Virgin Cakes: Cassatine di Vergini

Almondy shortbread domes filled with custard and topped with icing, these classic Sicilian sweets were first created in the 1800s at the Monastero di Santa Maria dell Vergini in Palermo, a convent that for centuries was noted for the making exquisite pastries and other treats. 

Even back in those days the cakes were more commonly known as minni di virgini, or “virgins’ breasts.” They are mentioned in Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s famous 1960 novel set in 19th c Sicily, The Leopa