Delia Cuddrireddra

If you’re not from Sicily the name of this sweet is practically impossible to pronounce. In dialect, “cuddrireddra” means a little focaccia shaped like a silkworm’s cocoon, or a small wheel of dough in the shape of a ring or a crown. The recipe is simple: durum wheat flour is mixed with fresh eggs, sugar, a little lard, red wine, cinnamon and orange zest. The dough is shaped into complicated little crowns, said to have been invented as a tribute to the noblewomen who lived in Delia during the War of the Sicilian Vespers at the end of the 13th century. The sweets were originally made at home, and shaped using a ridged tool called a “pettine”, normally used for weaving. Existing “pettini” are carefully preserved as they are no longer produced.

Season

Available year-round