Ingredients
The following LIST OF ITALIAN DESSERTS includes names of well-known Italian cookies, cakes, fritters, holiday breads, pastries, pies and tarts in alphabetical order (For a more detailed list of desserts by region see the entries on this website which are classified by region.)
A
ALBICOCCHE, jam-filled cookies
ANGINETTI, Italian Easter cookies
AMARETTI, almond-based cookies which are often described as as macaroons; the original amaretti were made solely with ground almonds, egg whites, sugar and salt, nowadays they may contain other ingredients [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
AMARETTI DI SARONNO, a crunchy-style of amaretti
AMARETTI DEI POVERI, poor man's amaretti from Cascalenda, Molise [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
AMARETTI FRITTI, amaretti fritters
AMARETTI [WITH COCOA POWDER], Amaretti flavored with cocoa powder [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
AMARETTTO, apricot-based liqueur
AMARETTUS, soft but crispy Amaretti cookies made in Sardinia
AMOR DI POLENTA, a cake made with cornmeal
ANISE BISCOTTI, Italian twice-baked cookies flavored with anise, generally, fat free and nut free (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
ANISE TOSAST, anise-flavored, generally fat-free, twice-baked Italian biscotti (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
ANISETTE, anise-flavored cookies
ANICINI, anise-flavored cookies available all over Italy though both Genoa and Sardinia lay special claim to them [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
ANIME BEATE, a sweet pastry pocket-style dessert from Calabria
ARANCI CARAMELLIZZATI, caramelized oranges made in Veneto
ARANCIATA, almond type nougat
B
BABA AL RUM, sweet bread buns, soaked in rum-flavored syrup [For picture see category, "PASTRIES"]
TORTA BABA, a cake made from yeast dough, flavored with candied fruits and soaked with rum after it is baked
BABA AL CAFFE, a rum-and-coffee flavored cake topped with syrup
BABA ALLA CREMA CON MACEDONIA, Baba with cream and fruit filing
BABA CAKE, rum-flavored cake from Naples, Campania [For recipe see "Cakes"]
BACI, Nowadays "Baci" [the word means kisses] are automatically associated with the world-famous Italian-made chocolates that can be found in almost any store in Italy or North America, but originally they were just another chocolate sweet
BACI DI DAMA, almond and chocolate biscuits [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
BAICOLI, a famous dry biscuit using yeast originally made in Venice and now popular throughout Northern Italy [For recipe see "Cookies"]
BAVARESE ALL'ARANCIA, orange-flavored Bavarian cream
BAVARESE ALLA VANIGLIA, vanilla-flavored Bavarian cream
BECCUTE, cookies made with raisins and nuts from Marche Ancona
BENSONE, a lemon-flavored cake from Emilia Romagna
BIANCA NEVE, "Snow white" almond-based cookies from Casacalenda, Molise [For various recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
BICCIOLANI, spice cookies from Piedmont [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BIGNE, a chaux pastry usually filled with cream
BIGNE DI SAN GIUSEPPE, bigne-style fritters made for the Feast Day of Saint Joseph in Rome [For recipe see "Fritters"]
BIGNOLE, cream puffs
BISCOTTI, in North America the word, "biscotti," generally describes hard almond cookies that are generally served with coffee, however in Italy, the word, "biscotti," is presently used as generic term for any kind of hard dry biscuit, including taralli, which are "twice baked" [P.S. Prior to World War II the word, biscotti, was often used as generic term for any kind of cookie, twice-baked or not, especially in the Southern Italian countryside]
BISCOTTI AD ESSE, s shaped anise-flavored cookies [For recipe see Italy Revisited/ Cookies without Nuts]
BISCOTTI All' ANACI, anise-flavored biscotti [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BISCOTTI AL TORRONI, torroncini-style mixed nut cookies (not twice-baked) [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"
BISCOTTI ALLA CANNELLA, Cinnamon Cookies
BISCOTTI ALLA PALERMITANA, chocolate nut ball cookies from Palermo (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
BISCOTTI AL MIELE E SPEZIE, honey and spice cookies made in Tuscany, influenced by German and Hungary cookery
BISCOTTI AL SHERRY, sherry flavored cookies
BISCOTTI BOCCONCINI DI S. AGATA, Sicilian rectangular-cookies stuffed with jam served on the Feast day of St. Agata
BISCOTTI BRUTTI MA BUONI, ugly-but-good cookies sometimes made with almonds and sometimes made with hazelnuts (For a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
BISCOTTI CAPPELLINI, round-shaped cookies made with pasta frolla and stuffed with jam
BISCOTTI CON MANDORLA [or MENNOLE in dialect], almond biscotti from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
BISCOTTI CON PIGNOLI, cookies decorated with pine nuts, popular in Sicily
BISCOTTI CON UOVA, Easter cookies decorated with eggs [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts and Cookies without Nuts as well as Holiday Breads]
BISCOTTI CON SALE, taralli made with eggs and flavored with fennel sides [For recipe see "Taralli"]
BISCOTTI D'ANNODARE, knot cookies
BISCOTTI DI CIOCCOLATA, chocolate cookies (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
BISCOTTI DI DUE COLORE, two-colored cookies often using food coloring, or sometimes use vanilla and chocolate flavoring
BISCOTTI DI LEMONI, lemon-flavored cookies from Molise (Not twice-baked!) [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts"]
BISCOTTI DI GIGULENA (or Giugiulena), cookies topped with sesame seeds, popular in Sicily [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BISCOTTI DI GUARDIALFIERI, sweet taralli made in Guardialfieri, Molise [For recipe see "Taralli"]
BISCOTTI DI PRATO, twice-baked hard-style almond biscotti often known as "cantucci" or "cantuccini" [For recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
BISCOTTI DI REGINA, finger-shaped cookies coated with sesame seeds [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BISCCOTTI DI SAN FRANCESCO, cookies made with yeast dough, flavored with cinnamon and aniseed [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BISCOTTI "FETTINE ALL'ANICE," anise flavored sliced biscotti [for a variety of anise biscotti see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts and Cookies without Nuts]
BISCOTTI GIUGGIOLE, stuffed round-shaped cookies rolled in sesame seeds
BISCOTTI INGLESE, "English" biscuits
BISCOTTI PINOLI, cookies with pine nuts
BISCOTTI RAME DI NAPOLI, chocolate cookies served on The Feast Day of the Dead, originally from Naples
BISCOTTI PAPZIENTINI, thin almond crunch round-shaped cookies
BISCOTTI PIPARELLE, almond and cooa flavored biscotti, often flavored with black pepper
BISCOTTI REGINA, cookies coated with sesame seeds [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BISCOTTI RIPIENI CON MOSTO, Molisani cookies or tarts filled with almonds, flavored with mosto cotto [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calconi]
BISCOTTI SABLE, classic Sables cookies
BISCOTTI TORTONI, cookies often using ice cream, topped with cherries and minced almonds [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
BISCOTTO a RICCIO, swirled biscuits made for Easter from Agrigento, Sicily
BISCOTTINI, small-sized biscotti
BOCCA DI DAMA, almond cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
Bocconoti/Bocconotto/Bocconotti/Buccunottu, Southern Italian stuffed sweets often filled with custard and jam; in Puglia they're flavored with almonds and cherries and served at CHRISTMAS; in Calabria they're known as "buccunottu" and served at Easter; sometimes the sweets are shaped as sweet ravioli, and sometimes they're presented as elongated cup cakes; these sweets are also popular in Abruzzo and Molise. ("For a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Calconi)
BOMBOLONI, a ring-shaped roll from Tuscany
BONBON DI DATTERI E NOCI, cookies made with dates and almonds
BONET, a classic-style custard from Piedmont (flavors vary)
BOSTONCINI, almond biscuits available in Italian-Canadian pastry shops
BOVE, Italian eggnog [For recipe see "Italian Beverages"]
BOXIE, fried dough from Liguria
BRASSADELA, a yeast cake similar to Panettone, from Verona
BRIGIDINI, Tuscan anise-flavored wafers [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BRIOCHE, a generic term for a pastry roll, French origin [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Pastries]
BRUSCHETTA, originally a sour dough bread from Puglia, but now refers to any kind of Italian country bread that is sliced, toasted or grilled and brushed with olive oil and fresh garlic (Possibly the forerunner of "garlic bread").
