SBS Italian Radio Recipes: Italian Food Interviews and Podcasts with Marisa Raniolo Wilkins
SBS Italian Radio has invited me on many occasions to share some of my favourite Italian recipes, regional food traditions and culinary stories with broadcaster Massimiliano Gugole who it the Audio and Language Content Producer at Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) Australia,
This page brings together those interviews so they are easy to find in one place.
If you speak Italian, you can listen to these conversations on the SBS Audio App or if you click on the links provided below. Each episode generally runs for 10–14 minutes and explores not only recipes but also some of the history, traditions and regional food culture behind them.
One exception is Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink, runs for approximately 30 minutes. This podcast forms part of The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a popular series on SBS with a number of interesting and noteworthy participants. Some of the presenters are not Italian speakers and the podcasts are in English.
These are the podcasts. Use the link to listen on SBS Italian Radio
Zuzzu: An Ancient Sicilian Pork Terrine That Uses Everything but the Oink
(already published in English).
This podcast was the most popular in the series.
13 February 2024
This episode forms part of the SBS Italian Radio series The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, celebrating traditional regional dishes that are less well known outside Italy.
SBS, the Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine, a series of podcasts
Jota/ Iota a hearty thick soup from Trieste made with smoked pork, borlotti beans and sauerkraut
Read the Recipes in English
Many of these recipes have also been published in English here on All Things Sicilian and More, often with additional historical background, photographs and cooking notes.
Simply use the blog’s search function and search for SBS Italian Radio or search by recipe name or ingredient, for example:
Puntarelle
Stuffed Artichokes
Sicilian Cassata
The Ugly Ducklings of Italian Cuisine (Zuzzu)
Jota
You’ll find several detailed recipes about the same ingredient, together with the stories, traditions and regional food culture that inspired each dish.
It is worth seeing the full range of photos of the process of making Zuzzu –Sicilian Pork Terrine:
Easter in Sicily is one of the most significant celebrations of the year, where faith, spring , history and culinary traditions converge. And among them, Cassata stands out — not just as a dessert, but as a reflection of Sicily itself: rich, layered, and shaped by many cultural histories.
Ornate cart wheeled through the streets for Processions.
Renowned for its deeply rooted Sicilian Easter customs, the island commemorates Holy Week with solemn processions, ancient rituals.
HOLY WEEK
The Easter period begins with Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday, when towns and cities across Sicily are marked by devotion and tradition. Churches fill with incense, music and prayer, while the streets become the stage for solemn processions that have been passed down through generations.
In Enna, celebrations continue even in the week following Easter.
Catania, Santa Agata, lit up .
On Good Friday in particular, statues depicting scenes from the Passion of Christ are carried slowly through ancient streets.
Ancient Rituals and Easter Processions in Sicily
Many of these Easter customs are not only religious but also historical, with origins that may reach further back than Christianity itself.
The religious celebrations continue in the hill town of Enna, one of Sicily’s most renowned Easter centres.
These are photos ‘Albis’ Sunday. celebrated the following Sunday after Easter Sunday. The processions, consist of all-male groups of various ages and sodalities or confraternities from different churches or fellowships. The procession travelled from Piazza Mazzini to the nearby Lombard castle in Enna.
These processions, often accompanied by confraternities in traditional dress, create an atmosphere that is both deeply spiritual and visually striking.
Processions move slowly through the town of Enna.
A priest blesses the surrounding fields during the celebrations, invoking good harvests and favourable weather. This ritual reflects an enduring connection to the land and echoes ancient agricultural traditions.
The Blessing of the fields.
One of the most striking is the procession of fifteen religious confraternities, each wearing distinctive robes and carrying sacred statues.
Processions move slowly through the town of Enna.
These brotherhoods date from the 15th to 17th centuries, reflecting the strong influence of Spanish rule on Sicilian religious life.
one of the Confraternities.
