Italian Breakfasts

This classic Sicilian semi-frozen dessert is just the thing to cool you down during the dog days of summer. It is served all across the island, and traditionally enjoyed for breakfast alongside an espresso and brioche. Granita is made with water, ... READ MORE

Lemon granita is believed to have been one of the first versions of this frozen Sicilian specialty. Granita al limone is made with lemon juice, water, and sugar, while lemon zest is often used as a flavoring. The combination is frozen and then sti... READ MORE

The Italian cornetto is a popular crescent-shaped pastry, similar to a croissant but with key differences. The dough is less laminated than that for a croissant and enriched with sugar, eggs, and butter, resulting in a cornetto with a slightly sof... READ MORE

Dating back to ancient Rome, maritozzi are traditional Italian sweet buns that are sliced in half, then stuffed with whipped cream. In Rome's pastry shops, maritozzi are a staple, usually bought for breakfast and eaten with coffee on the side. The... READ MORE

Pasticciotto is a popular Italian dessert consisting of a shortcrust pastry filled with flavorful pastry cream. Traditionally, the crust is made with lard, so that it is moister and softer than the regular crust prepared with butter. It is recomme... READ MORE

A classic in Italian pastry and the symbol of the city of Pavia, torta Paradiso is a simple sponge cake variation that mainly uses the three essential cake ingredients - sugar, flour, and butter. Created by Enrico Vigoni in the early 1800s, Torta ... READ MORE

Brioche con gelato is a traditional dessert hailing from Sicily. This dessert sandwich consists of a soft, buttery brioche bun that's stuffed with a generous amount of gelato. It's especially popular during the hot summer months, and it's sometime... READ MORE

Although granita—frozen Sicilian dessert similar to sorbetto—is enjoyed throughout Sicily, the city of Messina is often dubbed as its spiritual home, and apart from typical flavors such as lemon, strawberry, chocolate, peach, ... READ MORE

Granita di mandorla is a variety of Sicilian granita—a frozen dessert that comes in a wide array of flavors. This almond-based version can be made from scratch, using ground almonds, or with the already-prepared almond paste. The latter will... READ MORE

This traditional Italian savory treat is prepared with various fillings that are enclosed between two layers of puff pastry. Typically round in shape, rustico is usually filled with a combination of béchamel sauce, tomatoes, and mozzarella ... READ MORE

Tiroler gröstl is a traditional dish from Tirol, an Austrian region famous for its skiing and hiking courses. Like most Alpine dishes, gröstl is simple, yet rich, consisting of fried potatoes, onions, and bacon. Traditionally, the dish i... READ MORE

This flavorful Italian cake has a rich almond and cocoa flavor characterized by an intense aftertaste of rum and coffee. It was invented in 1907 by Eugenio Gollini who dedicated it to Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola, a famous 16th-century architect. The... READ MORE

Brioche col tuppo is an Italian version of a brioche hailing from Sicily. It is characterized by its rounded top bun, called tuppo, which also gives this brioche its name. The tuppo should be removed and eaten first. The brioche is made with milk,... READ MORE

Torta delle rose is a traditional dessert from the Lombardy region, particularly associated with the city of Mantua. This cake is named for its rose-like appearance: the dough is rolled and cut into small spirals that resemble rosebuds, which &ldq... READ MORE

These rustic cornmeal cookies get their name from the word zálo, which means "yellow" in the Venetian dialect. They are typically flavored with lemon zest, studded with rum-soaked raisins, and traditionally made without sugar, whil... READ MORE

Frittata al tartufo is a traditional Umbrian and Istrian dish made with a combination of eggs, black truffles, olive oil, salt, and black pepper. This simple dish is made by pouring beaten eggs into a pan with hot olive oil, and then adding thin s... READ MORE

Mulberry granita is a frozen Sicilian specialty that is prepared with puréed black mulberries, sugar, water, and lemon juice. The combination is then frozen and should be occasionally mixed with a fork to achieve its typical grainy texture.... READ MORE

Berlingozzo is an ancient ring-shaped cake from Tuscany, its name derived from a local word berlingaccio, meaning Fat Thursday, when this cake was traditionally prepared as a closure of carnival celebrations. It is a humble, dens... READ MORE

Frittata ai fiori is a traditional egg-based dish that's especially popular in Calabria. The frittata is made with a combination of eggs, fiori di sambuco (elderflower blossoms), olive oil, salt, and pepper. The eggs are whisked with salt... READ MORE

Canestrello Novese is a crunchy, hard cookie prepared around the municipalities of Novi and Ovada in the Piedmontese province of Alessandria. Made with flour, olive oil, white Gavi wine, yeast, sugar, and salt, these ancient ring-shaped c... READ MORE

Zuf is a traditional dish originating from the countryside of Friuli. The dish is usually made with a combination of pumpkin, flour, cornflour, water, milk, sage leaves, and salt. The pumpkin and sage leaves are cooked in boiling salted water. Onc... READ MORE

Ciambella is a traditional ellipsoidal-shaped biscuit from the town of San Cataldo in the province of Caltanissetta, in the southwestern part of the island of Sicily. These hard, sugary cookies are made with 00 type flour, sugar, eggs, an... READ MORE

Unlike other canestrelli varieties, the ones traditionally prepared in Brugnato are soft, dark brown in color, and very large – they can reach up to 20 cm in diameter. This simple sweet bread is made with leavened dough that is flavored with... READ MORE

Su pistoccu incappau is a traditional Sardinian dessert of sponge cake topped with a coffee and cocoa glaze. The cake is light, fluffy, and made without butter, oil, or yeast. It is often enjoyed for breakfast or as a snack, paired with coffee for... READ MORE

Ciambella molisana is a round, oven-baked sweet made with white flour, sugar, raisins, red wine, olive oil, and a bit of lard. This rustic, simple, yet very delicious dessert can be enjoyed either warm or cold. It is usually served for breakfast, ... READ MORE