Sicily's quintessential Christmas cake, the buccellato is a shortcrust pastry filled with dried figs, chocolate, and other dried fruit. The secret of the cucciddatu (filling) is the incannati (delightful) figs, which are sun-dried then pierced with bamboo canes and tied with string. The dough comprises flour, sugar, butter, and a spoonful of Marsala.
In addition to dried Sicilian figs, the filling also contains sultanas, raisins, nuts, pine nuts, zuccata (candied pumpkin), orange peel, sugar, and dark chocolate. They're chopped and mixed together to create the filling, which is then placed inside the dough that's been rolled out into the shape of a large doughnut. The shortcrust pastry is pizzicato, or pierced, in dozens of places to reveal tiny glimpses of the filling before the cake is placed in a floured baking pan and brushed with beaten egg before baking. But that's not all — esthetics also count. A few spoonfuls of warm honey are drizzled over the buccellato before the final garnish of candied fruit.
Roman, Arabic, and Tuscan
Its name comes from the Latin buccellatum, or bread, which evolved into a doughnut-shaped bread that the Roman emperors provided to the public during festivals, games, and gladiator fights. Although completely different, the buccellatum from Lucca was an autumn sweet bread stuffed with sultanas or raisins that dates back to the Middle Ages. It reached Sicily via a Lucchese community that settled in Palermo where they began stuffing the buccellato with dried fruit. Arab rule had introduced cedars, pumpkins, almonds, and dried figs which were eventually added to the mix.
Variations
Of course, numerous variations bound. Almonds, candied pumpkin, and chocolate chips may replace the dried fig filling. In Monreale, a district of Palermo, powdered sugar or icing tops the shortcrust pastry. Sugared almonds and crumbled pistachios often appear among the decorations. In addition to the doughnut-shape, buccellati may be formed into half-moon or tozzetti (little bucellatini) shapes. In Palermo, you can also find the ammara panza, simpler buccellati prepared solely to "fill the stomach" before the grand finale. Another variant contains a filling of preserved quince, lemon peel, dried figs, raisins, almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts. But there is also the buccellato stuffed with yellow melon. Sicilians preserve the buccellato to enjoy it through the entire Christmas season.