BRUTTI MA BUONI, "ugly but good" nut-based cookies originally from Piedmont, now popular throughout Italy [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
BUBA CU L'UOVA, Sicilian Easter pastries, shaped like baskets and decorated with eggs (For recipe see Italy Revisited/Holiday Breads)
BUCCELLATO, a ring-shaped CHRISTMAS Sicilian cake filled with figs and nuts, sometimes described as a pastry wreath; the dessert name, "buccellato," has also been used to describe a Tuscan cake in a variety of sources, but most likely it is a Sicilian in origin, rather than Tuscan
BUCCUNOTTI, a dessert from Calabria
BUDINO, a molded style of pudding
BUDINO AL CIOCCOLATO, a chocolate-flavored pudding
BUDINO AL LIME, lime mold
BUDINO AL MIELE, honey pudding
BUDINO DI NOCCIUOLE, hazelnut pudding [see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams]
BUDINO DI PANE, CIOCCOLATO E MELE, bread pudding with chocolate and apples
BUDINO DI CASTAGNE, chestnut pudding [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams]
BUDINO DI FRUTTA IN GELATINA, fruit jelly
BUDINO DI MANDORLE, an almond pudding [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams as well as Italy Revisited/ Pies and Tarts]
BUDINO DI PANE, a bread pudding [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams]
BUDINO DI RICOTTA, a ricotta and almond pudding [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams, as well as Italy Revisited/Pies and Tarts]
BUDINO TOSCANO, a ricotta and raisin pudding from Tuscany
BUGIE, sweet Carnival fritters [See recipe in "Fritters"]
BURANEI, "S" shaped cookies from Venice [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
BUSSOLAI, ring-shaped biscuits flavored with liqueur; in Friuli they are given as gifts to children when they are confirmed
BUSSOLANO, a cake from Venice, Verona
C
CAGGIONETTI/Caggiunitti/Cagionetti/Calgionetti/Caggiunitti/ Caviciumette, deep fried sweet ravioli made with chestnuts and flavored with anise made for the Christmas holidays from Naples. Also found in the Abruzzo region. (For recipes see Italy Revisited/Calcioni)
CALCAGNETTI, nut clusters
CALCIONI [also spelled calciumi, calciuni, caucioni, cauciumi, and cauciuni], fried or baked pastry pockets made in various shapes and filled with various stuffings found throughout Southern Italy [For recipes see "Calcioni"]
CALCIONI DI RICOTTA RUSTICI, pastry pockets filled with ricotta from Molise
CALCIONI DI MARCHES, pastry pockets filled with Pecorino cheese
CALCIUMI [also spelled calcioni, calciuni, caucioni, caucioni, cauciumi and cauciuni], fried or baked pastry pockets made in various shapes and filled with various stuffings found throughout Southern Italy [For recipes see "Calcioni"]
CALCIUNI [also spelled calcioni, calciumi, caucioni, cauciumi and cauciuni], fried or baked pastry pockets made in various shapes and filled with various stuffings, though in Molise they are generally stuffed with chickpeas, honey and walnuts and prepared for the Christmas holidays and the Feast Day of Saint Joseph [For recipes see "Calcioni"]
CALGIONES, stuffed pastries from Abruzzo [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
CALZONE, pizza-dough that is rolled out and folded over various stuffings, generally not sweet, but sometimes the word is used loosely so the stuffing is made with jam and nuts etc.; calzone originated from Southern Italy but nowadays they are popular everywhere, in particular, North America
CALZONEDDI, small-sized calzone
CALZONI DI CECI, sweet ravioli filled with sweetened chick peas from Basilicata
CANCELLE, sweet from the Abruzzo/Molise region
CANDELAUS, a Sardinian dessert from the Cagliari area, made with almond dough, covered in icing and flavored with thin slices of fruit
CANESTRELLI, biscuits from Liguria and Sicily
CANISTRELLI, anise-flavored cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
CANNARICALI, fried rolled dough dipped in honey made for the Christmas holidays on the most part in Calabria, though the fritter is also found in Campania and Basilicata, though the recipes do differ somewhat in these other regions; cannaricali are also made for Carnival festivities in some areas of Calabria, Campani and Basilicata {For recipe see "Fritters"
CANGELLE, pizzelle cookies from Guardialfiera, Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
CANNARICULI, Christmas fritters from Calabria
CANNOLI, A crisp fried pastry shell filled with sweetened ricotta or Italian-style cream or custard, originally made in Sicily and now available in most Italian pastry shops in North America
CANNOLI CON RICOTTA, fried pastry shells filled with ricotta, originally from Sicily
CANNOLI MORBIDI, sweets from Calabria
CANNOLO SICILIANO, fried pastry shells with a variety of fillings
CANTUCCI, twice-baked hard-style biscotti, originally flavored with almonds, but now they come in a variety of flavorings (including nut-free); most food historians believe the biscotti has its origin in Tuscany, in fact, this style of biscotti is often called "Biscotti di Prato." Nonetheless, this twice-backed hard-style biscotti is also part of the food culture of Marche and Veneto [For recipes see "Cookies with Nuts and/or Cookies without Nuts]
CANTUCCINI, most food writers describe "cantuccini" as the smaller version of the twice-backed hard-style Tuscan biscotti called "cantucci" [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts and/or Cookies without Nuts]
La CAPRESE, Gluten-free, flourless dark chocolate almond cake from Capri, Campania (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes)
CARAGNOLE or CARAGNELLE, fired pastry dough in the shape of bows or rose wheels made for the Christmas holidays in Molise [For recipe see "Fritters"]
CARTEDDATE, fried dough from Apulia
CARTELLATE, fried pastry dough stuffed with jam from Puglia
CARTELLETE, a taralli-style biscotti from the Marche region [for recipe see "Taralli"]
CAROSELLO, coiled-shaped Easter cookies or pastries from Molise [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Holiday Breads"]
CASATIELLO, a focaccia from Naples that is decorated with hardboiled eggs
CASSATA, a dessert from the Abruzzo area
CASSATA ALLA MARGHERITA, sponge cake layered with sweetened ricotta [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
CASSATA ALLA SICILIANA, a famous sponge cake from Sicily layered with ricotta cheese and pastry cream, and flavored with chocolate and almond paste; it is often covered with pink or green icing and beautifully decorated [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
CASATA DI RICCOTA ALLA SICILIANA, sponge cake layered with custard [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
CASSATA GELATA, an ice cream cake
CASSATA MARGHERITA, sponge cake filled with wine custard [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
CASSATEDDRE, a dessert from Calabria
CASSATINE, Sicilian cheese-filled tarts
CASTAGNACCIO, an unusual cake made with chestnut flour and flavored with the herb, rosemary, from Tuscany, sometimes described as a chestnut souffle
CASTAGNE AL MARSALA, chestnuts flavored with Marsala
CASTAGNE DEI MORTI, chestnuts soaked in liqueur made for The Feast Day of the dead (or All Souls' Day -- Nov. 2nd)
CASTAGNEDE, balls of fried dough from Bari, Apulia
CASTAGNIONE, fritters from Umbria
CASTAGNOLE, balls of fried dough made in Northern Italy for the Carnival festivities [For recipe see "Fritters"]
CATALANI, sweets made in Sicily for the Feast Day of the Dead (or All Souls' Day -- Nov. 2nd.)
CAUCIONI [also spelled "calcioni", "calciumi," "calciuni," and "cauciuni", fried or baked pastry pockets made in various shapes and filled with various stuffings found throughout Southern Italy [For recipes see "Calcioni"]
CAUCIUNI, [also spelled calcioni, calciumi, calciuni, caucioni and cauciumi] fried or baked pastry pockets made in various shapes and filled with various stuffings found throughout Southern Italy, though in Molise they are generally filled with chickpeas, walnuts and honey and made for the Christmas holidays and/or the Feast Day of Saint Joseph [For recipes see "Calcioni"]
CAVALLUCCI, anise-flavored spice nut cookies from Siena, Tuscany [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
CENCI, sweet fritters made for Carnival in Tuscany (similar to chiacchier, frappe and bugie)
CERTOSINO, a spicy cake from Bologna
CESTI DI MANDORLE, almond baskets (cookies)
CHARLOTTES, desserts layered with ladyfingers, slices of sponge cake or bread, flavored with fruit
CHARLOTTE AGLI AMARETTI, amaretti-flavored charlotte
Charlotte di Mele, Pere o Pesche, apple, pear or peach charlotte made with slices of bread [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Pies & Tarts]
CHERRY BISCOTTI, cookies decorated with maraschino cherries [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
CHIACCHIERE, sweet fritters made for Carnival festivities originally in Lombardy and now popular throughout Italy [see recipe in "Fritters"]
CHICKPEA COOKIES, sweet ravioli style sweets which often go by the name of "caveciuni" or "calciuni" in Southern Italy; they're filled with chickpeas and nuts and they're generally fried and served at Christmas or the Feast Day of St. Joseph (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Calconi)
CHIFELET, biscuits from Friuli Venezia
CHINOLITTE, fried sweet ravioli from Calabria
CHINULILE, fried sweet ravioli made with chocolate and chestnuts
CHIZZE, a kind of bread stick from Reggio Emilia
CHOUX Pastries with Pure Crema, Molise-style cream puffs [For recipe see "Pastries"]
CHARLOTTE, an apple-based dessert from Lombardy
CHIACCHIERE, fried strips of dough made with lard and often fried in lard as well