EASTER SUNDAY AND THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING
After the solemnity of Holy Week, Easter Sunday brings a sense of release and joy. It commemorates the Resurrection of Christ, but it also coincides with the arrival of spring — a season that has always held deep meaning in Sicily.
As winter recedes, the landscape begins to change. Trees bud, flowers appear and the days grow longer. This natural renewal reinforces the deeper symbolism of Easter as a time of rebirth, hope and continuity.
Cassata Siciliana: A SYMBOL OF EASTER AND CULTURAL HISTORY
Easter foods in Sicily are never incidental; they carry memory, history and meaning. Among them, Cassata Siciliana stands as the most iconic — not simply a dessert, but a reflection of the island itself: layered, complex and shaped by many cultures.
With its sponge, sweetened ricotta, candied fruit and marzipan, cassata tells a story of Sicily’s past. Arab influences introduced sugar, citrus and the art of candying fruit. The name cassata may derive from the Arabic word qas’ah, meaning a bowl or basin, referring to the mould used to shape the cake.
The sponge — pan di Spagna — points to Spanish connections. Later, French-trained chefs called monsù refined the dessert in aristocratic kitchens adding elegance and structure. Convent kitchens also played an important role, especially in the development of almond-based sweets and marzipan.
Nuns in Convents also contributed greatly to the development of Sicilian Pastries, especially those made with almonds and Marzipan.
Cassata, as we know it today, is the result of all these influences coming together.
PASTICCERIE (pastry shops)
It is also a cake that reflects Sicily’s love of colour, sweetness and elaborate presentation.
For this reason, cassata is rarely made at home in Sicily. It is usually the work of skilled pasticceri, many working in historic pastry shops that have preserved these techniques over generations. Like many elaborate Italian desserts, it is often left to those who have mastered the craft.
The result is a dessert that is both theatrical and deeply rooted in Sicilian tradition. The classic Sicilian cassata is an eye-catching, baroque-style cake, usually decorated with colourful glacé fruits and candied citrus peel.
The Other Forms of Cassata
There are other versions of cassata.
Cassata gelata – a frozen dessert made with ricotta and sponge cake
Cassata al forno – a baked pastry filled with sweetened ricotta
Cassata al forno is very much like a Baked Ricotta Cheese Cake.
Cassata at Home
While the traditional cassata may appear elaborate, its essence is simple — good ricotta, balanced sweetness and careful assembly. Making it at home is less about perfect decoration and more about understanding these elements and respecting their origins.
Over the years I have made several homemade cassate, sometimes decorating them with green marzipan and sometimes with a mixture of almond and pistachio marzipan.
CASSATA EXPLAINED
The classic Sicilian cassata is made of three main parts. First, there’s a soft sponge cake, often moistened with a splash of liqueur and used to line the mould.
Sponge cake cut into sections to assemble the cassata.
Inside is a rich, sweetened ricotta filling, made with sheep’s milk (sweeter than cow’s milk) and mixed with small pieces of candied citrus and dark chocolate.
The ricotta filling – the centre of the cassata.
Finally, the entire cake is covered with a layer of green marzipan or glassa a smooth glaze of sugar icing, then decorated with intricate patterns and colourful candied fruits.
HERE ARE Simpler and Deconstructed Versions of CASSATA
While the traditional cassata is a spectacular dessert, it is also labour-intensive.
Tastes change, and many people today prefer desserts that are lighter and less elaborate.
For this reason I often prepare simplified versions that use the same classic ingredients — ricotta, sponge, almonds and citrus — but in a more relaxed form.
One example is a deconstructed cassata, where the familiar flavours are layered in glasses rather than assembled as a formal cake. Sometimes I add fresh strawberries, which complement the ricotta beautifully.
These variations retain the essence of cassata while eliminating the complexities of traditional preparation.
Marzipan Leaves Recipe
To garnish these desserts I often prepare simple marzipan leaves, a playful reference to the decorative marzipan traditionally used on cassata.
