Virgin Cakes: Cassatine di Vergini

Name: Virgin Cakes: Cassatine di Vergini
Cook time: 15 minutes, plus 2 hours rest
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: For the cake Almond flour: 1 ½ cups All-purpose flour: 2 cups Sugar: ¾ cup Salt ¼ teaspoon Butter 12 ounces; 1½ sticks; cut into small pieces Egg 1 large Milk As needed Egg white 1; beaten (to finish); For the biancomangiare filling: Cornstarch ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons Milk 2 ½ cups Sugar ½ cup Lemon Small strip of lemon peel Semisweet mini chocolate chips ½ cup Zuccata or candied citron 1/4 cup; minced; For the icing: Confectioners’ sugar: 2 cups Milk: 4 tablespoons

Dolce

Francine Segan | Thu, 05/19/2022 - 12:52

mini di virgini, photo by Ellen Silverman.jpg

Difficulty Level

Medium

Cooking Time

15 minutes, plus 2 hours rest

Cost

Low

Almondy shortbread domes filled with custard and topped with icing, these classic Sicilian sweets were first created in the 1800s at the Monastero di Santa Maria dell Vergini in Palermo, a convent that for centuries was noted for the making exquisite pastries and other treats.

Even back in those days the cakes were more commonly known as minni di virgini, or “virgins’ breasts.” They are mentioned in Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s famous 1960 novel set in 19th c Sicily, The