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Sweet Stuff

In a nutshell, this encompasses all the sweet stuff from gelato to zippula (Sardinian doughnuts). Only—just in case you're looking for dessert ideas–it doesn't include sweet or not-so-sweet baked goods, including biscotti (or cookies), and many 'breads' that we would call 'cakes', which you'll find here. Why? There were so many borderline cases that we just gave in and put them all there.

addormenta suocere

candied almond, hazelnuts or peanuts

affogato

poached, or 'drowned'

alchichingero

chocolate covered physalis (Chinese lanterns)

barbapapa

cotton candy or candy floss

biancheddus

almond meringues

boeri

chocolate covered cherries filled with kirsch

bomboloni

filled doughnuts

bonet

coffee or chocolate flavoured cake

brigidini

crispy aniseed flavoured wafers

buchweizenroulade

jam-filled buckwheat roll

budino

pudding

cagionetti

fried sweet ravioli

calciuni

Sweet chestnut ravioli

candelaus

ornate Candlemas sweets

cantarella

corn meal pancakes

caramello

caramel or sweets (candies)

cartocci

doughnut twists filled with ricotta and chocolate bits

cassola

seafood stew, pork stew, or cheese cake

castagnole

Carnival fritters

chiacchiere

carnival fritters

chifeleti

horseshoe shaped fritters from Trieste

chinulille

sweet filled fried pastries

chupa chupa

suckers/lollipops

ciambella

ring-shaped cake, or doughnut

cicerchiata

a ring of tiny doughnuts

cioccolata

chocolate

cioccolato modicano

Sicily's Aztec chocolate

cobaita

sesame and honey sweet

coffettura

shredded orange peel, honey and almonds

confetti

Jordan almonds

confettura

jam

copate

thin wafer sandwiches

copeta

almond brittle

cremini

mushrooms, chocolates or cubes of cream

cremolata

a pulpy granita

cri cri

chocolates that look a bit like golf balls

crostoli

fried twisted fritters

cuccia

boiled wheat sweet

cuddrurieddra

a sweet doughnut made with boiled potatoes

cuneesi al rhum

rum laced chocolates

cupeta

honey and nut sweet

cutugnata

quince preserve

dolce

sweet, tender

fave dei morti

almond-paste biscuits

fedde del cancelliere

'chancellor's bottom' sweets

ferratelle

similar to waffles

fondente

dark (plain) chocolate

frangipane

almond pastry cream, perfume and a tree

frappe

fried carnival pastry topped with sugar

fravioli

sweet fried ravioli

frutta di martorana

mini-marzipan fruits

fruttone

cream tarts with chocolate

funghetti di Offida

a sweet that looks like mushrooms

galani

carnival sweet

gattò

cake (both savoury or sweet)

gelatina

jelly or gelatine

gelato

Italian ice cream

ghiacciolo

popsicle/ice lolly

Gianduiotti

boat-shaped chocolate and hazelnut sweets

gianduja

toasted hazelnut paste with chocolate

goccioline

droplets/gum drops

graffioni

chocolate covered cherries

granella

finely crumbled

granita

Italian ices

gueffus

little round almond cake

lacrime d'amore

tiny liqueur-filled 'tears of love'

lecca lecca

lollipop

liquirizia

licorice

lonzino di fico

fig salame

marasche

chocolate covered cherries

marmellata

marmelade

melassa

treacle or molasses

meringa

meringue

miele

honey

migliaccio

semolina or chestnut flour or pig's blood cake

mpanatigghi

a sweet with meat

nacatole

fried Christmas pastry

ncarteddrate

honey-covered fritters

nochette

bows

olivette

a veal dish or sweets shaped like big olives

pampapato

dense chocolatey Christmas cake

pampepato

fruit and nut cake

panera

Genoese coffee ice cream

panforte

fruit and nut Christmas cake

pansarole

sweet fritters

pasticciotti

ricotta cream or custard tarts

pastiglie Leone

Torino’s famous lozenges

pignolata

frosted fritters

pizzelle

thin waffles

plumcake

pound cake

purceddruzzi

Puglian sweet fritters

putizza

nut roll

rocciata

central Italian strudel

salame al cioccolato

chocolate salame

salame del re

jelly roll

Sambene dulche

pig's blood mixed with chocolate

sapa

cooked grape must

savor

grape must chutney

sciroppo

syrup

sciuette

sweet 'little flowers'

scodelline

'little bowls'

scroccafusi

carnival fritters

semifreddo

cold dessert

sfrappe

carnival 'angel wings' fritters

sorbetto

sorbet

spumone

three kinds of ice cream

storti

whipped cream filled cones

straboi

grappa-flavoured fritters

stracciatella

egg drop soup or ice cream or cheese

strazzate

boozy chocolate almond biscuits

strudel

strudel, usually with nuts or apples

struffoli

fried dough balls in honey syrup

sugal

grape must pudding

suspiros

almond meringues

tartaruga

turtle, tortoise

tartufo di Pizzo

ice cream ball filled with gooey chocolate

tegole

almond tile biscuits

torrone

nougat

traggera

tiny sugar candies

tronchetto

anything log shaped

violette candite

candied violets

zippula

potato doughnuts

zucchero

sugar

Text © Dana Facaros & Michael Pauls