SICILIAN EASTER TRADITIONS

Sicilian Easter traditions
Sicily takes Easter very seriously. All over the island, in large towns and tiny villages alike, processions weave their way through narrow streets, central thoroughfares and piazzas until finally they arrive at the local parish church or Cathedral.
Easter also signals the arrival of Spring, and many pagan traditions that used to mark the arrival of the "beautiful season" have been incorporated into the religious festivities.
For food lovers, Easter is a great time to come to Sicily: enticing seasonal delicaciee and gastronomic delights celebrate the bounty of Primavera. It is the time for Martorana, or Pasta Reale, marzipan confectionary that is delighfully shaped and painted to resemble fruit of all types. With Easter being a time for celebration, the Cassata, Sicily's signature cake, made of sweetened ricotta chesse, marzipan and candied fruit graces tables all over the island together with Cannoli:
Here are the recipes:
Sicilian Cassata
Ingredients for the sponge cake
One 10-inch round cake tin
Two eggs
120gr sugar
120gr butter
120gr flour
Two tsp baking powder
Two tbsp milk
Ingredients for the filling and decoration:
250gr fresh ricotta cheese
400gr icing sugar
200gr almond paste
100gr dark chocolate chips
Green food colouring
Candied fruit
One tsp glucose syrup
Procedure
Step 1: the sponge 
Beat the sugar and butter in a bowl until soft and creamy . Mix in the eggs and milk followed by the flour and baking powder and mix well. Line the cake tin with greaseproof paper, add the mixture and bake at 170° C for around 25/35 mins. When ready, remove from tin and leave to cool.
Step 2: preparing the setting dish
Take a 9-inch curved dish (soup bowl) and line with cling film making sure to leave some cling film over hanging.
Step 3: colour the almond paste green
Roll out into an 10-inch circle and place it in the setting dish.
Cut the sponge cake in half and lay one half on top of the Almond paste.
Step 4: the filling 
Place the Ricotta cheese and 250gr of icing sugar in a bowl and beat until creamy. Mix in the chocolate chips and pour the mixture into the setting dish. Place the remaining piece of sponge cake on top of the mixture to form a lid. Pull the overhanging pieces of cling film towards the centre completely covering the sponge and place in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
Step 5: the icing
Add one tsp of liquid glucose to the remaining 150gr of icing sugar and very carefully, while mixing, add a few drops of water at a time until you achieve a syrupy consistency.
Step 6: remove the cake from the fridge
Undo the cling film parcel and place a cake board on top. Turn over and remove the bowl and cling film. Pour the icing onto the Almond paste and using a pallet knife spread the icing until the cake is completely covered. Decorate with candied fruit and serve.

Cannoli di Ricotta
Note: To make this classic Sicilian dessert correctly, it is essential to have metal cannoli tubes.
Ingredients
Shells:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
3 tablespoons Marsala

Filling:
2 quarts canola oil, for frying
1 pound sheep or cow's milk ricotta, drained 1 hour in a cheesecloth-lined conical sieve
1/2 cup superfine sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons candied orange zest, recipe follows
1/4 cup tiny chocolate chips
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Powdered sugar, for dusting
Directions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, sugar, and cocoa powder and cut in the butter with 2 knives or a pastry cutter, until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the Marsala and shape the dough into a ball. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate.
In a 3 1/2-quart pot, heat the canola oil to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, stir together the ricotta, sugar, vanilla, orange zest and chocolate chips until well-mixed. Spoon into a pastry bag with an open tip and place in the refrigerator. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide into 4 pieces. Roll one piece onto a flat surface with a rolling pin to a 1/16-inch thickness. Using a cookie cutter, cut 4-inch circles from the dough. Using the rolling pin, roll each circle into an oval and wrap each oval lengthwise around a metal form, sealing the edges with egg whites. Flare the edges open with fingers.
Gently drop the cannoli shells into the hot oil and fry until dark golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on paper towels. When the cannoli are cool enough to touch, twist the molds away from the shells. The shells may be made one day in advance and allowed to rest, unfilled and uncovered.
To complete the cannoli, stuff with ricotta cream, dust with powdered sugar and serve

The Italian students of 2F
IPSSAR High School
Catania,
Italy