They are ancient desserts. With an unmistakable flavor and an aroma that immediately makes Christmas.
Desserts immediately identified with Naples. Where everyone initially took root, to then become the heritage of the whole of Campania, re-proposed in the classic version or with some local variations that have also consolidated over time. Not surprisingly, they have all been recognized as Pat, traditional agri-food products. And tradition requires that they are already prepared for December 8, to be able to serve or give them on the occasion of the feast of the Immaculate Conception and then at the end of the lunches and dinners of the Christmas period.
The Roccoco
Although they evoke it in the name, the Roccocò were already four centuries old when the artistic-architectural style established itself and was enormously widespread in Naples. Their origin, in fact, dates back to 1320, when the nuns of the Real Convento della Maddalena kneaded for the first time together almonds, flour, mandarin and a mixture of spices, which is decisive for the final flavour, which is known as Neapolitan pisto. The result was a dry biscuit shaped like a flattened donut, dark brown in color and decidedly hard. So much so that its name actually derives from this rock-like consistency, rocaille in French. The ideal is to serve it at the end of a meal accompanied by a liqueur wine.
The Mustacciuoli
In Roman times, there were sweet focaccias, made with grape must, which were wrapped in fragrant laurel leaves for cooking and were usually served as a greeting to guests before dismissing them. They were known as mustacei, from mustum, very, or perhaps from mustax, laurel. And Cato did not fail to mention them in his “De agricoltura”, adding anise to the established ingredients. And what we know today as mustacciuoli, are also connected to the more recent cooked must mostazoli known in the late Middle Ages. In the sixteenth century, then, they were part of the recipes proposed by the personal chef of Pope Pius V, Bartolomeo Scappi. The Neapolitan version, with its characteristic rhombus shape, has replaced the original must with honey and chocolate from the icing. An entirely Benevento variation, widespread throughout the Sannio, it is softer and also contains the Strega liqueur in the dough.
The Susamiellis
They are a triumph of spices and their name probably derives from the sesame and honey with which the small sweet pastries offered to Core and Demeter, the divinities of the Eusine Mysteries, were prepared. The Neapolitan Susamielli would therefore have a Greek origin, but more recent history makes them identify with the “Sapienze” produced by the Poor Clare nuns of the Convent of Santa Maria della Sapienza, from which they certainly inherited the elliptical shape similar to the S. And for this reason they have also been associated with a tribute to Luigi Settembrini. The fact is that the Susamielli, with orange peel in the dough, were given to bagpipers who came to play in houses for the novenas of the Immaculate Conception and Christmas, and to service personnel. Then, there was a version filled with jam defined as Susamielli of the good journey. Those that are still prepared today are the so-called Susamielli nobili, made with white flour, with almond flour and with the inevitable Neapolitan pistol.
The Raffiuoli
There is still a monastery behind another of the typical desserts that accompany the Neapolitan Christmas. That of the Benedictine nuns of San Gregorio Armeno, the path of Christmas traditions par excellence, who took inspiration from the ravioli of northern Italy for their original sweet version. Made of sponge cake with a white sugar icing topping.
