From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a list of Italian desserts and pastries. Italian cuisine has developed through centuries of social and political changes, with roots as far back as the 4th century BCE. Italian desserts have been heavily influenced by cuisine from surrounding countries and those that have invaded Italy, such as Greece, Spain, Austria, and France. Italian cuisine is also influenced by the Mediterranean climate and agriculture.

Characteristics

Italy has an extremely diverse range of cuisines, due to the large amount of influences throughout its history. Peaches, lemons, and pears are popular fruits for recipes, as well as sweet cheeses, such as ricotta and mascarpone. [1] Coffee, especially espresso, are integral to Italian culture and cuisine, and is featured frequently in dessert recipes, such as tiramisu. The usage of a cold dairy dessert, such as ice cream or gelato, was introduced to the Western world through Italy. [2]

Italian desserts

A

Name Image Description
Affogato Espresso served with a scoop of ice cream
Angel wings Fried dough shaped into ribbons and coated in powdered sugar

B

Name Image Description
Barbajada Drink made from whipped chocolate, milk, and coffee
Baxin Sweet from Liguira, Italy utilizing anise seeds and flour
Biscotti Italian biscuit, typically filled with nuts or dried fruit, or dipped in chocolate
Biscuit Tortoni Ice cream made from eggs and heavy cream, sometimes containing chopped cherries or topped with minced almonds or crumbled macaroons
Bombolone Italian doughnut, filled with typically chocolate, cream, or jam
Bruttiboni Biscuit made from almonds or hazelnuts
Budino Pudding made from milk and egg custard, typically topped with a crust or whipped-cream topping

C

Name Image Description
Camporelli Ladyfinger-like biscuits made from sugar, flour, and eggs
Cannoli Rolled, crispy dough filled with ricotta cream
Cartocci Filled fried dough pastry
Cassata Round sponge cake moistened with fruit juice
Cavallucci Pastry made with anise, walnuts, candied fruits, coriander, and flour
Ciambella Ring-shaped cake made using flour, milk, sugar, and vanilla flavoring
Colomba di Pasqua
Confetti Almonds covered in dyed, sugar coating
Crocetta of Caltanissetta Sweet pastry made from almonds, sugar, sweet lemon purée, oranges or other fruit, pistachio and icing sugar
Crostata Baked tart or pie, hailing from Naples
Cucidati Fig cookie with vanilla icing
Cupeta Dessert made from honey, dissolved sugar and diced almonds

F

Name Image Description
Frutta martorana Imitation fruits made from marzipan

G

Name Image Description
Gelato Italian dessert similar to ice cream, thicker in consistency
Genoise Sponge cake made with melted butter whipped into the dough
Gianduja (chocolate) Chocolate made from hazelnut cream
Gianduiotto Chocolate made from sugar, cocoa, and hazelnuts
Granita Italian ice dessert made from sugar, water and various flavorings


L

Name Image Description
Ladyfinger Long biscuit, typically used in tiramisu

M

Name Image Description
Marron glacé Chestnuts candied in sugar syrup
Marzipan Confection consisting primarily of sugar, honey, and almond meal
Mimosa cake Moist champagne sponge cake with a buttercream frosting
Mustacciuoli Pastry with a spiced, cake-like interior, covered in chocolate

N

Name Image Description
Neapolitan ice cream Ice cream featuring three flavors: chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry
Nocciolini di Canzo Sweet crumbly small cookies from Canzo, in northern Italy
Nutella Sweetened hazelnut spread

P

Name Image Description
Pandoro Traditional Italian sweet bread in a star-like formation
Panettone Sweet bread featuring dried fruits and chocolate
Panforte Chewy Italian dessert containing fruits and nuts
Panna cotta Italian dessert of sweetened cream thickened with gelatin and molded
Panpepato Round sweet bread with nuts and dried fruit
Pasticciotto Italian pastry filled with ricotta cheese and egg custard
Pastiera Neapolitan tart made with cooked wheat, eggs, ricotta cheese, and flavoured with orange flower water
Penuche Fudge-like candy made from brown sugar, butter, and milk
Pignolata Soft pastry, covered in chocolate and lemon-flavoured syrup or icing
Pinza Traditional dessert flan with pine nuts, dried figs, raisins, fennel seeds and grappa
Pinza bolognese Jam-filled pastry

R

Name Image Description
Rainbow cookie Three-layered almond-flavored Italian cookie
Ricciarelli Traditional Italian biscuits – specifically, a type of macaroon

S

Name Image Description
Sanguinaccio dolce Italian pudding made from pig's blood which is made creamy and sweetened with ingredients such as chocolate, milk, pine nuts, and raisins
Semifreddo Frozen dessert similar to ice cream, with the main ingredients being egg yolks, sugar, and cream.
Sfinge Doughnut sprinkled with powdered sugar
Sfogliatella Shell-shaped cream-filled Italian pastry originating from Campania
Spumoni Molded gelato made with layers of different colors and flavors, usually containing candied fruits and nuts
Struffoli Neapolitan dish made of deep fried balls of sweet dough
Sugoli Dessert pudding prepared with the must of red grapes, flour and sugar, cooked slowly and then left to cool

T

Name Image Description
Taralli Cracker similar to a breadstick--can be sweet or savory
Tartufo Gelato covered and filled with melted chocolate
Tiramisu Dessert made of ladyfingers dipped in coffee, layered with a whipped mixture of eggs, sugar, and mascarpone cheese, flavoured with cocoa
Torrone Nougat made with honey, sugar, and whipped egg whites, then filled with roasted pistachios and almonds
Torta Barozzi Thin, crispy cake made from chocolate and coffee
Torta caprese Italian cake made with chocolate and either almonds or hazelnuts
Torta della nonna
Italian sweet pastry cake filled with vanilla-flavored custard and covered with pine nuts and confectioner's sugar.
Torta alla Monferrina Cake made from pumpkin, or apples and sugar, with amaretti, chocolate, eggs, and rum
Torta delle rose Cake made with leavened dough rich in butter and sugar, which is rolled up and placed in the baking tin, taking the characteristic shape of a basket of rosebuds
Torta setteveli Chocolate cake with seven layers of hazelnut cream, hazelnut crunch, chocolate mousse, and a glaze
Torta Tre Monti Dessert consisting of thin waffle slices with interwoven layers of cream, then covered in chocolate

U

Name Image Description
Uovo sbattuto Beverage that consists of egg yolk and sugar

Z

Name Image Description
Zabaione Dessert beverage made with egg yolks, sugar, and a sweet wine
Zeppole Fried dough dessert with powdered sugar
Zuccotto Semi-frozen, chilled dessert made with alchermes liqueur, cake and ice cream
Zuppa Inglese Italian dessert layering custard and sponge cake
Zelten Traditional Italian fruitcake served during Christmas

Italian pastries

Chocolate and pistachio biscotti

See also

References

  1. ^ Sert, Ayşe Nevi̇N (30 November 2017). "Italian Cuisine: Characteristics and Effects". Journal of Business Management and Economic Research. 1 (1): 49–57. doi: 10.29226/jobmer.2017.4.
  2. ^ "Italians, Chinese, Arabs – who invented ice cream?". South China Morning Post. 18 June 2020.
  3. ^ "Definition of biscotti in English". Oxforddictionaries.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2014.

External links