# Madonie desserts: testa di turco, sfoglio and more > Madonie desserts town by town: Castelbuono's testa di turco, Polizzi's sfoglio, manna panettone, Gratteri's biscuits, and where to buy them. - Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-desserts/ - Updated: 2026-10-19 - Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/sapori/dolci.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/gastronomia/dulces-tipicos-de-las-madonie.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/saveurs/patisseries-typiques-des-madonie.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/kulinarik/suessspeisen-der-madonie.md) The typical desserts of the Madonie are few, closely tied to one town and almost all recognised as traditional products of Sicily. Castelbuono has testa di turco, the spoon dessert of the winter holidays, and the manna panettone born in Piazza Margherita. Polizzi Generosa has sfoglio, the cake filled with tuma cheese and chocolate invented by the nuns. Gratteri makes fennel biscuits, taralle and vastedda fritta. **At a glance** | Dessert | Town | What it is | When | |---|---|---|---| | Testa di turco | Castelbuono | fried pastry sheets and cinnamon milk cream | from the Immaculate Conception to Carnival | | Sfoglio | Polizzi Generosa, Castellana Sicula | shortcrust filled with tuma, chocolate, candied pumpkin and cinnamon | feast days, also in pastry shops | | Panettone and manna leavened cakes | Castelbuono | leavened cakes with manna, citrus and almonds | Christmas and Easter | | S biscuits | Gratteri | sourdough biscuits with fennel seeds | all year, fresh | | Taralle (savoiarde) | Gratteri | oval biscuits of eggs, sugar and flour | all year, fresh | | Vastedda fritta | Gratteri | fried bread dough, with sugar or salt | all year, festival in August | ## Testa di turco from Castelbuono ### What it is Testa di turco is a spoon dessert. The technical sheet of the Sicilian Region describes it as layers of thin fried pastry sheets and "a very delicate milk cream scented with cinnamon and lemon". It is on the [national list of traditional food products](https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/22781). In the sheet's version the pastry is made with flour, whole eggs and lard. It is rolled thin, cut into rectangles of about 10 centimetres, scored with four parallel cuts and fried: as they cook the strips rise and fall and take on the shape of a turban. Then they are covered with cream and dusted with grated chocolate. Other versions, like the one from the Pro Loco of Castelbuono published by ilSicilia in 2020, finish with cinnamon and coloured sprinkles. The step-by-step recipe is in the guide to [traditional Madonie recipes](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/traditional-recipes/). ### When it is eaten and why it has that name In Castelbuono it was the festive dessert, from the Immaculate Conception to Carnival, Luciana Cusimano of the Friends of the Civic Museum association told ilSicilia. Every family has its own recipe and its secret ingredient, and people still argue about whether egg yolk belongs in the cream. Two legends explain the name, neither documented: - the dessert was created to celebrate the Normans driving out the Arabs; - the dimples in the cream recall the soft spots on the head of a baby not yet baptised, hence a "Turk", meaning not Christian. Do not confuse it with the testa di turco of Scicli, a large filled choux pastry linked to the feast of the Madonna delle Milizie. The regional sheet itself warns that in many places on the island the same name refers to different desserts. ## Sfoglio from Polizzi Generosa ### What it is Sfoglio, *sfuagghiu* in dialect, is a shortcrust pastry cake filled with tuma, pecorino at its first stage of maturing, chocolate, sugar and cinnamon. Many recipes add zuccata, candied pumpkin. According to the [tourism website of Polizzi Generosa](https://visitpolizzigenerosa.it/en/articles/u-sfuagghiu/), it was invented between the 17th and 18th centuries by the Benedictine nuns of the convents of Santa Margherita and Santa Maria delle Grazie, the Old Abbey and the New Abbey. Tradition links the recipe to the feast of Saint Benedict and to a summer visit by Count Roger: in summer the ricotta was watery and poor, so the nuns chose the tuma that shepherds gave them for the use of their pastures. When the convents closed, the recipe passed to local families. Today every household has its own version, and you also find sfoglio in the town's pastry shops. ### A disputed recognition Sfoglio is on the list of traditional products of Sicily, but the regional sheet attributes it to Castellana Sicula, with a dough worked with wine and a filling of almonds, chocolate, tuma and candied pumpkin. In 2019 Balarm reported that Polizzi's pastry makers had set up a consortium to protect the recipe, and mentioned a summer festival in town. In 2018 ANSA covered the dispute between Polizzi Generosa and Petralia Soprana, which had given sfoglio its own municipal designation: Polizzi threatened to go to court. The recipe with quantities is in the guide to [traditional Madonie