Ingredients
100 g blanched almond meal
100 g icing sugar
1 egg white
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 drop green food colouring
Method
Combine all ingredients and knead until smooth. If the mixture is too soft, add a little more almond meal or icing sugar.
Roll the marzipan thinly between sheets of baking paper and cut into leaf shapes.
Reimagining Cassata — Less Formal
These simplified desserts reinterpret cassata in a relaxed way. They retain the characteristic flavours of ricotta, almonds and citrus while being quicker to prepare.
Layered Cassata in a Glass
Place one or two Savoiardi biscuits or sponge cake in the bottom of a glass and lightly brush with Cointreau.
Add a layer of sweetened ricotta mixture, then another layer of sponge or Savoiardi.
Finish with marzipan leaves.
EVEN Simpler
Spoon generous layers of ricotta mixture into large wine glasses.
Add marzipan leaves and one or two dry Savoiardi biscuits that can be used to scoop up the ricotta. Serve the Cointreau separately.
Cassata on the Blog Since 2009
Cassata has appeared frequently on All Things Sicilian and More over the years. If you would like to explore further, here are some related posts:
This year, the only traditional Christmas dish I’ll be eating is Zelten, a typical sweet, fruit and nut bread/cake of the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy.
I have never made traditional dishes for Christmas obligatory and my menu choices depend on the people I am sharing Christmas with. Last year it was fresh seafood – oysters, prawns and crayfish – simply served and delicious.
This year main course is likely to be duck with cherries marinated in grappa. What comes before and after is to be yet decided.
When my parents were alive, our family Christmas meal was likely to be a combination of offerings from Sicily and Trieste, either a caponata or an insalata russa for the finger food, a good brodo with tortellini for firsts, while the second course varied from year to year, and perhaps there was a cassata or a zuppa inglese for dessert.
Fish on Christmas eve was obligatory, but there was never a set Christmas menu, as there tends to be in many Australian or Italian households.
You won’t find me cooking turkey because it is too much like chicken, for me. As for dessert – I am not a fan of Christmas pudding and the only parts of pavlova I like are the berries and cream. I have made too many cassate (plural of cassata) and panforte on too many occasions to repeat making these or to appreciate them as I once did at Christmas. Panforte now made with so many different ingredients in Australia has become far too common and so removed from the Italian regional recipes, steeped in cultural traditions.
This year, Zelten will be my only traditional sweet.
I’ve looked at numerous recipes and background information about Zelten and found that there are many variations in the recipes. Zelten began from humble beginnings, a bread dough enriched with the typical local dry fruit and spices, the quantity and quality of fruit being poor in some areas (as in Trentino) and extravagant in others (as in Balzano).
The numerous recipes I read varied greatly. For example, walnuts are the principal nut used in all the recipes, but some variations contain almonds and/or hazelnuts/ pine nuts. Apart from figs and dried grapes, there are recipes with dates and/or unspecified dried fruit. To me using dates and mixed fruit do not sound typical of Tyrol.
All recipes include flour, either wheat or rye (some use very little flour, other recipe have large amounts of dough, some use bread dough). There are varying amounts of eggs, butter, sugar, yeast, milk or none of these. The fruit can be steeped in rum, but some recipes specify grappa, so as you can see the recipes vary greatly and some are much more modern.
I can understand the many variations of Zelten in Tyrol and why the recipes differ from family to family and location. Tyrol (German: Tirol) is historically a multi-national region located in the heart of the Alps of Austria and Italy. It is segmented by the compass into North, East and South Tyrol. North and East Tyrol lie in Austria and South Tyrol is in Italy, it is also known as Südtirol or Alto Adige). Bolzano, is the capital.
