Pignolata from Messina

Dessert

Pignolata from Messina is a mound of fried dumplings, consistent on the outside but with a fairly crumbly heart, which is sprinkled half with a chocolate glaze and the other half with a lemon glaze. The Messina Pignolata dates back to the Spanish domination in Sicily, when by the will of the foreign aristocracy the Messina pastry chefs reworked the ancient pignoccata or pignolata with honey. The presence of the icing makes this dessert unique, differentiating it from other preparations present in Sicily and southern Italy.