Tarallucci and bocconotti
The irresistible desserts you won't be able to resist.
Vastesi are crazy about desserts, and this is evident from the splendid pastry shops in the city, which are often internationally recognized. In Vasto, however, besides the fresh pastries, you must not miss out on the traditional desserts that bring together the best of Abruzzese and Neapolitan traditions.
These are dry sweets made with olive oil, wine, grapes, almonds, honey, and other local ingredients. In many cases, they don’t even require baking, indicating that they were popular during historical periods when cooking was done exclusively over an open fire.
They were originally used for celebrations and also served as a convenient source of calories to carry along when one had to spend an extended time away from home.
Over the years, some recipes have evolved and adapted to contemporary tastes, with the addition of cocoa and later chocolate in some desserts. Despite these changes, Vasto’s sweets still have unique flavors that harken back to the ancient skill of the women who used to prepare them at home for special occasions
Tarallucci
One of the traditional desserts is “mezzelune” – half-moon-shaped pasta filled with grape jam and baked in the oven. Another popular treat is taralli, which can come in two variations: wine taralli and butter taralli. In the case of wine taralli, the dough is made with olive oil and white wine. They tend to have a flaky texture and a unique flavor. On the other hand, butter taralli are made with butter and resemble a soft shortcrust pastry. In recent years, the second variation has remained more prevalent in the inland areas and has become increasingly rare along the coast.
Bocconotti
They originate in the countryside between Vasto and Lanciano and derive their name from the fact that they are meant to be eaten in one bite (actually two or three). They are small pastry boats filled with almonds and cocoa, dusted with powdered sugar. The most popular variation is the chocolate-covered one.
Catarrette
These are extremely simple desserts that hark back to a time when cooking was done with few and basic tools. “Catarrette,” which in other parts of Abruzzo have a slightly different dough and are called “neole” or “ferratelle,” are sweet wafers made with eggs, sugar, olive oil, and flavored with a hint of lemon zest. The batter is poured onto a hot iron that is closed with tongs and cooked for a couple of minutes over the fire. The irons used for their production often have intricate designs that are reproduced on the catarrette, and many families keep irons that have served for over a hundred years and are still in use
Caggionetti
Another dessert that harks back to ancient times is “caggionetti.” These are small turnovers (triangular or square) made with dough consisting of olive oil and white wine, filled with a mixture of chickpeas and honey, or grape jam and almonds (known as “scrocchiata” or “mostarda”). The caggionetti are fried in olive oil and then sprinkled with sugar. They are typically enjoyed during the Christmas holidays.
Scrippelle
Simple desserts, made at home on winter evenings, especially during the Christmas season. They are small strips of leavened dough fried in olive oil and sprinkled with sugar. They are meant to be eaten immediately after being made, while still hot.
Cicerchiata
It is the Abruzzese version of the Neapolitan struffoli. It consists of crunchy donut-shaped pastries made from fried dough balls and toasted almonds, bound together with pure honey. Unlike struffoli, the use of local honey without the addition of sugar syrup causes it to solidify as it cools, giving cicerchiata its distinctive texture. It is the typical carnival dessert made in every family and was also used as a gift in weddings to symbolize fertility.
Mostaccioli
These too are of Neapolitan origin and consist of small rhombus-shaped cookies (hence the name resembling “mustaches”) made of spiced dough and covered with icing. The dough includes flour, almonds, cocoa, and a mixture of spices, including cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, anise, coriander, and nutmeg. Although it is now common to find them coated in chocolate, traditional mostaccioli are covered with a glaze made of sugar and cocoa and decorated with a white egg glaze. During the Easter holidays, it is a tradition to gift each boy in the family a little horse-shaped cookie called “cavalluccio” and each girl a doll-shaped cookie called “pupa,” both made from mostaccioli dough and beautifully decorated.
Fiadone
It is the rustic cake with which, traditionally, Easter is celebrated. Formed by a pastry shell made with eggs and olive oil, it contains a filling made of sheep’s ricotta cheese. There is also a savory version, which is a fundamental component of the outdoor picnics on Easter Monday
