Pasticceria Grammatico
Maria Grammatico, who was raised in the nearby San Carlo convent, became famous in Italy when she wrote her autobiography, Bitter Almonds. The book tells of her melancholic recollections and recipes from a Sicilian girlhood spent in forced spiritual confinement. Her almond creations have made her celebrated all over Italy, especially her crunchy almond cookies, rum- or orange-filled marzipan balls, and confections fashioned from chocolate-covered almond paste. The almond-paste creations are works of art, shaped into a variety of forms such as whimsical animals, one of which was even on display at a crafts fair in New York. Do not miss the delectable, attack-on-the-waistline cassatella, a fried dumpling stuffed with ricotta and powdered with sugar and cinnamon. The pastry shop, which retains its original 1960s interior, also sells Marsala and local wines.
Maria Grammatico, who was raised in the nearby San Carlo convent, became famous in Italy when she wrote her autobiography, Bitter Almonds. The book tells of her melancholic recollections and recipes from a Sicilian girlhood spent in forced spiritual confinement. Her almond creations have made her celebrated all over Italy, especially her crunchy almond cookies, rum- or orange-filled marzipan balls, and confections fashioned from chocolate-covered almond paste. The almond-paste creations are works of art, shaped into a variety of forms such as whimsical animals, one of which was even on display at a crafts fair in New York. Do not miss the delectable, attack-on-the-waistline cassatella, a fried dumpling stuffed with ricotta and powdered with sugar and cinnamon. The pastry shop, which retains its original 1960s interior, also sells Marsala and local wines.
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