It’s made with either almond paste or ground almonds, which have been cultivated in Palermo for centuries.
Cassata
The ultimate dessert treat is the beautiful Cassata, oft-called the “Queen” of Sicilian desserts. It’s a sponge cake with layers of sweetened ricotta cheese and a marzipan coating decorated with white icing and candied fruits.
According to Gastro Obscura: A Food Adventurer’s Guide (Workman, 2021), Cassata was invented by a 19th-century baker, Salvatore Guli, inspired by the nuns of the Martorana convent.
This dessert is a perfect example of the influence of foreign domination of Sicily on Palermo sweets. The sponge cake was a tradition of the Spanish, the fruits and nuts from the Arabs, and the white fondant icing from the French conquest.
Cassata al Forno
This is essentially a baked ricotta cake that isn’t as fancy but just as delicious as the traditional cassata. The ricotta is baked inside the cake and is typically served with powdered sugar or a glaze.
Frutta di Martorana
Almost too pretty to eat, these marzipan treats are made to resemble local fruits like lemons and oranges and sometimes vegetables. They are painted in vivid colors with food coloring and are said to have been first created by nuns in a convent in Palermo.
Cartocci or Macalle
While these are typically a sweet of Ragusa in southeastern Sicily, you may be fortunate to find this dessert in bakeries in Palermo. It is made of crispy fried dough with a ricotta dusted with confectioner’s sugar. Cartocci means cartridges in Italian.
Biscotti Regina
These simple round or oval-shaped cookies have a flattened top and are coated with sesame seeds. They are crisp for dunking with morning coffee or after a meal and can be packaged as a lovely gift to bring to someone’s home.
Although the cookie’s history is uncertain, they may be named after Queen Margherita of Savoy, who loved simple cookies.
Indulge in the Pastries of Palermo: We Bet You Can’t Just Eat One
A visit to Palermo will satiate any sweet tooth with mouth-watering pastries, from iconic cannoli to lesser-known gems like Cornetti al Pistacchi. Each dessert is a flavorful time capsule of history and artistry.
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