Cassata

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Cassata or Cassata siciliana is a traditional sweet from the area of Palermo, Sicily (Italy).

1 Etymology
2 Origin
3 Traditional
4 Variations
5 Ice-cream
6 Related

[edit] Etymology

It is unknown whether the Sicilian word "cassata" comes from Arabic qashatah (small bowl-shaped dessert) or Latin caseata (cheese concoction).

[edit] Origin

The dessert was first introduced during the Arab rule of Sicily from the 9th to the 11th century^{[citation needed]}. In the Middle Ages, it was a specialty to be found only in the monasteries of Palermo where Nuns had perfected the dessert and sold it to the public. It later became a favorite treat of the whole island, for which reason it's known throughout Italy and abroad as "cassata siciliana."

[edit] Traditional

The cassata is similar to small cake, and consists of round sponge cake moistened with fruit juices or liqueur. It is then layered with ricotta cheese, candied peel, and a chocolate or vanilla filling similar to cannoli cream. It is covered with a shell of marzipan, pink and green pastel colored icing, and decorative designs. The cassata is finally topped with candied fruit depicting cherries and slices of citrus fruit native to Sicily.

[edit] Variations

Unlike the round, traditional shape as was originally introduced by the Arabs, some cassata are made in the form of a rectangle, square, or box. It's interesting to note that the word "box" in Italian is "cassa", although it's unlikely that the word "cassata" originated from this term.

When making a cassata, the layers of cheese can be substituted by layers of gelato (Italian ice cream) with the final product similar to an ice cream cake.

More rarely, some cassata are made similar to a pie, containing a top and bottom crust, filled with ricotta, and baked in the oven.