While most people know Italian food for its divine pizza, pasta, and gelato, many are unaware that Italy also boasts an impressive variety of holiday breads in its culinary repertoire. In fact, Italy has a longer tradition of holiday breads than any of the aforementioned foods!
Here is a list of five must-try sweet breads when visiting Italy during the holidays:
Panettone – originally from Milan, this sweet bread contains candied orange, citron, and lemon zest. It is often served with a sweet hot beverage or sweet wine, and is the most well-known Italian holiday bread.
Pandoro – called pan d’oro (literally, “golden bread”) for its long history as the choice holiday treat of Italian nobles and aristocrats since the 1st century B.C. It’s a star-shaped sweet bread that is dusted with vanilla-scented icing sugar, so that it resembles the snowy peaks of the Italian Alps during Christmas.
Panpepato – the most versatile of the Italian holiday breads, panpepato has a wide range of possible ingredients, including almonds, hazelnuts, pine nuts, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange zest, cocoa, and honey. Each family’s recipe is different! (And they will all tell you it’s the best)
Panforte – hailing from Siena, panforte is the predecessor of the American fruitcake. Panforte translates to “strong bread,” probably in reference to its peppery flavor (in fact, it used to be called panpepato, “peppered bread”). It is made by dissolving sugar in honey, then mixing in flour, nuts, fruits, and spices.
Pangiallo – Lazio’s contribution to the holiday bread catalog. Made from a mixture of dried fruit, honey, and cedar candy, its invention dates all the way back to Imperial Rome.
For a taste of any one of these freshly baked breads, check out Forno Roscioli or Panificio Bonci!
“It all started with la graffa, a Sicilian fluffy donut jam-packed with sweet ricotta and dusted with sugar. When I was 11 years old, my parents sent me to apprentice with a barber. I spent my weekly earnings on movie tickets and graffe. With my love of sweets and empty pockets, it was apparent that I was meant to be a baker not a barber”, said 
Peralta has been open for more than 32 years. It churns out traditional Sicilian desserts like biscotti di mandorle (cookies made from a base of almond paste), 
The marble countertop was a field of moon, star and ball shaped morsels made from pasta di mandorla (almond paste)
Next stop, cannoli! The dough is rolled out, wrapped around wooden tubes and piled on a tray before frying.
Sheep’s milk ricotta, candied orange peel and confectioners sugar filling is mixed and set aside. Unlike most pastry shops outside of Sicily, here shells are filled on order. This combined with the skill of the baker guarantees a delicate crisp pastry.
And the finishing heavenly touches…crushed pistachios and syrupy citrus strands are placed on the ricotta.
Onto the king of Sicilian desserts, cassata siciliana, made with layers of liquor-soaked sponge cake and a mixture of sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta and dark chocolate bits. Tin pans are lined with the sponge. The luscious cheese combo is smoothed on top and the cassata is flipped over.
Vito prides himself on making “proper cassata” which equals an elaborately decorated work of art. After the flip, it’s encased in a strip of pale green marzipan, glazed with white icing and adorned with crystallized oranges, pears and cherries. The glistening fruit wedges appear like flower petals.
And last but certainly not least is 
It’s hot as #@! in Rome. All I can think about is my recent escape to San Vito Lo Capo, Sicily. Home to crystal clear water, white sandy beaches and stunning mountains, it is the birthplace of the caldo freddo (hot cold) dessert.
Caldo freddo is an extravaganza of sponge cake soaked in liquor, gelato (italian ice cream) and whipped cream covered in hot dark chocolate sauce served in a terra cotta bowl. I ordered the classic version packed with gelato al caffè (coffee ice cream) but choose any gelato flavor you like. The velvety chocolate topping slowly melted through the layers of whipped cream and gelato to the rum soaked cake base. Sigh, I’d love to dig into one today, cool off with a swim and grab a seaside aperitif but that will have to wait until next summer.