CIALDE ARROTOLATE, rolled wafers
CIAMBELLA, in Molise ciambella is a delicious lemon-flavored pound cake which uses vegetable oil and is baked in a tube pan [For recipe see "Cakes"]; in Northern Italy "ciambella" is described as a "ring cake" and is made with butter.... The word "ciambella" also describes other types of desserts besides cakes, including tarts and sweat breads (See list)
CIAMBELLA, a tart shaped like a ring from the Emilia Romagna region which is often described as being ugly
CIAMBELLA, a sweet bread from Puglia
CIAMBELLA BOLOGNESE, an almond cake from Bologna
Ciambella di Natale, cookies shaped like a donut served at Christmas (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
CIAMBELLA MARMORIZZATA, marbled ring cake
CIAMBELLINE, ring-shaped cakes made with olive oil or red wine in Molise and Abrruzo
CIAMBELLINE, bite-sized sweet biscotti made with olive oil and red wine from Florence, Tuscany [For recipe see "Taralli and Rolls"]
CIAMBELLINE di Pasqua, sweet from the Molise/Abruzzo region
CIAMBELLONI, cookies from Umbria
CIARAMICOLA, a cake from Umbria
CIARDUNA, an Italian pastry
CIARDUNA SICILIANA, a sweet pastry from the province of Palermo, made with an almond cookie shell, and filled with sweetened ricotta or mascarpone cheese
CICCITIELLI, sweet from Calabria
CICERCHIATA, fried balls of dough made for the Christmas holidays in Molise [For recipe see "Fritters"]; in Abruzzo the word often describes a collection of fried balls presented in the shape of a ring [For recipe see "Fritters"]
CICIRATA, sweet fritter made in Calabria for Christmas holidays
CIOCCOLATA FUSA, melted chocolate, or fondue
CIRIRATA, a dessert from Calabria
CLAFAUTIS ALLE ALBICOCCHE, a "clafoutis" or pastry that is flavored with apricots
CLAFOUTIS ALLE CILIEGE, a "clatfoutis" or pastry that is flavored with cherries
COCONUT MACAROONS, cookies flavored with coconuts (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
COLAC, sweet from the Molise/Abruzzo region
COLOMBA PASQUALE, a dove-shaped holiday bread or yeast cake made for the Easter holidays in Venice, Veneto but which is now popular throughout Northern Italy (Genoa also lays claim to having created it)
CONFETTI, sugar-coated almond candies originally from Sulmona and now popular throughout Italy
CONFETTURA, a generic word for jam
COOKIES WITH CHICKPEAS, Southern Italian-style cookies filled with chickpeas and nuts, generally fried and served at Christmas or the Feast Day of St. Joseph (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Calconi)
CORNETTO, a baked roll
CORNMEAL CAKE, cake made with cornmeal [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
CORONA ALLE PERE, a pear crown, a style of dessert using pears
COPPA AL MASCARPONE, Mascarpone-based dessert
COPPETTE PIGNOLATE, fritters from the Ferrara area
COTOGNATA, a quince preserve
CREMA, a generic term for pastry cream or custard, used to layer cakes or fill pastries
CREME BRULEE D'ALTRI TEMPI, classic or old-style creme brulee
CREMA AL MARRONI, chestnut cream or custard
CREMA DI MASARPONE, mascarpone cream or custard
CREMA DI MIRTILLI, blueberry cream or custard
CREMA INGLESE, classic English-style custard
CREMA PASTICCERA, sometimes translated as "confectioner's custard" -- crema pasticcera is thick pastry cream made of milk, eggs and flour -- the most popular cake and pastry filling [For recipes see Puddings and Creams]
CREMA DI CASTAGNE DI MONTELLA CON CAPRINO, a dessert made with Caprino chese and chestnuts
CREMA DI MASCHERPONE, sweet cream cheese flavored with brandy or rum, originally made in Lombardy
CREMA DI RISO, a sweet rice dish from Verona
CREMA FRITTA, fried cream originally made in Verona
CREME CARAMEL, classic creme caramel
CREMONA CAKE, cake made without wheat flour, with maize and ground rice [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
CREMONA DI MIELE, honey cookies
CREPES AL CIOCCOLATO, choclate crepes
CREPES ALLE MELE, apple crepes
CRESPELLE, pancakes popular in Northern Italy, sometimes sweet, and sometimes stuffed with vegetables
CROCCANTE, an almond lemon-flavored nougat made in a number of regions, including Lazio, Abrruzzo and Molise; it is sometimes described as a candy or praline [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Nougts]
CROCCANTINI, praline, or cookies made with almonds
CROSTATA, a tart or pie often using fruit
CROSTATA ALLA CIOCCOLATA, chocolate tart
CROSTATA AL RABARBARO, rhubarb tart
CROSTATA DI FICHI, a tart using figs
CROSTATA, a tart, made with various fillings depending on the region [For recipe see "Pies and Tart]
CROSTATA DI LIMONE, lemon tart
CROSTATA DI MARMELLATA, tart made with jam
CROSTATA DI MORE, a blackberry tart
CROSTATA DI RICOTTA, ricotta tart
CROSTATA TUTTI FRUITTI, tart topped with various types of berries
CROSTINI, originally ciabatta bread, but nowadays it describes a slab of toasted bread that is brushed with olive oil and served with a variety of toppings such as cheese
CROSTINO, Italian bread (usually a paninni sliced in half) that is first toasted and then topped with tomatoes, goat cheese, olive oil etc. -- sometimes it appears as first course, other times it is served as a light snack
CROSTOLI [also spelled grostoli], Carnival fritters [For recipe see "Fritters"]
CRUMIRI OF CASALE, cookies from Piedmont
CRUCETTE, a dessert from Calabrai
CRUSCHELLE, a type of dry biscuit available in Italian-Canadian pastry shops
CRUSTULI, sweet from Calabria
CUCIDATA or CUCCIDATI (has a variety of spellings), Sicilian cookies or pastries filled with figs and nuts, traditionally served at Christmas (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Pastries)
CUPETA, sweet from the Molise/Abruzzo region
CUBBAITA, a sweet pastry pocket-style dessert from Calabria
CUCCIA, sweet from Calabria
CUCCIDDATU, Sicilian dessert, also referred to as "buccellato"
CULLURIELLI, sweet from Calabria
CUZZUPE DI PASQUA, Easter treat from Calabria
D
Dolce, a generic word for "sweets," though most often it is used for pastries and cakes, rather than cookies
DOLCE ALLE NOCI E AL CAFFE, a walnut and coffee cake
DOLCE DI CILIEGE, cherry tart
DOLCE DI FRAGOLE, stawberry dessert
DOLCE DI ZUCCA CON UVA PASSA E PINOLI, Squash pudding with raisins and pine nuts from the Campania region
Dolcetti alle mandorle, crescent-shaped almond based sweets
E
ESSI, "S" shaped cookies from Venice [For recipe see "Cookies"]
EVUSHGADIL [or biscotti d'annodare], knot cookies
F
FACACCIA VICENTINA, sweet rolls or bread made in various shapes that are decorated with hardboiled eggs from Cincena
FAGOTTINI DI RISO, rice fritters from Verona
FARFALLETTE DOLCE, fried pastry strips shaped like bows [For recipe see "Fritters"]
FAVE DEI MORTI, beans of the dead, almond-based cookies made for All Souls Day in Southern Italy [For a variety of recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
FERATELLE, pizzelle cookies from Ascali Piceno, Marche [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts]
FERRATELLE, the name pizzelle or Italian waffle cookies go under in the Abruzzo area [See note for Pizzelle]
FERRATELLE ALL'ANICE, anise flavored cookies made in pizzelle irons popular in Abruzzo and Molise
FIADONE CON FORMAGGIO, pastry pockets filled with sharp cheeses made for the Easter holidays in Molise [For recipes see "Pastry Pockets and "Pies and Tarts"]
FIADONE CON RICOTTA, pastry pockets filled with sweetened ricotta made for the Easter holidays in Molise [For recipes see "Fiadone"]
FIADONE VILLESE, cheese pie from Villa S. Maria, Molise
FICHI AL CIOCCOLATO, dried figs stuffed with almonds and coated with chocolate, made in Calabria for the Christmas holidays
FICHI RIPIENI, stuffed figs, sweets from Calabria
FICU SICCATI, dried figs, a popular dessert in Southern Italy
FIG COOKIES, cookies filled with dried figs and nuts, originally served for Christmas, but now popular all year; this style of cookie may have originated in Sicily, where they are known as "cucidati" (For a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
FOCACCIA, a flat bread or pizza depending on the region
FOCCIA ALLA PORTOGHESE, cake made with potato meal [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
FOCACCIA DI CAFEE, coffee-flavored cup cakes
FOCCACCIA DI GELATINA, gelatin cheese cake
FOCCACCIA DI MELONCINI, cheese cake made with cantaloupe
FOCACCIA DOLCE, a sweet focaccia from Veneto
FRAPPE, sweet Carnival fritters
FREGOLATTA, an almond-based dessert from Venice, Veneto
FRICO, thin cheese fritters from Friuli
FRISEDDE, cookies from Apulia
FRISCIEU, fritters with raisins from Liguria
FRITOLE, fritters made with candied fruit from Venice
Frittelle (Version I) fried yeast dough associated with the regions of Veneto, Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany, generally made for the Carnival festivities and/or for the Feast Day of Saint Joseph [For recipe see "Fritters"]
Frittelle (Version II), Italian style pancakes associated with the Molise region [For recipe see "Fritters"]
FRITTELLE DI MELI, apple fritters [For recipe see "Fritters"]
FRITTELLE DI PERE, pear fritters
FRITTO MISTO, mixture of fried foods, usually not sweet
FRITULIS, pumpkin-based fritters from Friuli Venezia Giulia
FRULLATI, milk shakes laced that is flavored with liqueur
FRUSTENGA, a cake made with figs and raisins from Marche-Ancona
FRUTTA DI MARTORANA (or MARTURANA), almond-based fruit-shaped candies or pastries from Sicily
FRUTTA FRESCA IN GELATINA, fresh fruit jelly
FUGAZZ, a sweet bread made for the Easter holidays in
Veneto, Venice
G
GALANI, slices of fried dough made in Venice for Carnival
GATTO DI RICOTTA, a Sicilian dessert
GELATI, Italian ice cream made with whole milk and eggs
