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Contents

Acknowledgments ix
An Introduction to Southern Italian Desserts 1
A Southern Italian Dessert Pantry 11

1
2

21

Campania

3
4

Sicilia

Calabria

67
113

Puglia and Basilicata

5

Master Recipes
Sources 203
Bibliography 205
Conversion Charts 206
Index 207

181

147

Gelato al Cannolo cannoli ice cream

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 L)

When my niece, Ornella, recently visited from Italy, she found me in the kitchen making ricotta
ice cream. It tastes like mamas cannolo ice cream! she exclaimed. I was intrigued, as I had
never heard of a cannoli ice cream before, so I asked her to tell me more about it. She explained
that it was very popular in the ice cream shops of Palermo, and that her mother had started
making it at home by mixing broken cannoli shells and chocolate chips into a batch of her
ricotta gelato. Ingenious!
For my version, I left the lemon zest and Strega liqueur out of my ricotta gelato recipe, then
folded in my homemade cannoli shells (you can use store-bought, but homemade are best) and
candied orange peel, along with a handful of mini chocolate chips. The result? It really does
taste like eating a frozen cannolo. My niece, who generally wont touch candied orange peel,
thought it was a brilliant addition. If you can find it, sheeps milk ricotta makes this Sicilian dessert even more authentic.
2 cups (454 g) fresh ricotta
(page 186), well drained
3/4

cup (150 g) sugar

1/2

teaspoon pure vanilla

extract

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

1/4

cup packed (50 g) finely

chopped (1/4-inch) candied
orange peel (page 193)

1/4

cup (40 g) semisweet or

dark mini chocolate chips

3 (5-inch) cannoli shells,

preferably homemade
(page 53)

Combine the ricotta, sugar, and vanilla in a food processor and process until the mixture is very smooth. Scrape down the bowl with a
spatula. With the processor running, add the cream through the feed
tube until it is completely mixed in, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according
to the manufacturers directions. When frozen, transfer the gelato to
a large bowl and use a spatula to stir in the orange peel and chocolate
chips. Crumble the cannoli shells in large shards over the gelato;
gently stir to distribute them evenly, allowing the shells to break
down a bit without making crumbs of them.
Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze
until ready to serve, preferably the day you make it, when the texture
is at its creamiest. If the gelato freezes hard, let it soften in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before scooping.

Sicilia

63

Gelato al Cannolo cannoli ice cream

MAKES ABOUT 1 QUART (1 L)

When my niece, Ornella, recently visited from Italy, she found me in the kitchen making ricotta
ice cream. It tastes like mamas cannolo ice cream! she exclaimed. I was intrigued, as I had
never heard of a cannoli ice cream before, so I asked her to tell me more about it. She explained
that it was very popular in the ice cream shops of Palermo, and that her mother had started
making it at home by mixing broken cannoli shells and chocolate chips into a batch of her
ricotta gelato. Ingenious!
For my version, I left the lemon zest and Strega liqueur out of my ricotta gelato recipe, then
folded in my homemade cannoli shells (you can use store-bought, but homemade are best) and
candied orange peel, along with a handful of mini chocolate chips. The result? It really does
taste like eating a frozen cannolo. My niece, who generally wont touch candied orange peel,
thought it was a brilliant addition. If you can find it, sheeps milk ricotta makes this Sicilian dessert even more authentic.
2 cups (454 g) fresh ricotta
(page 186), well drained
3/4

cup (150 g) sugar

1/2

teaspoon pure vanilla

extract

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

1/4

cup packed (50 g) finely

chopped (1/4-inch) candied
orange peel (page 193)

1/4

cup (40 g) semisweet or

dark mini chocolate chips

3 (5-inch) cannoli shells,

preferably homemade
(page 53)

Combine the ricotta, sugar, and vanilla in a food processor and process until the mixture is very smooth. Scrape down the bowl with a
spatula. With the processor running, add the cream through the feed
tube until it is completely mixed in, about 30 seconds.
Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according
to the manufacturers directions. When frozen, transfer the gelato to
a large bowl and use a spatula to stir in the orange peel and chocolate
chips. Crumble the cannoli shells in large shards over the gelato;
gently stir to distribute them evenly, allowing the shells to break
down a bit without making crumbs of them.
Serve immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and freeze
until ready to serve, preferably the day you make it, when the texture
is at its creamiest. If the gelato freezes hard, let it soften in the refrigerator for 15 to 30 minutes before scooping.

