Although they are most commonly associated with Liguria and Piedmont, canestrelli cookies are also an ancient tradition in Emilia-Romagna, especially in Piacenza - it is believed that the recipe spread from Aveto valley to the neighboring Trebbia Valley before it finally reached Piacenza.
The recipe is very similar to the one prepared in Ligurian Santo Stefano d’Aveto, made with flour, butter, eggs, and a touch of salt, with the only difference between the two is that those from Piacenza are additionally flavored with rum. Serving suggestions are also slightly different: while canestrelli are usually served with milk, tea or coffee, in Emilia-Romagna, they are traditionally paired with sweet local wines.
Amaretti, the famous Italian almond cookies are so popular in their homeland that almost every region has their version of the recipe, using different proportions and combinations of the basic ingredients: sweet and bitter almonds, apricot kernels, eggs, and sugar.
In Spilamberto, a municipality in the province of Modena, you can try amaretti di Spilamberto - soft, bittersweet, long-lasting cookies that are part of the region's gastronomic tradition ever since the 17th century. They are considered to be the predecessors of another Emilia-Romagna's version, amaretti di Modena, made with both sweet and bitter almonds, sugar, and egg whites.
Similar to the more famous fave dei morti, mandorlotti are crispy almond cookies from Romagna, more precisely the area between Gatteo, Sala di Cesenatico, and Gambettola, in the province of Forlì-Cesena. Made with flour, sugar, egg whites, and coarsely chopped almonds, each mandorlotto decorated with a whole almond and baked until crispy.
Served lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, they pair nicely with sweet white wines.
Mandorlini del ponte are Italian meringue cookies originating from Ferrara. Their name refers to a bridge in the port city of Pontelagoscuro. The cookies are made with egg whites, flour, almonds, sugar, and butter. When properly prepared, mandorlini del Ponte should be crackly and dry, and their texture is achieved by whipping the egg whites in a bowl that is placed over simmering water.
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