Paste di mandorla di Erice

What it is

Paste di mandorla di Erice are soft, moist pastries made primarily from ground sweet almonds and sugar, bound with egg white. They are a speciality of the walled town of Erice, which sits high on a mountain above Trapani in western Sicily. These are not crisp, dry biscuits but rather tender morsels that keep a chewy texture even after baking.

The town is famous for its almond sweets, a tradition bound up with the local convents. While Erice produces many sweets, these almond pastries stand out for their simplicity and the quality of their ingredients. They are often shaped into small rounds or ovals, sometimes flavoured with candied citron or pistachio, or topped with a candied cherry or a whole almond. The surface is usually dusted with fine sugar, giving them a snowy appearance that contrasts with the pale almond paste beneath.

A mountain tradition from the convents

The history of these pastries is tied to the religious orders that long inhabited Erice. Convent kitchens in Sicily were places where nuns developed elaborate sweets, often using local ingredients like almonds and citrus, both for religious feasts and to earn an income. The almond pastries of Erice are part of this broader heritage of convent confectionery, which in the town also includes mustazzoli, spiced almond biscuits, and genovesi, shortcrust pastries filled with custard.

The Monastery of San Carlo became especially known for its marzipan and other almond confections. When the convent closed, women who had learned the recipes there opened pastry shops in the town, and those shops have kept the tradition alive. Erice sits at around 750 metres, often wrapped in cloud, and many visitors climb the steep road from the coast specifically to visit its pastry shops. This tradition has become a defining feature of Erice's identity.

What goes into it

The ingredients are few but require high quality to achieve the characteristic texture. The base consists of sweet Sicilian almonds, an island crop with a long history; the almonds of Avola, in the south-east, are especially prized. They are ground into a fine meal that forms the heart of the pastry. Sugar sweetens the mixture, and egg white acts as the binding agent, keeping the interior soft and moist rather than dry and crumbly.

Fillings and toppings vary by maker but typically include candied citron, which adds a bright, citrusy note to the rich almond flavour. Some versions incorporate chopped pistachios for texture and colour, and a candied cherry is often pressed on top as a finishing touch. The result is a delicate balance of sweet, nutty and sometimes slightly tart elements, all held together by the soft baked almond paste.

How it is eaten

These pastries are best enjoyed fresh, when their interior remains soft and moist. They are typically served as a dessert or an afternoon treat, often accompanied by coffee. A popular pairing is a glass of Marsala, the fortified wine produced in the province of Trapani, whose nutty, caramel notes complement the sweetness of the almonds.

The texture is key: the pastry should yield gently to the bite without crumbling. Many people carry them home as souvenirs, though they are at their softest within a few days of purchase. Eating them in Erice itself, among the stone lanes of the old town, adds to their appeal.

Curious facts

• Convent origins. The recipes were developed within the walls of Erice's convents, where nuns made sweets for religious festivals and to support their communities.
• A shared base. The same almond-and-sugar tradition gives Erice its marzipan, its pasta reale, which is recognised as a traditional Italian food product (PAT).
• No single recipe. There is no official standard for these pastries; each pastry shop maintains its own variation, with differences in the ratio of almonds to sugar or the type of filling used.
• Marsala pairing. The combination of almond paste and Marsala reflects the province's output of both almonds and fortified wine.

Where to try it

The most authentic experience of these pastries is found in Erice itself, where several pastry shops have been operating for generations, some run by families who learned the recipes from the town's convents. Each offers a slightly different version, with subtle differences in the almond paste and fillings.

Visitors can find these pastries displayed in the windows of small shops along the narrow streets of the walled town. While similar almond pastries are made all over Sicily, the character of Erice's comes from the long-standing tradition of the town's pastry makers. Climbing the mountain to Erice remains the most rewarding way to taste them fresh.