Sicilian pastry makers blend local ingredients with North American flavors

In Belpasso, located at the foot of Mount Etna, pastry makers Salvo and Piero Motta of Fratelli Sicilia have developed a seasonal panettone inspired by North American pumpkin pie traditions. The ‘Pumpkin Spice’ panettone utilizes Moscata di Provenza pumpkin from the Piana di Catania, combined with Sicilian flours, spices, and dark chocolate.

Piero Motta, a master leavener, noted that while cloves and cinnamon are familiar to Sicilian pastry history, they are used in a new combination to reflect the flavors typically associated with the period between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Additionally, traditional Sicilian almond sweets, known as Martorana, are being adapted for the Halloween season through the creation of marzipan pumpkins. These treats use a classic mixture of ground almonds, icing sugar, and egg whites to create pliable dough shaped into miniature pumpkins.