I was in this stunningly beaiutiful and fascinating region of Italy two years ago and enjoyed its many special features: the remarkable scenery especially in the Italian Alps and the Dolomites with their extraordinary mountainous and rocky peaks, the distinct architecture of cities and ancient villages where people speak German or Austro-Bavarian-German and Italian, and obviously, the culinary delights that reflect these cultures.
Zelten comes from the German selten and it means sometimes/on occasions, and as the name indicates it was only prepared on special occasions like Christmas, in winter with only dried fruit and nuts available.
I finally settled on making a version of a Zelten from South Tyrol and Bolzano, characterized by of large amounts of fruit – mainly figs and a selection of other dried fruit, pine nuts and almonds. I conducted some research into the fruit that is grown in the region and omitted apricots, peaches or plums because these stone fruits are more recent additions to the orchards. I used dried apples, pears, sultanas, strawberries (there are wild strawberries in the woods), a few dried plums and only a little orange peel as I did not imagine citrus to be very common in the area but would add to the flavour.
I chose grappa rather than rum, and plenty of it to soak the fruit and to moisten the cake once it was made.
I used no butter, eggs, milk or yeast and I used rye flour because wheat does not grow well in wet and cold climates. I used honey and not sugar.
I divided the mixture and baked two round cakes.
Eventually, I combined a couple of recipes and came up with:
750g dried fruit – 400g were figs, the rest as described above
350g nuts – 120g walnuts, the remainder almonds and pine nuts
200g honey
grappa – about ½ litre to soak the fruit and another ½ litre to soak into the baked cake
ground cinnamon, cloves, grated lemon peel
rye flour
I combined coarsely cut fruit and chopped nuts in a large container with a cover, added the grappa and left it for four days, stirring it occasionally.
I added the honey and spices and gradually mixed in as much rye flour as it would absorb. The principal recipe suggested to use 5% of the total weight of the ingredients, I calculated this to be about 230g. I mixed a teaspoon of baking powder to the flour as the only leavening, there was no leavening mentioned in the recipes that I sighted that used rye flour.
I lined two round baking tins with brown paper and baking paper. The recipe did not specify heat or time, but I baked them at 200 degrees for 60 minutes. Although my cakes are round, my understanding is that in different parts of Tyrol oval or heart shapes are also common.
I wrapped the cakes in calico (pudding cloth) and I have been dousing it with more grappa daily.
I took a cake to friends last night and we cut it. It is heavy, not sweet and steeped in grappa. It does taste good.
Back goes the calico wrapping. With all that alcohol and fortress – like wrapping, the Zelten will last for a long time.
Grappa is made with grape skins. The wines and grappa from this region is unique.
The Inspector Montalbano’s series of books and his favourite dishes were the brainchild of the Sicilian director and author Andrea Calogero Camilleri, born 6 September 1925; died 17 July 2019.
The entire nation is in mourning: RAI 1 news, the state broadcaster, dedicated 80 per cent of its time slot to this news; writers, intellectuals and the highest representatives of the Italian state have expressed their condolences. Even his arch-enemy, Matteo Salvini, minister of the interior and leader of the xenophobic Northern League party — with whom Camilleri had several heated exchanges over the years — has paid tribute to the popular Sicilian writer.
The paragraph above is from an article published in The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald on July 20. It is written by Barbara Pezzotti, a lecturer in Italian Studies at Monash University. She is the author of three monographs dedicated to Italian crime fiction and has extensively published on Andrea Camilleri.
Camilleri is the author of numerous books, but in Australia he is perhaps best known for his Montalbano novels and has become one of the most-loved crime fiction writers in the world.
His books have been published worldwide and translated into 32 languages, including Catalan and Gaelic. The highly successful television series, inspired by Montalbano’s books, became an international success and was broadcast in Australia by SBS. The series’ depiction of beautiful Sicily has undoubtedly encouraged many travellers.
Following the death of Andrea Camilleri last week, a relative from Ragusa, Sicily, sent me an article from Ragusa News. This online publication covers news and interest stories from the Ragusa Province and nearby towns, including Vittoria, Modica, Comiso, Scicli, Pozzallo and Ispica.