GELATINA DI FRAGOLE, strawberry jelly
GELATINA DI MELE COTOGNE, quince jelly
GELATINA DI RIBES, red currant jelly
GELATINA D'UVA, grape jelly
GELATO AL CIOCOLATO, chocolate ice cream
GELATO ALLA VANIGLIA, vanilla ice cream
GELATO ALL ASTI SPUMANTE, lemon flavored spumante
GELATO DI ALBICOCCA, apricot sherbet
GELATO DI FRAGOLE, strawberry ice cream
GELATO DI LIQUORE, sherbet liqueur
GELATO DI LIMONE, lemon ice cream
GELATO DI MELLONE, cantaloupe sherbet
GELATO DI UVA, grape jelly sherbet
GENOESE, a sponge cake
GIALETTI, cookies made with cornmeal from Emilia Romagna [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
GIANDUIOTTI, a famous Italian chocolate from Piedmont
GINETTI, a dessert from Calabria
GIURGIULENA, a dessert from Calabria
GLASSA A FREDDO, cold frosting
GLASSA AL BURRO, butter frosting
GLASSA AL CAFFEEE, coffee-flavored frosting
GLASSA AL CIOCCOLATO, chocolate-flavored frosting
GNOCCHI DOLCE, sweet gnocchi (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts and/or Fritters)
GNOCCHI DOLCE, sweet gnocchi made with plums or apricots from Venezia Giulia
GNOCCHI DOLCE, made with flour and pecorino cheese and cut into squares from Marche
GNOCCO FRITTO, fritters made with bread from Emilia Romagna
GRANITA, a semi-frozen dessert, similar to sorbet and Italian ice which comes in various textures and flavorings
GRANITA AL CAFFE, Coffee-flavored granita
GRANITA DI LIMONE, lemon-flavored granita
GRANITA DI FROGOLE, strawberry-flavored granita
GRANITA SICILIANA, a semi-frozen dessert related to sorbet and Italian ice which comes in various textures and flavorings; the grainita siciliana is generally coarser than the regular granita
GRAPPA, a specialty wine made from the lees of wine grapes
GRISSINI, Italian bread sticks
GROSTOLI, balls of fried dough [For recipe see "Fritters"]
GUBANA, a crusty spiral-shaped apple strudel made for the Easter holidays in Friuli Venezia Giulia
GUBANA, a yeast cake
GUBANA, a pastry roll
H
HIAUNE, sweet from Calabria
H'IATUN', originally known as "h'iatun'" or "hiadone" they are now generally referred to (or spelled as) "fiodone"; the cheese-filled pastry pockets and/or cheese pies are a specialty of Molise [For recipes see "Fiadone"]
K
KRAPFEN, donuts from Venezia Giulia and Friuli, now popular throughout Italy, also known as a cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
KUGELHUPF, a yeast cake
L
LATTE BRULEE, milk brulee
LATTE MIELE, milk and honey dessert from Lombardy
LEMON BISCOTTI, lemon-flavored biscotti (using lard) originally made in Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
LENTEN, sweet raisin buns from Rome
LINGUE DI GATTO, cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
LIVORNESE CAKE, Tuscan yeast cake, flavored with anise, traditionally served at Easter [for recipe see Italy Revisited/"Holiday Breads"]
M
Macaroons, amaretti, almond cookies [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
MACEDONIA or MACEDOINE, a salad made with small pieces of fruit or vegetables
MACEDONIA DI FRUITTA, a fresh fruit or dried fruit dessert
MARGHERITA CAKE, cake made with potato meal [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
MARMELLATA D'ALBICOCHE, apricot preserve
MARMELLATA D'ARANCE, orange marmalade
MARMELLATA DI CASAGNE, chestnut preserve
MARMELLATA DI CILIEGE, cherry preserve
MARMELLATA DI FICHI, fig preserve
MARMELLATA DI FRAGOLE, strawberry preserve
MANDELBROIT, almond biscotti dusted with cinnamon sugar -- originally served for the Jewish Passover in some parts of Italy but nowadays they are served any old time [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
MANDORLATO, an almond nugat from Veneto
MANDORLATO or MIRACOLO DEL MIIELE, an apple-based dessert from Verona
MANDORLE PERLINE, sugar-coated almonds as made in Casacalenda, Molise [for recipe see "Nougats"]
MARITOZZI, a sweet roll from Lazio
MARMELLATA, marmalade [see category, Jams & Marmalades, for a variety of recipes, as well as notes on regional specialties]
MARZAPANE, marzipan, a sweet almond paste
MASCARPONE, a thick cream cheese often used in desserts
MELE IN CROSTA, apple dumplings
MELE SPEZIATE CON UVETTA, spiced apples with raisins
MERINGA, MERINGHE or MIRINGHE, meringues
MERINGE ALLA PANNA MONTATA, cookies using chocolate and cinnamon
MIGLIACCIO, a cake made with cornmeal from Northern Italy
MIRILLI SCIROPPATI, blueberries in syrup
MIRINGHE ITALIANA, Italian Merigngue
MIRINGHE DI FORMAGGIO, cream cheese meringue
MIRINGHIE DI CIOCCOLATA, chocolate meringue
MOSTACCIOLI, famous Southern-style Italian cookies using almonds and flavored with cinnamon and cloves [For various recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
MASTACCIOLI CON MANDORLE, cookies made with honey, almonds, chocolate and anisette in Calabria for the Christmas holidays [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
MASTARDA, candied fruit with mustard seed from Cremona
MEZZELUNE FARCITE DI CIOCCOLATO, half-moon pastries filled with chocolate
Moscardine, clove (garofano) glavored cookies served on the Feast Day of the Dead
MONTE BIANCO, chestnuts with Marasal and whipped cream
MUCCI, almond cookies from Apulia
MUFFINS, muffins
MUSTAZZOLI, almond cookies from Sicily
MUSTAZZUELI, almond cookies from Apulia
MUSTAZZUOLI, cookies from Calabria
MUSTO COTTO, reduced wine grape juice or syrup [For recipe see "Jams and Marmalades"]
MUSTO COTTO col Sangue di Maiale, reduced wine grape juice mixed with freshly-slaughtered pig's blood {For recipe see "Jams and Marmalades"]
N
NADALIN, pastries made for the Christmas and Easter holidays in Verona, Veneto
NAPOLETANE, Napoleans, pastries
NEAPLITAN CAKE, multi-layered cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
NEPITELLE, sweet ravioli from Calabria [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
NNACATULI, sweet from Calabria
NOCCIOLETTE, hazelnut cookies made in central Italy [for recipe see Italy REvisited/Cookies with Nuts]
NODINI, nut-free cookies that resemble knots originally made in Molise for weddings [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
Nzuddi, round-shaped cookies flavored with orange and topped with almonds in the centers
Olivette, marzapane shaped like olives served on the Feast day of St. Agata
OMELETTE DOLCE, sweet omelet
OMELETTE DI LAMPONI, raspberry omelet
OSSI DEI MORTI, bones of the dead, almond-based cookies made for the Feast Day of the Dead (or All Souls' Day) in Southern Italy [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
OSTI, round and flat waffle-shaped cookies mostly commonly known as as "pizzelle" [For recipe see "Cookies"]
P
PABASSINAS, a pastry from Sardinia
PAMPAPATO, spice nut coookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
PAMPEPATO, an almond and pine nut cake with chocolate icing originally for Christmas in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna
PANCAKES, pancakes
PANCAKES AI MIRTILLI, blueberry pancakes
PAN DE MEI, sweet buns with corn
PAN DI RAMERINO, a sweet bread
PAN DI SPAGNA, a cake made for very special occasions throughout Italy, in particular weddings [For recipes see "Cakes"]
PAN DOLCE, a dome-shaped dried fruit cake originally made for Christmas in Genoa, Liguria
PANDALUTS, biscuits from Friuli Venezia
PANDORE, a golden-colored sweet bread or yeast cake sometimes shaped like a star originally made for Christmas in Verona, Veneto and now popular throughout Italy
PAN DI RAMERINO, a sweet Tuscan bread flavored with rosemary, originally made for Holy Week and now available year round
PANE DI PASQUA, a holiday bread or yeast cake made for the Easter holidays in Molise [For recipes see "Holiday Breads"]
PAN DI SPAGNE, literally "Spanish bread, one of the most famous cakes of Italy, generally layered with Italian custard and served at weddings and baptisms [For a recipe see "Cakes"]
PAN DI SPAGNA AL'ANICE, Sicilian anise-flavored sponge cake
PAN DOLCE, Italian bread and butter pudding
PANDOLCE DI CASTAGNE, chestnut-flavored cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
PANE DI MARIA, lemon-flavored cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
PANE DI ANICE, anise-flavored biscotti
PANE DI FORMAGGIO, sweet bread flavored with cheese
PANE DI MARIA, lemon-flavored cake [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
PANE DI MELE, cake or sweet bread flavored with apples
PANE DI MELE E FORMAGGIO, sweet bread using apples and Parmesan cheese (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Holiday Breads)
PANE DI NOCE DI NATALE, Christmas nut and fruit cake
PANE DI PISTACCHIO, pistachio nut bread or cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
PANE DI SANTA CHIARA, bread served on the Feast Day of St. Clare (for recipe see Italy Revisited/ Holiday Breads)
PANE DI ZAFFERANO, saffron flavored holiday bread
PANE TORTA DI CILIEGIE, cherry nut loaf
PANERO, chocolate cake
PANFORTE, nut and fruit cake from Siena, Tuscany served during the Christmas holidays (For recipe see Italy Revisited/Holiday Breads)
PANETTONE, a dome-shaped yeast cake made with dried and candied fruit that was traditionally given as a gift at Christmas but is now popular year-round [Panettone originated in Milan but the cake is now available throughout Italy, as well as in many other parts of the world where the cake is imported from Italy and sold in the local grocery stores, Italian and otherwise [For recipe see "Holiday Breads"]
PANETTONE DI MILANO, similar to Panettone in every way, often uses candied orange peel and might use honey for flavoring as well. Legend has it that the word, panettone, was named after a Milanese baker called "Tony" who Christmas fruit bread was so popular that it slowly bore his name.
