Tag: pine nuts

Pan di mort (All Souls spiced chocolate biscuits from Lombardy)

~ stefano arturi ~ 9 Comments
Milanese November biscuits “pan di mort” (dead people bread) – traditionally made early November to remember the dead ones

Here’s another traditional recipe from Lombardy that honours I morti, All Souls. Pan di mort (literally “dead people’s bread”) are quintessential Lombardy biscuits that are sold in bakeries between the end of October and the first week in November. They are diamond-shaped, chocolatey, spicy biscuits, full of nuts and candied citrus peels, quite chewy but not crunchy. Continue reading “Pan di mort (All Souls spiced chocolate biscuits from Lombardy)” →

Torta Mantovana di Prato – almond and pinenut sponge cake

~ stefano arturi ~ 6 Comments
torta Mantovana

A mystery cake: it is called mantovana, meaning from Mantua (in Lombardy) but it is in fact a speciality of the Tuscan town of Prato. 
It is a buttery and eggy cake with a tight, tender crumb, subtly perfumed with lemon zest and topped with almonds and pine nuts. There is no baking powered in the batter and this makes for a rather flat cake. It is one of those cakes that Italian 19th century cook books would define as da credenza, i.e. a dresser cake, one that that home cooks would keep in a dresser, on a platter or on a cake stand, covered by a napkin – as I do.
It really is ideal with a mid morning coffee or with an afternoon tea. 

Continue reading “Torta Mantovana di Prato – almond and pinenut sponge cake” →