The article is called Domenica a pranzo onoriamo Camilleri con la pasta ‘Ncasciata (On Sunday for lunch let us honour Camilleri with pasta Ncasciata).
The house on the beach where Montalbano lives in the series.
Sunday lunch is still an important family occasion in Sicily and Pasta ‘Ncasciata is a Sicilian version of oven baked pasta; it is one of Montalbano’s favorite things to eat. It is prepared for him by his housekeeper, Adelina.
In his Montalbano series, Camilleri describes almost every dish that the character consumes, all of which are traditionally Sicilian.
Marzipan fruit.
Sicily has many variations of Pasta ‘Ncasciata, each with distinct ingredient combinations. The most notable is from Messina, and the recipe in this article appears to be the Messinese version. It is made with commercial, short-shaped pasta layered with tomato meat sauce, mortadella or salami, fried eggplant, caciocavallo cheese, salami and hard-boiled eggs.
Sicilian Cassata.
Apart from Pasta ‘Ncasciata, Montalbano has other favourites, which I have also written about in my blog and first book, Sicilian Seafood Cooking.
Spring in Sicily is welcomed ‘big time’ and spring produce is embraced.
Sicilians make a fuss about the preparation and eating of seasonal spring produce: asparagus, artichokes, broad beans, fennel and ricotta. It is the time when the island comes alive – flowers bloom, vines sprout and vegetables ripen.
The menu at Waratah Hills Vineyard was a celebration of Spring, and all who attended the class enjoyed all of that produce and the occasion in such a beautiful vineyard.
We ate local garfish rolled around a Sicilian stuffing (commonly used for sardines called Beccafico), stuffed artichokes and a pasta with a dressing made from sautéed spring vegetables, moistened with wine and stock and topped with nutmeg and creamy ricotta.
We drank excellent, matching wines with each course and used local, extra virgin olive oil made by Judy and Neil’s (proprietors of Waratah Hills Vineyard and organizers of this event) neighbours .
Cassata of course was the final culinary jewel; I coated it with not-too-sweet marzipan…..and I have my tongue out in anticipation…(I do not know what I was saying!)
A few dressed Sicilian Green olives at the start did not go astray (garlic, orange rind, chilli flakes, wild fennel fronds, bay leaves, extra virgin olive oil) and a fennel and orange salad as a palate cleanser eaten after the fish was a good choice .
Thank you to all those eager and friendly people who made the event a success.
Cassata Siciliana and marzipan (pasta reale) are among the most iconic Easter desserts of Sicily, closely tied to the island’s history, religious traditions and enduring love of elaborate sweets, and at the Food and Culture in Sicily Easter cookery workshop held by La Trobe University, I demonstrated the preparation and explained the layered history of these two classics of the Sicilian pastry tradition.
The workshop took place on 23 March 2013 as part of a broader program exploring Sicilian food, culture and history. Many participants were encountering cassata and traditional Sicilian marzipan for the first time and were pleasantly surprised by the delicate almond flavour and the richness of these historic desserts.
Food, Culture and the Mediterranean World
The session began with a lecture on the History of food and feasting in Sicily, Italy and the wider Mediterranean.
This was presented by Dr Gillian Shepherd, Lecturer in Ancient Mediterranean Studies and Director of the A.D. Trendall Research Centre for Ancient Mediterranean Studies at La Trobe University. Her talk explored literary and archaeological evidence for food production and consumption in the ancient world.
Following the lecture, I conducted a food workshop and cooking demonstration illustrating how the many cultures that ruled Sicily shaped its cuisine over centuries — including the Greek, Roman, Arab, French and Spanish influences that continue to define Sicilian cooking today.
Part of the demonstration to show how Cassata is made.