PANETTONE RIPIENO, a panettone with cream fillings originally made for the Christmas holidays in Milan, Lombardy
PANETTONCINO DI MAIS, a sponge cake made with corn flour and chocolate from Molise
PANFORTE, fruit and nut cake or sweetbread, often served at Christmas or New Years'
PANFORTE DI SIENA, fruit and nut cake made in Siena, Italy
[for recipe see Italy Revisited/Holiday Breads]
PANFORTE SCIACCA, fruit cake
PANINA GIALL ARETINA, a Tuscan Easter bread, flavored with saffron and other spices
PANININI DI SAN ANTONIO, sweet bread rolls made for the Feast day of St. Anthony
PANGIALLO, a fruit and nut cake from Rome
PANPEPATO, a holiday bread
PANPEPATO SENESE, spicy fruit cake from Siena
PANNA COTTA, a gelatin-based custard, served chilled; sometimes described as "a cooked cream" originally made in the Piedmont region and now available throughout Italy; the cream is mixed with gelatin and placed in a mould; it is often flavored with liqueur and served with wild berries or chocolate sauce [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams]
PANNA COTTA CREAM, caramel-flavored custard from Venice
PANNA MONTATA, whipped cream flavored with vanilla and icing sugar
PANNOCIATO, sweet buns from Umbria
PANZAROTTI, fritters made with chickpeas and chocolate from Basilicata
PANZEROTTI AI FORMAGGIE, pastry pockets with cheese
PARADULAS, ravioli-style pastries from Sardinia [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
PAPASSINUS, a pastry spiced with cloves and cinnamon from Sardinia
PARDULAS, small cakes stuffed with sweet ricotta made in Sardinia
PARRAOZZO, almond-based sweet from Pescara
PASSULATE, sweet from Calabria
PASTA BRISEE, pate brisee, a tarlet-style pie crust
PASTA DI FARINA GIALLA, cornmeal cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
PASTA DI MANDORLE, almond paste
PASTA FROLLA, pie crust dough
PASTA FROLLA SENZA UOVA, eggless pie crust dough
PASTA GENOVESE, Genoese style pie crust dough
PASTA MARGHERITA, a sponge cake that uses potato flour
PASTA PER BIGNE, choux paste or pastry puffs
PASTA PER BRIOCHE, Brioche pastry dough
PASTA PER DOLCI LIEVITATA, yeast cake
PASTA PER FONDO TORTA, tart pastry shell
PASTA PER PAN DI SPAGNA, sponge cake
PASTA REALE, an almond-based pastry
PASTA PER SABLE, sable-style pastry dough
PASTA SFOGLIA, filo or puff pastry
PASTELLA PER FRIGGERE, batter for frying
PASTARELLE SANQUENATE, dessert from the Molise region using blood pudding as a main ingredient
PASTERIERA NAPOLETANA, Neapolitan ricotta cheese pie originally made for the Easter holidays, but now increasingly available year round
PASTICCIO DI PISTACCHIO, pistachio cream pie
PASTICCIO DI RUM, rum chiffon pie
PASTICCINI MOLISANI, round-shaped, lemon-flavored, ladyfinger-like, nut-free cookies [For recipes see Italy Revisited -- "Cookies without Nuts"]
PASTIERA, a dessert made with ricotta cheese supposedly invented by a nun in Naples; it is generally offered to guests during the Easter holidays
PASTIERA STRUFFOLI, a pastry from Naples
PASTICCIO, generic term for any sweet and/or pasta
PASTICCINI, lemon-flavored cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
PASTICCINO COL MIELE, nut and honey cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
PASTINI, a generic word for Italian cookies, sometimes refers to cookies made with honey and brown sugar
PASTINE CON E PIGNOLE, Pine nut cookies
PASTINI DI BANANE, chocolate and banana flavored cake (sliced)
PASTINI DI FICI, fig squares
PASTINI DI MANDORLE, almond slices
PASTINI IMBOTTITI DI FRUTTA, filled fruit cookies
PECAN BALLS, cookies shaped like balls flavored with pecans
Pere Cotte Rose, baked pears in red wine (For recipe see Italy Revisited/Puddings and Creams)
PERE SAN MARTIN AL VINO ROSSO, winter pears in red wine
PERE PRALINATE ALLE SPEZIE, spicy candied pears
PESCHE IN VINO BIANCO, peaches in white wine, a Molise tradition [For recipe see "Italian Beverages"]
PESCHE RIPIENE, peaches stuffed with macaroons (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Puddings & Creams)
PEPATELLI/Pappatill spicy Christmas biscotti made with almonds and honey, flavored with pepper and orange zest from the Molise and Abruzzo region (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
PETTUE, fritters from Apula
PEZZETTI DI DONNA LUISA, almond biscotti from Guardialfiera, Molise [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
PIADDINA, a round-shaped bread used as a snack
PICELLATI, pastries filled with honey, nuts and grapes from Molise
PICONI, fritters from Marche [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
PIGNA, a holiday bread or yeast cake made for the Easter holidays in Molise [For recipes see "Holiday Breads"]
'PIGNOCCATA al miele, sweet from Calabria
PIGNOLATA, a large pastry which is shaped like a pine cone and covered with chocolate and lemon-flavored icing; it is commonly found in Calabria and Sicily
PINOCCATA, a pine nut-based sweet originally made for Christmas in Umbria
PINOCCHIATTE, biscuits with pine nuts made for the Christmas holidsay in Umbria
PINZA, a dried fruit cake from Padua
PINZA, a sweet pizza from the Veneto area
PINZA, a savory pizza from Venezia Giulia region
PISTILLI, a dessert from Calabria
PITTA, a sweet-style pastry pocket from Calabria
PITTA della Madonna, sweet from Calabria
PIZZA, nowadays the word, "pizza" is generally used for a variety of flat breads with various toppings, for this style of pizza see Italy Revisited/Italian Breads and Pizzas; in the 19th century the word, "pizza," was also used in reference to sweet pies, for this style of Italian "pizzas" see Italy Revisited/Pies and Tarts.
PIZZA ALLA NAPOLETANA, double crust pie filled with sweetened ricotta [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Pies and Tarts]
PIZZA DI CICCICOLO, pizza with pork crackling [For recipe see "Italian Breads and Pizzas"]
PIZZA DI PASQUA, a cheese tart from the Teramano area in Abruzzo/Molise
PIZZA DI RANDINO, cornmeal pizza [For recipe see Italians Breads and Pizzas"]
PIZZA DI RISO [also called Tarta di Riso], a custard, rice and ricotta pie made for the Easter holidays in Isernia, Molise [For a recipe see "Pies and Tarts"]
PIZZA GRAVIDA, double crust pie filled with custard [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Pies and Tarts]
PIZZA RUSTICA, a cheese pie from Southern Italy [for recipe see "Pies and Tarts"]
PIZZE FRITTE, fried pizza dough flavored with saffron made for New Year's Eve in Cansano, Aquila, Abruzzi [For the recipe see "Fritters"]
PIZZELLE, an Italian-style waffle cookie flavored with vanilla, anise or lemon zest and cooked in pizzelle irons, possibly Italy's most famous and oldest nut-free cookie [For recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
POMPIA, a Sardinian dessert flavored with wild citron, candied peel and honey
PRATO, cookie from Tuscany
PURCIDUZZI, fritters from Apulia
PUPPATA, doll-shaped Easter cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts"]
PUPU CU L'OVU, Sicilian dessert made with eggs
PURA CREMA, Italian cream or custard [For recipe see "Puddings and Creams"]
PUTIZZA, a sweet roll from Friuli Venezia Giulia
Q
QUARESIMALI, long ribbed cookies
R
RAMERINO, little cakes
RAVIOLI DI SAN GIUSEPPE, sweet ravioli stuffed with jam originally made in Emilia Romagna and now popular throughout Italy
REGINA TORTE, chocolate flavored torte
RICCIARELLI, almond-based cookies made for the Christmas holidays in Siena, Tuscany [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
RICOTTA AL CAFFE, ricotta flavored with coffee and rum
RICOTTA COOKIES, cookies using ricotta [For a variety of recipes see "Cookies without Nuts"]
RICOTTA PIZZA, a cake made with ricotta and flavored with maraschino liqueur from Abruzzo and Molise
ROCCIATA, a strudel flavored with figs from Assisi, Umbria
ROCCOCO, almond brittle style cookie from Northern Italy
ROCCOCO BISCOTTI, sweet taralli made with almonds in Southern Italy [For recipe see "Taralli Dolci"]
ROCCIO, a pastry from Assisi, Umbria
Rosacatarre, Molisani Christmas sweet fritters made in the sahape of a rose [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Fritters]
RUGELACH, Italian cookies often filled with jam
RUM BABA, a cake laced with rum [For recipe see "Cakes"
S
SABLES, sugar and butter cookies
SALAME DEL RE, jelly roll cut into cookie slices [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
SALAME DI CIOCCOLATO, Chocolate, almond and honey mixture shaped into a log, originally made in Emilia Romagna, Campania and Sicily and now popular throughout Italy (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
SALAME INGLESE, sponge cake roll [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
SALAMINO DOLCE, sweet from Calabria
SALATINI, a biscuit or cracker often served with a drink
SALSA AL CIOCCOLATO, hot chocolate sauce
SALSA ALL 'ARANCIA, orange-flavored sweet sauce
SALSA DI CILIEGE, cherry-flavored sauce
SALSA DI FRAGOLE, strawberry-flavored sauce
SALSA DI NOCCIOLE, hazenut sauce
SANGUINACCIO, a dessert made that includes freshly-slaughtered pig's blood, milk, nuts and chocolate; in some regions the mixture is placed in a casing before it is cooked, in other places it is served as a pudding
S'ARANZADA, a Sardinian dessert flavored with orange candied peel, honey and almonds
SANGUINACCIO al cioccolato, chocolate blood-pudding from Calabria