Sicilia

63

Crostata al Caprino sweet goat cheese tart

SERVES 8 TO 10

While visiting Matera (Basilicata), I was delighted to meet Francesco Abbondanza, owner of the
restaurant Lucaniere, where I had been hoping to sample his highly reputed cuisine. Sadly, he
had closed the restaurant while working on a new project, a store called LAbbondanza Lucana.
When I mentioned that Id hoped to discover an innovative dessert or two at his restaurant,
he began to describe his specialtya tart filled with a rich mousse made with the local goat
cheese, topped with seasonal fruits. He explained the process and urged me to try it. I was
delighted when I did.
Though I never had the chance to try Abbondanzas tart, this one follows the process he
shared with me. Simple and delicious, it is easily adapted to the seasons, crowned with berries
in spring, sliced nectarines or peaches in summer, and fresh figs in fall. In winter, Abbondanza
tops the tart with preserves he makes using the amarena cherries that grow abundantly in that
area. As on a cheese plate, just about any fruit, fresh or preserved, seems to pair well with the
sweet-tangy goat cheese filling. Choose a mild, creamy-style goat cheese, such as chvre, or
what the Italians refer to as caprino (capra is Italian for goat).
Short-crust pastry (page 183,
single crust)
10 ounces (285 g) fresh
goat cheese, at room
temperature
2/3

cup (83 g) confectioners

sugar, plus more for
finishing

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

11/2 cups (360 ml) heavy
cream
Fresh berries, other fruits,
or preserves, for topping
the tart

Make the pastry dough, flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and
chill for at least 1 hour.
Butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll the pastry
dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to the tart pan, settling
it into the pan and pressing it against the bottom and sides. Trim the
overhang flush with the edge. (The scraps can be rolled, cut, and baked
as cookies.) Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) with a rack in the center of the
oven. Butter a piece of parchment paper and place it buttered side down
over the tart shell, then cover with dried beans or pie weights. Bake
for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment paper and the weights and
return the shell to the oven until it is golden around the sides and fully
cooked on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Let the shell cool completely in the pan.
Once the shell is cool, prepare the filling. Put the goat cheese in a
bowl and use a spatula to smooth it. Mix in the confectioners sugar
and lemon zest until completely incorporated. Set aside.
Whip the cream with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Use
a large spatula to fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into
CONTINUED

Puglia and Basilicata

167

Crostata al Caprino sweet goat cheese tart

SERVES 8 TO 10

While visiting Matera (Basilicata), I was delighted to meet Francesco Abbondanza, owner of the
restaurant Lucaniere, where I had been hoping to sample his highly reputed cuisine. Sadly, he
had closed the restaurant while working on a new project, a store called LAbbondanza Lucana.
When I mentioned that Id hoped to discover an innovative dessert or two at his restaurant,
he began to describe his specialtya tart filled with a rich mousse made with the local goat
cheese, topped with seasonal fruits. He explained the process and urged me to try it. I was
delighted when I did.
Though I never had the chance to try Abbondanzas tart, this one follows the process he
shared with me. Simple and delicious, it is easily adapted to the seasons, crowned with berries
in spring, sliced nectarines or peaches in summer, and fresh figs in fall. In winter, Abbondanza
tops the tart with preserves he makes using the amarena cherries that grow abundantly in that
area. As on a cheese plate, just about any fruit, fresh or preserved, seems to pair well with the
sweet-tangy goat cheese filling. Choose a mild, creamy-style goat cheese, such as chvre, or
what the Italians refer to as caprino (capra is Italian for goat).
Short-crust pastry (page 183,
single crust)
10 ounces (285 g) fresh
goat cheese, at room
temperature
2/3

cup (83 g) confectioners

sugar, plus more for
finishing

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

11/2 cups (360 ml) heavy
cream
Fresh berries, other fruits,
or preserves, for topping
the tart