Cassata Siciliana reflects Sicily’s layered culinary history. The ingredients of ricotta, almonds, sugar, sponge cake and marzipan reveal centuries of influence, from Arab agriculture and Spanish baking to the refined pastry techniques of the French-trained monsù chefs who shaped the cassata we know today. Cassata was an ideal dessert to demonstrate this context. Its origins reflect Sicily’s layered cultural history and it has long been associated with Easter celebrations.
Although traditionally linked to Easter, cassata has also become popular at Christmas and other festive occasions.
Cassata, sliced, shows filling and marzipan layer.
Cassata and the Cultural Layers of Sicily
Cassata is often described as one of Sicily’s most iconic desserts, but it is more than a cake. It reflects Sicily’s long history as a crossroads of Mediterranean cultures, where different peoples — Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Spaniards, French and others — left their marks on the island’s cuisine.
Ancient Roots: Ricotta and the Name Cassata
Some historians trace the name cassata to the Latin caseus, meaning cheese. This connection is plausible given that ricotta, a fresh sheep’s milk cheese, forms the heart of the dessert. In Sicilian dialect the word for cheese is casu, and earlier forms such as caseata may have existed, suggesting a long-standing association between the name and the ricotta filling.
The Arab Legacy: Sugar, Almonds and Citrus
However, the most significant early influence is widely believed to be Arab. The Arabs occupied Sicily for several centuries, beginning with their invasion in 827 AD and consolidating control by 902 AD. During their rule they transformed Sicilian agriculture and introduced crops and ingredients that profoundly shaped the island’s sweets — sugar cane, almonds, citrus fruits and pistachios. They also brought a taste for desserts enriched with nuts, dried fruits and fragrant syrups.
Even the name cassata may have Arabic roots. Some scholars suggest it derives from the Arabic word qas’ah, meaning a deep bowl or basin, possibly the type of container in which early versions of the cake were shaped.
Spanish Influence: The Arrival ofPan di Spagna
Later layers were added during the long period of Spanish rule, which extended across several centuries — through the Angevins, Aragonese, Spanish viceroys and Bourbons — from the late 13th century until the mid-19th century. The sponge cake used in cassata is thought to date from this era. In Italian it is called pan di Spagna (“bread of Spain”), suggesting its Iberian connection.
The Monsù: French Refinement in Sicilian Kitchens
Another important influence came from the French-trained chefs known in Sicily as monsù. From the 18th century onwards, aristocratic households in Sicily employed these highly skilled cooks, whose name derived from the French monsieur. The monsù refined and elaborated many traditional dishes, including elaborate pastries and decorated desserts. Their techniques helped shape the more ornate cassata we recognise today, with carefully layered sponge, ricotta filling, candied fruits and the decorative covering of green marzipan (pasta reale).
Convent Traditions: Nuns and the Art of Sicilian Sweets
The refinement of these sweets also owes much to the nuns of Sicilian convents, who played an important role in preserving and elaborating the island’s pastry traditions. Within convent kitchens, sweets made with ricotta, sugar and almonds were carefully prepared for religious feasts, especially Easter. Over time, these cloistered communities perfected decorative techniques using marzipan (pasta reale) and candied fruits, contributing to the elaborate appearance and symbolic richness that cassata and other Sicilian festive desserts display today.
Like Sicily itself, cassata is not the creation of a single culture, but a dessert shaped by many hands over time.
**The photos of the mosaics are from Piazza Armerina that i visited in one of my many trips to Sicily. the mosaics are extensive in the renowned Villa Romana Del Casale, built in the mid-4th century ad as a hunting lodge. the villa boasts some of the best-preserved and extensive examples of Roman mosaics, covering approximately 3,500 square metres.
HOW Marzipan is made
Almonds and Marzipan in Sicily
Sicily produces large quantities of almonds, and almond meal is used extensively in traditional sweets and pastries.
