This document provides information about several traditional Italian pastries: Amaretti cookies which were created as a gift for a Cardinal in the 1700s, biscotti which were popular among sailors due to their long shelf life, cannoli which were created in Sicily and contain ricotta cheese or mascarpone filling in pastry tubes, zeppole which are sugar-coated dough balls stuffed with fillings that are sometimes served on St. Joseph's Day, and tiramisu which was created in 1971 in Italy and contains layers of espresso-dipped cookies and a mascarpone mixture. Recipes are provided for each pastry.

1. Taylor Verile
ITALIAN PASTRIES

2. AMARETTI COOKIES
Made of sugar, almond, eggs and amaretto,
topped with crystalline sugar.

3. History
• This cookie was created by a baker and his wife in the 1700’s as a
gift to the Cardinal of Milan. The cookies were a hit and the Cardinal
became a regular at their bakery.
• Recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/317260/amaretti-cookies

4. Biscotti
Small, dry, crumbly and sweet. They are twice
baked to remove all the moisture.

5. History
• This pastry was popular among sailors due to their long shelf-lives.
Most biscotti has fruit or nuts inside to add flavor, and its common
for Italians to dip their biscotti in wine to soften & flavor it
simultaneously.
• Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/biscotti-recipes.html

6. Cannoli
Powdered sugar and ricotta cheese or marscapone filling
in pastry dough tubes.

7. History
• Created in Sicily after Arabs introduced sugar cane to the Cicilians.
• Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alexandra-
guarnaschelli/homemade-cannoli-recipe.html

8. Zeppole
• Sugar-coated dough balls stuffed with cannoli cream, custard, jelly,
butter, or honey. Sometimes savory, stuffed with anchovies.

9. History
• Served on St. Joseph’s day, which is on March 19th. St Joseph is the
husband of Blessed Virgin Mary.
• Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-
laurentiis/zeppole-recipe.html

10. Tiramisu
• Espresso-dipped savoiardi (lady finger cookie) layered with egg
yolk, sugar, and mascarpone or zabaglione (a sweet, thick wine.)

11. History
• Created fairly recently, tiramisu was just produced in 1971 in a
restaurant just outside Venice by head chef Carminantonio
Iannaccone.
• Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/topics/tiramisu-recipes.html