SAVOIARDI, ladyfinger cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
SBRICCIOLONA, a dry crumbly cake popular in Northern Italy that contain almonds or hazelnuts
SBRISOLONA, a dry crumbly cake
SBRICIOLATA AL FRUTTI DI BOSCO, a dry crumbling cake using wild berries
SCALIDDRE, fried dough made in Calabria [For recipe see "Fritters"]
SCALILLE, sweet from Calabria
SCANAT' or SCHANATO, country-style "white" pizza [For recipe see "Italian Breads and Pizzas"]
SCARPONI DI NATALE Abruzzesi, CHRISTMAS chocolate and walnut drop cookies made in the Abruzzo region (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
SCARCEDDA, a ricotta cheese pie made for the Easter holidays in Basilicata [For recipe see "Pies and Tarts"]
SCARULELLE, a fritter shaped like a rose wheel made in Santa Croce, Molise for the Christmas holidays [For recipe see "Fritters"]
SCAVUNISCU, sweet from Calabria
SCIROPPO DI ZUCCERO DENSO, thick syrup
SCIRUBETTA, a dessert from Calabria
SCIU, cookies from Basilicata
SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA, Florentine carnival flat cake
SCOTTOBOSCO, a dessert made with wild berries
SCRIPPELLE [Spelling varies: in Molise, Italy, the fritter is known as "screppelle," in dialect as "scr'pell' natalizie"; in North America, it is generally spelled as "scrippelle"; other spellings include: Scrapelle, Scrapelles, Scrippelle, Scrippelles, Screppelli, and Scrapelli], long columns of fried dough [For recipe see "Fritters"]
SEADAS, mozzarella fritters from Sardinia [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
SEBADAS, ravioli filled with sweetened ricotta made for the Easter holidays in Sardinia [For recipe see "Pastry Pockets Misc"]
SEMIFREDDO, "half frozen" or semi-frozen desserts often made with ice cream
SEMIFREDDO AL LAMPONE, rasperry semifreddo
SEMOLINA CAKE, a cake made with semolina
SISE DELL MANACHE, sponge cake cut up in traingular pieces made in Abrruzo and Molise
SFINCIA, SFINGE, SFINGI, fried pastries served on the Feast Day of St. Joseph (March 19th), presented as crullers, donuts or cup cakes, generally filled with sweetened ricotta (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Fritters)
SFRINGIUNI, fried columns of dough made for the Christmas holidays and the Feast Day of Saint Joseph in Guardialfiera, Molise [For recipe see "Fritters"]
SFOGLIATA DI VINO, pastry dough made with wine
SFOGLIATE, a pastry from Apulia
SFOGLIATELLE, pastries made with layers of phyllo dough and shaped like shells or cones, often filled with sweetened ricotta; they originated in Naples, but are now popular throughout Italy and in North America
SFOGLIATELLE RICCE, the "traditional" sfogliatelle which is made with phyllo dough and shaped like shells or cones; the word "ricce" is simply added to "sfogliatelle" to distinquish it from newer and cheaper versions of sfogliatelle which are made with shortcrust pastry dough rather than filo dough; the larger versions of sofogliatelle ricce are referred to as "lobster tails"
SFOGIATINE E MIELE, pastry pockets with honey
SGROPPINO, a frozen dessert popular from Venice
SGONFIOTTI, fritters
SMACAFAM, a dessert originally made for the Christmas and Easter holidays in Trentino Alto Adige
SORBETTO, Sorbet
SOSPIRI DI MATERA, almond-based cookies from Basilicata
SOUFFLE AL CIOCCOLATO, chocolate souffle
SOUFFLE ALLA VANIGLIA, vanila souffle
SPENDIDA TORTA MARIA, a tart using ground almonds and dark chocolate
SPONGATA, a sweet tart, using bread in its filling
SPUMONE, a soft ice cream which was originally made in Southern Italy, in particular in Sicily but is now popular through Italy and in North America
STELLINE DI NATALE, sweet from Calabria
STOGLIATIVE, popular cookies found in Italian-Canadian pastry shops
STRUDEL SEMPLICE, traditional studel
STRUDEL AUX ABRICOTS, a studel using apricots
STRUDEL DI RICOTTA, strudel using ricotta
STRUFFOLI [or "struf'"), tiny balls of dough, generally fried, coated with honey and presented, piled on top of each other, in a mountain or ring shape, associated most often with Naples, Campania (For "struffoli" recipes that are fried, see "Italy Revisited/Fritters" for "struffoli" recipes that are baked see "Italy Revisited/Pastries")
STRUKL, a strudel from Veneto
SUC, a red grape pudding
SUSPIRUS, almond-based biscuits coated with a lemon icing from Sardinia
SUSAMIELLI, S-shaped, honey, spice cookies originally made in Naples, Campania for the Christmas holidays (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
SUSMELLI, baked pastries from the Abruzzo region filled with wine grape marmalade (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni)
SUSUMELLE, either Christmas cookies from Calabria or baked pastries filled with wine grape marmalade from the Abruzzo region (for the recipe for Calabrian cookies see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts, for the stuffed pastries, sometimes spelled as Susmelli, from the Abruzzo region see Italy Revisited/Calcioni)
SWEET CALZONCELLI, sweet ravioli, filled with dried figs [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
T
TAGLIATELLE CAKE, a sweet pasta dish flavored with nuts and sugar, originally made for the Christmas holidays in Umbria as well as in Verona (Both regions lay claim to it)
TARALLI, an Italian style bagel which comes in various flavors and shapes; in Molise taralli are often shaped like bows, in Naples they are made round with a hole in the center, and come in various flavors. In Molise taralli are made with flour, eggs, oil and fennel, they are first boiled and then baked. In Naples they are often made with flour, ground almonds and oil with a variety of flavorings, including cumin and chillies. Some taralli use a yeast dough, and some do not. Some are baked twice, and some are not. Those taralli that contain sugar are called "taralli dolci" (sweet taralli).
TARALLI BARESI, popular taralli from Bari, Puglia made with flour, wine and olive oil and flavored with fennel seeds or pepper [For recipe see "Taralli"]
TARALLI DI NAPOLI, taralli made with almonds from Naples [For recipe see "Taralli"]
TARALLI CON ANICE, taralli with anise seeds [For recipe see "Taralli"]
TARALLI DOLCI, sweet taralli [For recipes see "Taralli Dolci"
TARALLI DOLCI DI PASQUA, sweet taralli traditionally made in Easter in Puglia and possibly in other areas of the South [For recipe see "Taralli Dolci"]
TARALLINI, in Bari, Puglia "tarallini" are bite-sized taralli; in Molise "tarallini" are bite-sized sweet taralli originally made for weddings [For both recipes see the category, "Taralli Dolci"]
TARALLUCCI, this word rarely appears in any of the Italian-English dictionaries on the world-wide web; North Americans often think of "tarallucci" as being a bite-sized taralli, which it can be as it is in Puglia [For a recipe see "Taralli and Rolls"], but it can also refer to various kinds of cookies some of which are ring-shaped and some of which are not [For recipes see "Cookies"]. It can also refer to fritters -- so the word obviously describes a number of Italian sweets, all very different from each other.
TARALLUCCI DI NATALE, a fritter from the Abruzzo area, sometimes referred to as a donut and sometimes referred to as bite-sized sweet taralli [For recipe see "Taralli Dolci"
TARALLUCCI DI VINO, bite-sized, pretzel-shaped taralli made in Pallo del Colle, Puglia
TARALLUCCI DOLCI, small-sized sweet taralli made throughout Southern Italy, in particular Campania; in Abruzzo "tarallucci dolci" is often one and the same as "tarallucci di Natale" though not necessarily
TARATUFFO, a strudel-like dessert layered with grape marmalade and other ingredients made in the Molise area [For recipe see "Pies and Tarts"]
TARTELETTE AL CARAMELLO, cookies made with caramel
TARTINI DI ALBICOCCHE E RUM, apricot rum tarts
TARTINI DI AMARETTI, macaroon tarts
TARTUFI DI CIOCCOLOTA, cookies made with chocolate and egg yolks and milk
TARTUFO, originally made with triffles, now sold in shops as a vanilla-flavored ice cream ball
TATU, cookies from Sicily
TEGOLE, almond and hazelnut wafers from the Val d'Aosta area
in TUSCANY
TESTE DI TURCHI, Turks' heads, Sicilian pastries shaped like a Turkish hat
THREE COLOR COOKIES, cake or cookies from Naples, Campania (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
TIRAMISU, literally "pick me up", a famous coffee-flavored multi-layered cake, originally from Northern Italy [For recipes see Italy Revisited/"Cakes"]
TORCIOLATA, a coiled apple strudel originally from Assisi, Umbria
TORCOLO, a sponge cake from Umbria
TORONGINI, almond biscotti from Casacalenda, Molise [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
Torroncini, almond-based cookies sandwiched between wafers (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts); in Italy "torroncini" can also refer to sweets that are wrapped up individually like candies and served on special festivities
TORRONE, a nougat usually made with just toasted almonds, honey and egg whites originally from Milan [though other areas also lay claim to it such as Cremona, Abruzzo and Calabria] but now is popular throughout Italy and in North America; many varieties of torrone are available in the shops -- some are hard, some soft, some are made with almonds, honey and chocolate while others are flavored with lemon etc. In some areas of Italy torrone is made with candied fruits, and even figs!