The island is especially famous for marzipan fruit, colourful almond confections shaped to resemble fruits and vegetables. Sicilian pastry cooks have long been highly regarded throughout Italy for their skill in making these elaborate sweets.
Marzipan is also known as pasta reale, meaning “royal paste”.
Marzipan when made in the traditional method is made by cooking a strong syrup of sugar and water and then adding freshly ground almonds. The mixture is kneaded till smooth (like bread dough) and then shaped.
This is the original, traditional recipe for making Marzipan:
Over the years I have been making marzipan and adapting a recipe from Bitter Almonds, Recollections and Recipes from a Sicilian girlhood.
Maria Grammatico has a very famous pastry shop in Erice in Sicily and her recipes have been recorded by Mary Taylor Simeti.
In a food processor, grind the almonds with about 2 tablespoons of the sugar until very fine, almost powdery.
In a food processor or in an electric mixer, combine the nuts, the rest of the sugar, the water, vanilla, and the almond extract.
Process or mix until the paste is very smooth. Remove to a marble slab or other cold work surface dusted with confectioners’ sugar and knead briefly by hand.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Marzipan will keep almost indefinitely in the refrigerator.
A VERY EASY WAY TO MAKE MARZIPAN
Ingredients
2 cups ground almonds
1½ cups pure icing sugar
½ cup caster sugar
water as needed
I like the combination of icing sugar and caster sugar, as the caster sugar adds a slight crunch that complements the ground almonds.
When using fresh almonds, I prefer their natural flavour and usually omit vanilla, almond extract or Amaretto.
Method
I mix the sugars and almond meal with my fingers and gradually add water.
It is important to add the water slowly, because a mixture that is too wet will require more almonds and sugar to correct.
I knead the mixture much like bread dough, adding a little more water if necessary until the marzipan becomes smooth and pliable.
This is a simple decoration of one of the many Cassate I have made, which shows the marzipan coating.
Cassata on This Blog
This is not the first time I have written about cassata, marzipan or Easter desserts on this blog. There are several other posts exploring these themes and their place in Sicilian food traditions.
Pasqua is Easter, and this is celebrated with traditional Sicilian sweets, particularly Cassata and the Agnellino Pasquale (the Pascal Lamb). These small lambs are often made of marzipan but can also be crafted from other ingredients.
POLLOZZI GENEROSA, Sicily
Polizzi Generosa is in the Madonie Mountains. The drive through the mountains on a foggy day was quite unsettling. The township is perched at ~900m with stunning valley views. ancient charm, Norman churches, artisanal food especially pastries.
Below is the photo of a small pasticceria in Polozzi Generosa, in the Madonie Mountains, not that far from Palermo. I have misplaced the photos of the pascal lambs I found in this shop, but they were beautiful.
Pasticceria Al Castello in Piazza Castello was recommended to me because it was reputed to make the best Sicilian pastry. Their authentic and tradition use of quality Sicilian ingredients – fillings made with tuma (fresh cheese), glacé candied fruit, fresh local nuts especially hazelnuts.
I did buy a few things there to take to relatives who were on my schedule to visit, but unfortunately I have no photos!
* I looked this up recently to recommend to a traveller, and it is now listed as permanently closed.
Pasticceria in Polozzi Generosa, Sicily.
Agnellino pasquale (Pascal LambS)
These Pascal lambs in the photo below are from Dolcetti, an excellent Pastry shop on Victoria Street in Melbourne. marianna, the pastry chef is of Sicilian Heritage.
Hers are made of Marzipan.
In Sicily, the traditional pascal lambs (agnellini pasquali) are made with marzipan, however I have found a recipe for making the lamb out of pasta garofolata (dough flavoured with cloves/ cloves are chiodi di garofano in Italian).
This same dough is used to make ossa dei morti (bones of the dead, customary Nov1st/ 2nd, the day of the Dead/ All saints Day).
Here is another version from a different Pasticceria in Sicily. This one is made of the dough used to make the traditional, Sicilian almond biscuits.
