Have you got a sweet tooth and you can't resist in front of a bakery or pastry shop? You are not alone!
If there's one thing you can't miss while traveling to Abruzzo is to indulge yourself at the best cake shops to try some of the numerous typical sweets produced in this undiscovered Region of Italy and join a cooking class to learn the secrets of these typical cakes and impress your family and friends.
I have selected 5 of my favorite sweet treats that are really worth trying, and actually worth traveling for!
#1 SFOGLIATELLA DI LAMA DEI PELIGNI
When we say sfogliatella, we say Naples but a few know that even Abruzzo has its own sfogliatella, and it's produced in a tiny montainous village called Lama dei Peligni, in the Province of Chieti. More than one century ago, Donna Anna, wife of Baron Tabassi, inherited the recipe of the famous sfogliatella napoletana from her mother in law. She reinvented the sfogliatella, adapting the recipe to the local ingredients. She invented the sfogliatella abruzzese, a crunchy, multi-layered puff pastry filled with the queen of Abruzzo jams, the grape jam, flavored with black cherry jam, cooked grape must and walnuts. The result is a crunchy and at the same time soft cake with a super delicious filling.
Where to taste it: at Donna Anna in Lama dei Peligni
#2 BOCCONOTTO DI CASTEL FRENTANO
A soft short pastry filled with chocolate, cinammon, eggs, coffee and almonds. Bocconotti are traditionally produced in Castel Frentano, in the Province of Chieti.
It is the beginning of the 18th century and chocolate and coffee started to be imported in Abruzzo, when a servant creates a small cake for her lord who loved chocolate and coffee. Bocconotto has the shape of an upside down cup of coffee, and its name means "bite", as you can eat it with just one bite. Originally, in fact, bocconotti where much smaller, while today they are about 6/7 cm large, and 2/3 cm high.
Where to taste it: At Biondi La Casa del Bocconotto in Pineto (Teramo) for the original recipe
#3 FERRATELLE
One of the most simple yet most delicious recipes from Abruzzo, handed down from generation to generation. Almost every Abruzzese have the traditional tool at home and their own recipe. Soft or hard, plain of filled with grape jam, ferratelle (also known as neole, pizzelle or cancellate) are a must for all festivities.
The recipe is simple and a traditional tool called "ferro" (iron) must be used for making ferratelle. The red-hot tool stamps the dough with the typical shape of the ferratelle. Many families had their own ferro in which the family emblem or name was impressed, giving the ferratelle a personalized pattern.
How to understand when the ferratella is cooked on one side and it's time to turn the tool on the other side? According to tradition, tell a prayer on one side (Ave Maria) and another on the other side (Pater Noster), and the ferratella is perfectly cooked. Exactly what my nonna used to tell me while making the ferratelle!
Where to taste it: at every Abruzzese's home!
#4 PARROZZO
The king of Christmas cakes, parrozzo has those distinctive flavors of chocolate, orange and almonds who make it such a loved cake.
Originally, the parrozzo was made by local farmers. The name parrozzo stands for "rough bread". At the beginning of the 20th centrury, a pastry chef from Pescara, Luigi D'Amcio, took the parrozzo to the next level, maintaining the original characteristics of the bread but making it sweet by adding some more ingredients like chocolate.
Where to taste it: you can buy it in many shops in Abruzzo or you can try the homemade version
#5 PIZZA DOLCE
This cake of the most authentic Abruzzese tradition, is a multi layered sponge cake filled with chocolate, cream and alchermes, a typical red liqueur. Originally served at weddings, today it is still the most traditional cake for most festivities.
Where to taste it: Most of the typical restaurant make this cake but the homemade one is definitely the best!
Planning a trip to Italy and want to add a bit of Abruzzo to your next Italian tour?
Just start dreaming it and let me do the rest!
Learn more on my website for a personalized tour or join me in 2020 on an exclusive small-group Foodies' getaway to Rome and the Abruzzo Region.
You will have the chance to cook with me and try some of these amazing cakes!
For more information contact me via email francesca.cichella@igotravelnetwork.com or Whatsapp +39 392 0861814
Thanks for reding this article and see you to the next blog post. Ciao!