Besio

by Qian Leung @ 28 Jul 2017
Besio For confectionary, stop by Besio, which has been around since 1860. Paola Torello, the third-generation confectioner, runs the shop with her son. It had been handed down to her by her father, and named after her grandmother. In the beginning, the shop produced candied fruits from cherries and chinotto, a local citrus. Today, it is known for amaretti, a soft cookie made from sweet and bitter almond flour, sugar, and egg white. After being whisked to a liquid consistency, the mixture is dropped bit by bit onto a base of sugar. They are then baked for 20 minutes at 200 degrees Celsius. You can enjoy them with coffee at tea time. I also love their capricci, made of two pieces of meringue held together with a rum-based chocolate cream, and robed in dark chocolate. Baci di dama, which means ‘lady’s kiss’, is another popular treat, featuring buttery hazelnut cookies kept together with a dark chocolate paste. They also make great cornetti, which they call ‘brioche’. These are golden, flakey rolls filled with custard or chocolate cream, usually taken at breakfast with cappuccino. Molto delizioso!