Sweet Cocoa Butter Spreads from Villa Reale
Sicily has for centuries been a wellspring of great foods, much of it grown in the rich, fertile soil cascading down from the slopes of still active volcanoes. For nearly a quarter of a century, Paolo Licata and his family have been creating artisanal products in the heart of the Sicilian countryside from the very best ingredients, including their
Sweet Cocoa Butter Spreads, accented by high-quality pistachios and hazelnuts. At Villa Reale, all the raw materials are processed with traditional methods, albeit from modern machinery, immediately after harvest without any chemical additives or coloring.
Hazelnut Sweet Cream is rich and creamy with an underlying note of white chocolate from the cocoa butter (think Nutella to the tenth power). Pistachios dominate the Pistachio Sweet Cream, finely ground into a spreadable paste that will have you swooning over your morning toast or afternoon snack. Perfect stocking stuffers, these exceptional Sweet Cocoa Butter Spreads are great for a variety of uses: spread them on toast, muffins and croissants, or atop a moist pound cake or cheesecake for an easy and fast dessert. Make your own sandwich cookies by spreading a layer of Hazelnut Sweet Cream between two shortbread cookies or Pistachio Sweet Cream as the filling for crisp chocolate or plain sugar cookies. Of course, they're so good that you might not be able to wait to make the cookies and you'll find yourself dipping directly into the jar.
Called the "King of Sienese Sweets," panforte is a specialty of the gorgeous Tuscan city. This holiday cake is densely packed with candied fruits like citron, melon and orange, toasted almonds and hazelnuts, and a blend of spices.
Our favorite is the Fiorito, in a cloak of thick, rich marzipan. Whichever you choose, serve it in small wedges with torrone and sweet wine or coffee.
Panforte was a mainstay in the pouches of Crusaders who would snack on it during long sieges. We're hoping you'll find a more festive opportunity to serve it...
Order one, or all three, Panforte now starting at $24
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