TORRONE MOLLE, soft almond nougat originally made in Northern Italy and now found everywhere
TORRONE NURZIA, soft chocolate nougat from L'Aquila
TORT MANTOVANA, almond and pine see cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA, a cake, pie or tart
TORTA A BANANA, banana cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA AL CIOCCOLATO, chocolate cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA AL LIMONE, lemon tart [For recipe see Italy Revisited/"Cakes"]
TORTA ALLA GLASSA D'ARANCIA, cake with orange frosting
TORTA AL FORMAGGIO, cheese pie [For recipe see Italy Revisited/"Pies and Tarts"]
TORTA AL RUM, rum-flavored cake [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA AL VINO, cake with wine and grapes
TORTA ALLA MARIANA, lemon-flavored cake [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA ALLA NAPOLETANA, Neapolitan cake
TORTA BORRA, pinapple juice flavored cake
TORTA BRUNA, apple-flavored cake [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA CAPRESE or La Caprese, flourless chocolate almond or walnut cake sometimes flavored with Strega liqueur originating from Capri, Campania (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes)
TORTA CO' BISCHERI, sweet spinach tart
TORTA CON LE MELE, apple cake (For recipe see Italy Revisited/"CAKES"]
TORTA CON L'UVETTA, raisin-flavored cake [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI ALBICOCCHE, apricot tart
TORTA DI ANICE, anise seed pound cake
TORTA DI AVELLANA, hazelnut cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI CACHI, persimmon tart
TORTA DI CARATE, carrot cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI CASTAGNE, chestnut cake from Northern Italy [For a recipe see Italy Revisited/"Cakes"]
TORTA DI CASTAGNE CIOCCOLATO, chestnut and chocolate cake
TORTA DI CILIEGE, cherry chocolate cake
TORTA DI FARINA e Uva Passita, almond and raisin cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI FICI, fig loaf cake
TARTA DI FRUTTI DI BOSCO, wild berry tart
TORTA DI GRANO SARACENO, buckwheat tart
TARTA DI LATTICINI, a ricotta cheese cake from Basilicata
TORTA DI MANDORLE, almond cake, from Northern Italy [For recipe see "Italy Revisited/Cakes"]
TORTA DI MANDOLA E PIGNOLI, almond and pine nut cake [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI MANDORIO e PIGNOLI, cake with almonds and pine nuts from Northern Italy [For a recipe see "CAKES"]
TORTA DI MELE, apple cake, from Northern Italy, in particular Emilia Romagna [For a recipe see "Cakes"]
TORTA DI MELE E PERE, apple and pear tart
TORTA DI IRINGHE, Meringue cake
TORTA DI NOCCIOLE, hazenut cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI NOCI, walnut cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI ORANCIA, orange flavored cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI PANE, a dessert made with leftover bread, sometimes filled with fresh fruit and sometimes chocolate is added
TORTA DI PANE UBRIACA, a dessert made with leftover bread in the Venice area in which wine and sugar is added to the mixture
TORTA DI PESCHE, peach pie
TORTA DI PERE E MANDORLE, a popular tart made with pears and ground almonds [For recipe see "Pies and Tarts"]
TORTA DI PINOLI, pine nut cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA DI PISTACCHIO, pistacchio nut cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TARTA DI POLENTA, a cake made with cornmeal
TORTA DI RICOTTA, ricotta cake
TORTA DI RICOTA E UVETTA, ricotta and raisin tart
TORTA DI RISO, a custard pie originally from Emilia Romagna [In Molise it is called Pizza di Riso, for that recipe see "Pies and Tarts"]
TORTA DI SEMOLINA AL LIMONE, a lemon-flavored cake made with semolina
TORTA DI TAGLIOLINI, this sweet is made with tagliolini pasta and is flavored with almonds, citrus juices and liqueur; it comes from Verona and Modena
TORTA DI VINO BIANCA, sherry flavored cake
TORTA DI ZUCCA, pumpkin cake
TORTA GIANDUIA, a chocolate cake from Piedomont
TORTA MANTOVANA, thin-style cake or tart originated from Mantua, Lombardy, made with sugar, eggs and butter, topped with pine nuts and almonds [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA MASHPERPORE CON STREGA, sponge cake layered with sweetened ricotta [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA NICOLLATTA, a dessert from Verona
TORTA PARADISO, a sponge cake, originally made in Pavia [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA NOCCIOLE CIOCOLATA, hazelnut chocolate cake [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTA SABBIOSA, a cake from Verona and/or Venice that crumbles when cut up
TORTA SAVOIA, Sicilian tart
TORTA SBRISOLONA, a cake that easily crumbles when cut up from Mantua area
TORTA SETTEVELI, Sicilian tart
TORTA TIPO SACHER, sachertorte-style dessert
TORTA VIENNESE ALLE MELE, Viennese-style apple pie
TORTANO, a focaccia from Naples
TORTE DI LIQUORE, brandy flavored nog torte
TORTE DI MANDORLE, almond torte
TORTE VENOSTA, vanilla flavored torte
TORTICELLI, chestnut cup cakes [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cakes]
TORTELLI, dessert made with chestnuts
TORTIGLIONE, an almond cake
TORTONI, a pastry
TOTO, a rum flavored chocolate nut ball-shaped cookie (for recipe see Italy Revisited/ Cookies with Nuts)
TOZZETTI, biscuits from Umbria
TRECCE, braided sweet taralli made for New Year's Day in Campania [See recipe in "Taralli Dolce"]
TRECCINE, braided taralli made with yeast dough from the Puglia region [For recipe see "Taralli"]
TURDIDDRI or TURTIDDI, fried dough made in Calabrai [For recipe see "Fritters"]
V
VENEZIANE, sweet buns from Venice originally made for New Year's Eve, now available year round
Z
ZABAGLIONE [also spelled "Zabaione" or "Zabajone"], a Marsala-flavored pudding [For recipe see "Creams, Puddings and Frostings"
ZABAGLIONE, a classic egg and wine-flavored custard which is sometimes served by itself, and sometimes topped with fresh fruit or berries
ZALETI, cookies made with cornmeal from Venice [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
ZELTEN, a cake originally made for the Christmas and Easter holidays in Trentino Alto Adige
Zeppole con Anchovies, fritter seasoned with anchovies made for Christmas Eve in Molise
ZEPPOLE CALABRESI, fritter from Calabria
ZEPPOLE di San Giuseppe, Italian-style donuts or pastries made for the Feast Day of Saint Joseph in Southern Italy [For various recipes see "Fritters" and "Pastries"]
ZUCCARINI, anise-flavored cookies (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
ZUCCHERO CARAMELLATO, caramel-flavored syrup
ZUCCOTTO, a rich cream-filled pastry originally made in the Tyrrhenian area
ZUCCOTTO, a sponge cake that is filled with custard and topped with whipped cream from Tuscany
ZULLI, sweet from Calabria
ZUPPA INGLESSE, sometimes translated as "Italian Trifle" -- this is a famous custard-layered cake originally made in Northern Italy but is now popular throughout the country. In Northern Italy "Zuppa Inglesse" is generally made with layers of "pan di Spagne" whereas in the South ladyfingers are used. [For recipes see Italy Revisited/"Cakes"]
Directions
SHORT LIST OF ITALIAN (BAKED) COOKIE NAMES*
A
o ALBICOCCHE, jam-filled cookies
o ANGINETTI, Italian Easter cookies
o AMARETTI, almond-based cookies which are often described as as macaroons; the original amaretti were made solely with ground almonds, egg whites, sugar and salt, nowadays they may contain other ingredients [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o AMARETTI with cocoa powder, Amaretti flavored with cocoa powder [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o AMARETTUS, soft but crispy Amaretti cookies made in Sardinia
o ANISE BISCOTTI, Italian twice-baked cookies flavored with anise (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
ANISE TOSAST, anise-flavored, generally fat-free and nut-free twice-baked Italian biscotti (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
o ANICINI, anise-flavored cookies available all over Italy though both Genoa and Sardinia lay special claim to them [For recipe see Italy Revisited/CookiesWithout Nuts"]
B
o BACI DI DAMA, almond and chocolate biscuits [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o BAICOLI, a famous dry biscuit using yeast originally made in Venice and now popular throughout Northern Italy [For recipe see "Cookies"]
o BECCUTE, cookies made with raisins and nuts from Marche Ancona
o BIANCA NEVE, "Snow white" almond-based cookies from Casacalenda, Molise [For various recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o BICCIOLANI, spice cookies from Piedmont [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BISCOTTI, in North America the word, "biscotti," generally describes hard almond cookies that are generally served with coffee, however in Italy, the word, "biscotti," is presently used as generic term for any kind of hard dry biscuit, including taralli, which are "twice baked" [P.S. Prior to World War II the word, biscotti, was often used as generic term for any kind of cookie, twice-baked or not, especially in the Southern Italian countryside]
o BISCOTTI AD ESSE, s shaped anise-flavored cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BISCOTTI All' ANACI, anise-flavored biscotti [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BISCOTTI al TORRONI, torroncini-style mixed nut cookies (not twice-baked) [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"
o BISCOTTI ALLA CANNELLA, Cinnamon Cookies
o BISCOTTI ALLA PALERMITANA, chocolate nut ball cookies from Palermo [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o BISCOTTI BRUTTI MA BUONI, ugly-but-good cookies sometimes made with almonds and sometimes made with hazelnuts (For a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o Biscotti Cappellini, round-shaped cookies made with pasta frolla and stuffed with jam
o BISCOTTI CON MANDORLA [or MENNOLE in dialect], almond biscotti from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o BISCOTTI CON PIGNOLI, cookies decorated with pine nuts, popular in Sicily
o BISCOTTI CON UOVA, Easter cookies decorated with eggs [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts and Cookies without Nuts as well as Holiday Breads]
o BISCOTTI CON SALE, taralli made with eggs and flavored with fennel sides [For recipe see "Taralli"]
o BISCOTTI D'ANNODARE, knot cookies [for a variety of cookies formed as a knot see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts, and for fried cookies, Fritters]
o BISCOTTI DI DUE COLORE, two-colored cookies often using food coloring, or sometimes use vanilla and chocolate flavoring
o BISCOTTI DI LEMONI, lemon-flavored cookies from Molise (Not twice-baked!) [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts"]
o BISCOTTI DI GIGULENA, cookies using sesame seeds [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BISCOTTI DI REGINA, finger-shaped cookies coated with sesame seeds [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BISCOTTI DI PRATO, twice-baked hard-style almond biscotti often known as "cantucci" or "cantuccini" [For recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o BISCOTTI FETTINE ALL'ANICE, anise flavored sliced biscotti
(for a variety of anise-flavored sliced cookies see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
o BISCOTTI GIUGGIOLE, stuffed round-shaped cookies rolled in sesame seeds
o BISCOTTI INGLESE, "English" biscuits
o BISCOTTI PINOLI, cookies with pine nuts
o BISCOTTI RAME DI NAPOLI, chocolate cookies served on The Feast Day of the Dead, originally from Naples
o BISCOTTI PAPZIENTINI, thin almond crunch round-shaped cookies
o BISCOTTI PIPARELLE, almond and cooa flavored biscotti, often flavored with black pepper
