Cookies

Crisp, crunchy cookies are a favorite sweet treat in Italy, and you can find them served at any hour of the day. Whether it’s a light start for breakfast to accompany a cappuccino or a luscious finale at the end of a meal served with a glass of vin santo, Italians love to nibble on these crackling, crumbly sweets.

When you think of Italian cookies, your first thought may be biscotti, which is what we call the twice-baked, sliced cookie that’s often studded with nuts or chocolate. The proper Italian name for these biscuits is cantucci, which comes from the Latin for “slice.” Their origins can be traced back to the city of Prato in Tuscany in the middle of the 19th century, when baker Antonio Mattei created an international sensation with these crisp little cookies. While the original recipe was flavored simply with sliced almonds, the sky’s the limit for cantucci flavors today!

Another of Italy’s most famous cookies, amaretti from the town of Saronno, north of Milan, has a fairy-tale origin story that dates back to the Middle Ages. As the story goes, amaretti were first baked by a poor young couple who wanted to honor the visiting cardinal of Milano. They had very little in the cupboard, and came up with a simple combination of sugar, egg whites, and almond-scented apricot kernels to create these sweet morsels. Today, amaretti are topped with sparkling pearl sugar and wrapped in pairs in colorful tissue paper twists. Lazzaroni, a local baker, became the first company in Italy to produce cookies for commercial sale when they started packaging their amaretti in their now-iconic decorative tins in 1888.

When you’re looking for a no-bake pick-me-up for your day, try one of these delicious Italian cookies. With gorgeous packaging and beautiful keepsake containers, they also make a wonderful gift for a friend with a sweet tooth.