Make the pastry dough, flatten it into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and
chill for at least 1 hour.
Butter a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Roll the pastry
dough into a 12-inch round. Transfer the dough to the tart pan, settling
it into the pan and pressing it against the bottom and sides. Trim the
overhang flush with the edge. (The scraps can be rolled, cut, and baked
as cookies.) Prick the bottom all over with a fork. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350F (177C) with a rack in the center of the
oven. Butter a piece of parchment paper and place it buttered side down
over the tart shell, then cover with dried beans or pie weights. Bake
for 15 minutes, then remove the parchment paper and the weights and
return the shell to the oven until it is golden around the sides and fully
cooked on the bottom, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Let the shell cool completely in the pan.
Once the shell is cool, prepare the filling. Put the goat cheese in a
bowl and use a spatula to smooth it. Mix in the confectioners sugar
and lemon zest until completely incorporated. Set aside.
Whip the cream with an electric mixer until firm peaks form. Use
a large spatula to fold about one-quarter of the whipped cream into
CONTINUED

Puglia and Basilicata

167

he following basic recipes are referenced throughout the book. These are
the go-to recipes used over and over again in desserts throughout Southern Italy. Making them yourself will save you the high price of purchasing imported products, if they can even be found, and will give you the best quality
foundation for your desserts.

Pasta Frolla sweet short-crust pastry

MAKES 1 SINGLE OR DOUBLE CRUST

This traditional Italian pastry dough has many uses, from forming the base for a rustic crostata
(tart), to lining tarts, to creating a variety of cookies and pastries. Towns and even individual
families each seem to put their own spin on the dough, varying proportions of butter or sugar,
or adding vanilla or grated lemon or orange zest. My version produces a rich, flavorful tart
dough that is easy to mix and handle. A bit of baking powder helps to crisp the crust as it bakes.
Look to the individual recipes throughout the book for instruction on whether to prepare
the single- or double-crust version, as well as how to divide the dough for chilling and rolling.
INGREDIENT

SINGLE CRUST

DOUBLE CRUST

All-purpose flour

2 cups (264 g)

3 cups (396 g)

Granulated sugar

1/2

3/4

Baking powder
Kosher salt
Unsalted butter

cup (100 g)

1 teaspoon
1/4
1/2

teaspoon

cup (113 g)

Eggs (large)

Egg yolks (large)

Finely grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon

cup (150 g)

11/2
1/4
3/4

teaspoons
teaspoon

cup (170 g)
2
0

11/2

teaspoons

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a food processor
and pulse just a few times to combine them. Cut the butter into small
cubes, about sixteen per stick, and add them to the food processor. Pulse
until the butter is in small crumbs. Whisk the eggs (or egg and yolk)
with the lemon zest in a small bowl. With the machine running, add
the eggs through the feed tube. Mix, then pulse a few times, until the
mixture comes together around the blade. When you stop the mixer and
pinch it between your fingers, the dough should hold together easily.
Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface. Transfer the
dough to the plastic wrap and press it together with your hands to
form a smooth ball.
Flatten the dough into one or more disks (see specific recipes for
instructions on dividing the dough), wrap tightly in plastic film, and
refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 days, before rolling. Alternatively, you can place the wrapped disks into a ziplock bag and freeze
for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator. If refrigerated
for more than an hour, let stand, wrapped, at room temperature for
30 minutes before rolling.

182

Southern Italian Desserts

Master Recipes

183

Copyright 2013 by Rosetta Costantino

Photographs copyright 2013 by Sara Remington
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of the Crown
Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.tenspeed.com
Ten Speed Press and the Ten Speed Press colophon are registered trademarks of
Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data TK
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-60774-402-3
eBook ISBN: 978-1-60774-403-0
Printed in China
Design by Betsy Stromberg
Food Styling by Katie Christ
Prop Styling by Dani Fisher
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