o BISCOTTI REGINA, cookies coated with sesame seeds [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BISCOTTI RIPIENI CON MOSTO, Molisani cookies or tarts filled with almonds, flavored with mosto cotto [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Calconi]
o BISCOTTI SABLE, classic Sables cookies
o BISCOTTI TORTONI, cookies often using ice cream, topped with cherries and minced almonds [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o BISCOTTINI, small-sized nut biscotti
o BOCCONTI/ BOCCONOTTO/ BOCCONOTTI stuffed sweets often filled with custard and jam; in Puglia they're flavored with almonds and cherries and served at CHRISTMAS; sometimes they're presented as sweet ravioli, and sometimes presented like small cup cakes; they're also popular in Abruzzo, Molise and Calabria (For a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/"Calconi")
o BISCOTTO A RICCIO, swirled Cookies made for Easter in Agrigento, Sicily
o BONBON DI DATTERI E NOCI, cookies made with dates and almonds
o BOSTONCINI, almond biscuits available in Italian-Canadian pastry shops
o BRIGIDINI, Tuscan anise-flavored wafers [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BRUTTI MA BUONI, "ugly but good" nut-based cookies originally from Piedmont now popular throughout Italy [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o BURANEI, "S" shaped cookies from Venice [For recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o BUSSOLAI, ring-shaped biscuits flavored with liqueur; in Friuli they are given as gifts to children when they are confirmed
C
o CALCAGNETTI, nut clusters
o CANESTRELLI, biscuits from Liguria and Sicily
o CANGELLE, pizzelle cookies from Guardialfiera, Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
o CANISTRELLI, anise-flavored cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o CANTUCCI, twice-baked hard-style biscotti, originally flavored with almonds, but now they come in a variety of flavorings (including nut-free); most food historians believe the biscotti has its origin in Tuscany, in fact, this style of biscotti is often called "Biscotti di Prato." Nonetheless, this twice-backed hard-style biscotti is also part of the food culture of Marche and Veneto [For recipes see "Cookies with Nuts and/or Cookies without Nuts]
o CANTUCCINI, most food writers describe "cantuccini" as the smaller version of the twice-backed hard-style Tuscan biscotti called "cantucci" [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts and/or Cookies without Nuts]
o CAVALLUCCI, anise-flavored nut spice cookies from Siena, Tuscany [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o CESTI DI MANDORLE, almond baskets (cookies)
o CHERRY BISCOTTI, cookies decorated with maraschino cherries [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o CHICKPEA COOKIES, Southern Italian-style cookies filled with chickpeas and nuts, generally fried (occasionally baked) and served at Christmas or the Feast Day of St. Joseph (for a variety of recipes see Italy
Revisited/Calconi)
o CIAMBELLA DI NATALE, cookies shaped like a donut served at Christmas (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
o CIAMBELLINE, bite-sized sweet biscotti made with olive oil and red wine from Florence, Tuscany [For recipe see "Taralli and Rolls"]
o CIAMBELLINE DI PASQUA, sweet from the Molise/Abruzzo region
o CIAMBELLONI, cookies from Umbria
o COCONUT MACAROONS, cookies flavored with coconuts (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
o CREMONA DI MIELE, honey cookies
o CROCCANTE, an almond lemon-flavored nougat made in a number of regions, including Lazio, Abrruzzo and Molise; it is sometimes described as a candy or praline [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Nougats]
o CROCCANTINI, praline, or cookies made with almonds
o CRUMIRI OF CASALE, cookies from Piedmont
o CRUSCHELLE, a type of dry biscuit available in Italian-Canadian pastry shops
o CUCIDATA BISCOTTI, cookies filled with figs and nuts
E
o ESSI, "S" shaped cookies from Venice [For recipe see "Cookies"]
o EVUSHGADIL [or biscotti d'annodare], knot cookies
F
o FAVE DEI MORTI, beans of the dead, almond-based cookies made for All Souls Day in Southern Italy [For a variety of recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o FERATELLE, pizzelle cookies from Ascali Piceno, Marche [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts]
o FRISEDDE, cookies from Apulia
G
o GIALETTI, cookies made with cornmeal from Emilia Romagna [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o GNOCCHI DOLCE, sweet gnocchi (for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts and/or Fritters)
L
o LEMON BISCOTTI, lemon-flavored biscotti (using lard) originally made in Molise [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts"]
o LINGUE DI GATTO, cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
M
o MACAROONS, amaretti, almond cookies [for a variety of recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o MOSTACCIOLI [spelling varies depending on the region or town -- anything from mostaccioli, mastaccioli, mustazzoli, mustazzueli, mustazzuoli etc.] famous Southern Italian spice cookies using almonds (ocassionally walnuts), flavored with cinnamon, cloves and other spices, sometimes pepper [For a variety of recipes see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o MASTACCIOLI CON MANDORLE, Southern Italian spice cookies made with honey, almonds, chocolate and anisette in Calabria for the Christmas holidays, spellings vary from town to town
o MUSTAZZOLI, Southern Italian spice almond cookies from Sicily
o MUSTAZZUELI, almond cookies from Apulia
o MUSTAZZUOLI, Southern Italian spice cookies from Calabria
N
o NOCCIOLETTE, hazelnut cookies made in central Italy [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Coookies with Nuts]
o NODINI, nut-free cookies that resemble knots originally made in Molise for weddings [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o NZUDDI, round-shaped cookies flavored with orange and topped with almonds in the centers
O
o OSSI DEI MORTI, bones of the dead, almond-based cookies made for the Feast Day of the Dead (or All Souls' Day) in Southern Italy [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o OSTI, round and flat waffle-shaped cookies mostly commonly known as as "pizzelle" [For recipe see "Cookies"]
P
o PAMPAPATO, spice nut coookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o PANDALUTS, biscuits from Friuli Venezia
o PASTICCINI, lemon-flavored cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
o PASTICCINO COL MIELE, nut and honey cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
o PASTINI, a generic word for Italian cookies, sometimes refers to cookies made with honey and brown sugar
o PASTINE CON E PIGNOLE, Pine nut cookies
o PASTINI DI FICI, fig squares
o PASTINI DI MANDORLE, almond slices
o PASTINI IMBOTTITI DI FRUTTA, cookies filled with fruit
o PECAN BALLS, cookies shaped like balls flavored with pecans
o PEPATELLI/Pappatill spicy Christmas biscotti made with almonds and honey, flavored with pepper and orange zest from the Molise and Abruzzo region (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
o PINOCCHIATTE, biscuits with pine nuts made for the Christmas holidsay in Umbria
o PIZZELLE, an Italian-style waffle cookie flavored with vanilla, anise or lemon zest and cooked in pizzelle irons, possibly Italy's most famous and oldest nut-free cookie [For recipes see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o PRATO, cookie from Tuscany
o PASTICCINI MOLISANI, round-shaped, lemon-flavored, ladyfinger-like, nut-free cookies [For recipes see Italy Revisited -- "Cookies without Nuts"]
Q
o QUARESIMALI, long ribbed cookies
R
o RICCIARELLI, almond-based cookies made for the Christmas holidays in Siena, Tuscany [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o RICOTTA COOKIES, cookies using ricotta [For recipe see "Cookies without Nuts"]
o ROCCOCO, almond brittle style cookie from Northern Italy
o ROCCOCO BISCOTTI, sweet taralli made with almonds in Southern Italy [For recipe see "Taralli Dolci"]
o RUGELACH, Italian cookies often filled with jam
S
o SABLES, sugar and butter cookies
o SALAME DEL RE, jelly roll cut into cookie slices [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts]
o SAVOIARDI, ladyfinger cookies from Molise [For recipe see "Cookies"]
o SCARPONI DI NATALE Abruzzesi, CHRISTMAS chocolate and walnut drop cookies made in the Abruzzo region (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts)
o SCIU, cookies from Basilicata
o SOSPIRI DI MATERA, almond-based cookies from Basilicata
o STOGLIATIVE, popular cookies found in Italian-Canadian pastry shops
o SUSUMELLE, either Calabrian Christmas cookies or stuffed pastries from the Abruzzo region [for the Calabrian cookie recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts for the recipe from the Abruzzo region see Italy Revisited/Calcioni]
T
o TARALLINI, in Bari, Puglia "tarallini" are bite-sized taralli; in Molise "tarallini" are bite-sized sweet taralli originally made for weddings [For both recipes see the category, "Taralli Dolci"]
o TARALLUCCI, North Americans often think of "tarallucci" as being a bite-sized taralli, which it can be as it is in Puglia [For a recipe see "Taralli and Rolls"], but it can also refer to various kinds of cookies some of which are ring-shaped and some of which are not [For recipes see "Cookies"]. It can also refer to fritters -- so the word obviously describes a number of Italian sweets, all very different from each other.
o TARALLUCCI DI NATALE, a fritter from the Abruzzo area, sometimes referred to as a donut and sometimes referred to as bite-sized sweet taralli [For recipe see "Taralli Dolci"
o TARALLUCCI DOLCI, small-sized sweet taralli made throughout Southern Italy, in particular Campania; in Abruzzo "tarallucci dolci" is often one and the same as "tarallucci di Natale" though not necessarily
o TESTE DI TURCHI (Turks' Heads), Sicilian pastries, often presented in the shape of a Turkish hat, sometimes fried and topped with custard (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Pastries)
o THREE COLOR COOKIES, cake or cookies from Naples, Campania (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts)
o TORONGINI, almond biscotti from Casacalenda, Molise [For recipe see "Cookies with Nuts"]
o TORRONCINI, almond-based cookies sandwiched between wafers (for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies with Nuts); in Italy "torroncini" can also refer to sweets that are wrapped up individually like candies and served on special festivities
o TORRONE, a nougat usually made with just toasted almonds, honey and egg whites originally from Milan [though other areas also lay claim to it such as Cremona, Abruzzo and Calabria] but now is popular throughout Italy and in North America; many varieties of torrone are available in the shops -- some are hard, some soft, some are made with almonds, honey and chocolate while others are flavored with lemon etc. In some areas of Italy torrone is made with candied fruits, and even figs!
o TORRONE MOLLE, soft almond nougat originally made in Northern Italy and now found everywhere
o TOTO, a rum flavored chocolate nut ball-shaped cookie (for recipe see Italy Revisited/ Cookies with Nuts)
Z
o ZALETI, cookies made with cornmeal from Venice [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
o ZUCCARINI, anise-flavored cookies [for recipe see Italy Revisited/Cookies without Nuts]
*Cookies that are fried are not included in this short list, nor are cookies that are presented as puddings or those presented as small cakes
Notes
The list of desserts, which includes a few sugar-free snacks and breads, was compiled from a wide number of sources, but it is obviously still incomplete. Additions and/or corrections are welcomed.... Image ID: New York Public Library, Digital Gallery, #487798. |