For those of you who may wish to try making a pascal lamb (could be fun to make with children), here is the recipe from:
RECIPE from Culinaria Italy, Claudia Piras, 2004:
Pasta Garofolata per Ossa Dei Morti o Agnellini Pasquali
Ingredients
2 pounds sugar — (approximately 1 kg)
2 pounds all-purpose flour — (approximately 1 kg)
10 whole cloves — ground
Almond oil
Method
In a saucepan, bring the sugar to the boil in a little water. When the sugar is dissolved, lower the heat and sift in the flour, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, being careful that no lumps form. The flour MUST NOT be allowed to brown, it must stay snow white.Stir in the powdered cloves.
Once everything is thoroughly mixed and the flour is nice and white, remove from the heat.
As soon as it has cooled down enough to be handled make little bone shapes or lambs out of the dough.
Alternatively, if you have appropriately shaped moulds you can brush them with a little almond oil and fill with the dough.
Leave for a few days in a dry place. Remove from the molds if you used
them.
Brush the undersides with water, place on a baking sheet and bake in
a preheated 350F (180C) oven. When the sugar has risen and turned the
distinctive colour of a monk’s habit, the cookies are ready.
NB. There are many recipes for making ossa dei morti; many use almond meal and egg white (marzipan).
CASSATA
In Sicily, the dessert has to be cassata – not the Neapolitan one made with ice cream, but with ricotta, and Sicilians use sheep’s milk ricotta because they can.
Each time I make a cassata it always looks different, but they always taste good. on occasions I have even made made marzipan with pistachio nuts – it can be a long process peeling off any of their flaky skins!
I always cover the cassata with marzipan.
A slice of cassata
RECIPE FOR Glassa (fondant)
In pastry shops many cassate are covered with glassa (fondant):
There are many recipes where icing sugar is melted in water over a stove and then poured over the cassata – I find this too hard to work with and far too sweet. The following fondant is much easier to work with:
Fondant:
Beat 1 egg white till stiff, add 350 g of icing sugar (which has been infused with a vanilla bean). Add juice of one lemon and a few drops of green colouring. Beat till smooth. Spread over cassata. Many pasticcerie use white and green fondant.
This cassata was prepared for a celebration. I was particularly pleased that my friend followed the cassata and marzipan fruit recipes on my blog (links below).
She got in touch and sent me some photos—it was her New Year’s Eve cake!
Doesn’t the cassata and the fruit look absolutely wonderful?
Hand-made marzipan fruit.
SHE writes: Your recipe works a treat and it is a great celebratory dessert. Everyone on New Year’s Eve thought it was very special!
Some even ate the marzipan fruit!
With more time I would have created a fancy edging with small leaf shapes. Your sponge recipe was most successful! The cake was delicious and I was generous with Cointreau. Everybody was delighted with the cassata – it was the highlight of the meal.
I followed your recipe closely but added more couverture choc (which isn’t so sweet) and glace orange and citron to the ricotta. The glace orange doesn’t have the intense flavour of candied orange peel so you need a bit more of that. I would be inclined to bump up the use of Cointreau next time to make the sponge even moister and to bring out the lovely orange liqueur flavour even more.
Could you also try adding honey to replace some of the sugar in the ricotta mix? It could make the ricotta a little moister too but wouldn’t make it too sloppy as it is stored in the fridge (the honey becomes more viscous when cooled). It has stored well in the fridge (hasn’t gone weepy at all). We had some for morning tea today with friends and it was greatly enjoyed.
Cassata cut.
MY reply:
Honey would alter the flavour and although this is not considered “traditional”or “authentic’.
But authenticity has very little to offer us in terms of practicality, individual tastes or even updates to what we know now about healthy food.
I am very well aware that you have bee hives in your back garden andI know how tasty your honey is. So why not?? just don’t invite any Sicilians around when you eat the Cassata.
