Alia Scattata

Alia is a small mountain town, perched on the western slopes of the Madonie mountain range, with a magnificent view that stretches from Mount Etna to the Aeolian islands. The ancient origins of this area tell the story of these slopes and the many different people and cultures that have inhabited it, starting with the Arabs. The name of its most extraordinary monument is certainly of Arab origin: the caves of Gurfa, rock structures carved into a majestic ridge of sandstone, which includes an impressive bell-shaped room, pierced by the light at the top (like the Pantheon in Rome) and other rooms connected by corridors, stairs, cisterns …
The population of Alia preserves the most diverse artisan knowledge: for the production of carpets, embroidery, lace, baskets, wrought iron objects and sweets. Among the latter, the most iconic sweet from the area is undoubtedly the scattata.
According to the local oral history, its recipe dates back to the early 1900s and it is traditionally prepared by women when there are celebrations and ceremonies in the town. It is obtained from four simple ingredients: almonds, grown in the local almond groves, peeled, chopped and toasted, soft wheat flour, sugar and then, optionally, cinnamon and lemon zest. The recipe calls for the ingredients to be mixed with a little bit of water until a fairly consistent mass is obtained, which must be left to rest for half an hour. After the mass has rested, with wet hands, balls the size of a walnut are formed which must then be rolled in hundreds and thousands (sprinkles). The balls are then placed on a baking tray which is placed in the oven at 160°C. While they are cooking, the small portion of dough expands, in dialect it is called “scatta”, giving an irregular shape to the sweets and thus making each scattata unique. Hence the name.
Today it is prepared mainly during the Christmas holidays, but it is possible to find it all year round in the local cafes, pastry shops and bakeries of Alia.