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Sicilian Sweets

A couple of weeks ago we promised to describe the almonds biscuits we received from Sicily in more details. So here we are.

These Biscotti di Mandorla are among the best the province of Ragusa has to offer. They come from the Pasticceria Sacro Cuore, that is located in Modica Sorda, one of the areas of modern expansion in Modica. I biscotti del Sig. Pitino are well renown among the locals and the quality, taste, aroma and beauty of his products are hard to resist. When visitors come to Modica (especially Modicani that live in other parts of Italy or the world) Pitino is assaulted with requests for 'special packs' that are fit to travel. These visitors are not only taking back some for them, but also for their various friends. We know from painful experience that the reason our luggage is always at least a couple of kilos heavier is precisely because we are carrying some of Pitino's sweets back to the UK.

The shop does not have the 'character' a tourist would normally expect to find; it is not a historical building and the interiors are simply functional. The shop itself is part of the ground floor of an even plainer multi-story building. However, the actual character of the place, besides the quality of the sweets, is to be found in the active role it plays in the life of the people in the area. A regular meeting point and the typical stop before a celebration in order to pick up the indispensable sweets.

These pictures show just a small selection of almond biscuits that can either be prepared just with almonds in various ways ( fiocchi di neve, filetti, ricci) or with different flavours added to the almonds (coffee, pistachio, orange, cinnamon).





Sicilian Sweets




Written on
December 13, 2004
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