Must-Try Sweets From Tuscany II

Tuscany is well-known for her delicious food throughout Italy and beyond. Most of us are familiar with Tuscan dishes, whether we realise them to be from that region or not, and it is a hearty, rich cuisine full of simple ingredients that anyone can enjoy. Less familiar, however, might be the many delicious desserts of the region which must be tried once you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany and are spending any time in the area.

To help you out, we've compiled a list of some of these amazing desserts.

Cantuccini, often called biscotti, are Italian biscuits and are one of the most popular Italian treats. They are often considered a creation of the city of Prato though there are suggestions that they may have been invented elsewhere. However, the word “cantuccini”, as used in Tuscany specifically, tends to indicate a particular kind of bicotti, a variation on the traditional recipe which tends to be longer, less dry, have larger rusks and consist of bread dough enriched with olive oil and anise seeds. These little treats are the perfect thing to accompany your coffee after a meal or to bag up as gifts for loved ones.

Siena is well-known for her pastries, often made using recipes passed down for generations upon generations. These traditional treats are a source of pride for the Sienese and their origins date back to ancient times, when monasteries and ancient spices stores were where culinary experiments took place and recipes were devised using the ingredients they had at their disposal. One such experiment resulted in cavallucci, meaning “little horses”, biscuits made from flour, honey and sugar, in the shape of half an apricot. Chewy and soft, the main ingredients are candied orange (or other fruit), anise, almonds, coriander, Tuscan millefiori honey and flour and they are best served with a Tuscan Vinsanto or a Chianti.

Panforte is another well-known Tuscan sweet which is surrounded in legend and is deeply entwined with the history of the area. Many different panforte recipes exist from traditional recipes to chocolate versions and are highly prized secrets which are passed down. Similar to a fruitcake, the ingredients include nuts, honey, sugar and spices. Though the dessert is not just a Sienese tradition, Siena is considered the panforte capital of Italy and some state that you must have 17 ingredients in the dish, reflecting the number of contrade, or districts, inside the city walls.

Many of these desserts and sweets can now be purchased in supermarkets all over the world that have sizeable international food sections but, without a doubt, the best way to enjoy them is while on holidays in Tuscany. For more, read our first and last posts on Must-try Sweets from Tuscany.