In the Italian neighborhood of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, (where Dr. Fauci grew up), spooky Halloween pastries are a seasonal specialty.
At Villabate Alba, a family-owned bakery and gelateria founded in 1979 by the Alaimo family, they sell exquisite trays of Sicilian pastries.
When crisp autumn breezes rush through the streets, pushing trick-or-treaters from door to door, this bakery– which keeps track of the days until Oct 31– ramps up their production, preparing some of the best Sicilian Halloween pastries you can find, while also observing the ancient traditions of the Day of the Dead.
Try the almond-cookies called Osse di Morte that are shaped like bones and scented with clove oil. And grab a few smiling jack-o-lantern marzipan treats in the tradition of frutta martorana.
Don’t forget to also try a gelato on brioche and a few fresh cannoli with imported ricotta cheese from Palermo. (New York Magazine’s Grub Street named them the “Absolute Best Cannoli in NYC.”)
For those outside of Brooklyn, order in advance. They ship throughout the U.S.!