recipes](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/traditional-recipes/). ## Castelbuono panettone and manna sweets Castelbuono is the manna town, and manna found its way into desserts. The best-known story is Fiasconaro's: according to the company, in 1953 Mario Fiasconaro opened a small ice cream shop in Piazza Margherita, known for citrus granitas made with snow stored in the Madonie. His sons, back in town after years of training, steered the great Italian leavened cake towards Sicilian ingredients: citrus, almonds, pistachios and manna. Today its panettoni and colombe leave Castelbuono for more than 75 countries. The pastry shop in Piazza Margherita has its own page: [Fiasconaro in Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/where-to-eat/fiasconaro-castelbuono/). Manna is also used in home baking: cakes, biscuits, puddings and creams, the Slow Food Presidium writes. For what it is, how it is harvested and how to recognise it, see the guide to [Madonie manna](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-manna/). ## Biscuits, taralle and vastedda from Gratteri Gratteri, above Cefalù, has three products on the regional list of traditional products, all baked or fried and best eaten fresh. The regional sheets describe them as follows: - **S biscuits**: S-shaped, chestnut-coloured biscuits made with flour, lard, sourdough starter (*crescenti*), sugar and fennel seeds. The village bakeries make them with a recipe handed down since the early 1900s. - **Savoiarde or taralle**: oval golden biscuits of whipped eggs, sugar, flour and a pinch of bicarbonate, baked at 200 °C on an oiled tray. They are eaten within a few days. - **Vastedda fritta**: leavened bread dough cut into irregular shapes and fried in hot oil, then dusted with sugar or salt. It is eaten hot. The village holds a festival for the vastedda in mid-August, the [Sagra della Vastedda Fritta](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-vastedda-fritta-gratteri/), with frying in the square and a parade of Sicilian carts. For local places, see [where to eat in Gratteri](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gratteri/where-to-eat/). ## Ice cream, hazelnuts and festive sweets Two summer festivals round out the picture of Madonie sweets: - at the end of July Castellana Sicula hosts the [Festival del Gelato Madonita](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festival-del-gelato-madonita/), with flavours created for the occasion by local ice cream makers from Madonie products; - on the third Sunday of August Polizzi Generosa celebrates its hazelnuts with the [Sagra delle Nocciole](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-delle-nocciole-hazelnut-festival-polizzi-generosa/). In December, from the long weekend of the Immaculate Conception, [Dolcemente Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/dolcemente-castelbuono/) brings the town's historic pastry shops together in a village of wooden huts, with free tastings, a giant buccellato and testa di turco. Buccellato is also among the traditional products of Sicily. ## Where to buy typical desserts - **In Castelbuono**: the pastry shops of the old town, starting from Piazza Margherita. The list with source and date of check is in [where to eat in Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/where-to-eat/). - **In Polizzi Generosa**: sfoglio in the town's pastry shops; see [where to eat in Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/where-to-eat/). - **In Gratteri**: biscuits and taralle in the bakeries, vastedda at the August festival. - **Anywhere**: in the list of [places to eat in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/where-to-eat/) you can filter pastry shops by town. For the rest of Madonie cooking, from cheese to beans, read [what to eat in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/what-to-eat/). If you want to pair a dessert with a festival, the [Madonie food festival calendar](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/food-festivals-calendar/) lists them by season. ## Related pages - [Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/) - [Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/) - [Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/) - [Gratteri](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gratteri/) - [Petralia Soprana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-soprana/) ## Frequently asked questions ### What is the typical dessert of Castelbuono? Testa di turco, a spoon dessert made of fried pastry sheets layered with milk cream flavoured with cinnamon and lemon. It is on the list of traditional food products of Sicily. In Castelbuono it is made mainly between the feast of the Immaculate Conception and Carnival, and every family has its own version. ### What is sfoglio from Polizzi Generosa? It is a shortcrust pastry cake filled with tuma, fresh pecorino, with chocolate, candied pumpkin and cinnamon. According to the tourism website of Polizzi Generosa, the Benedictine nuns of the town's convents invented it between the 17th and 18th centuries. It is eaten cold, for breakfast, as a snack or at the end of a meal. ### Why is it called testa di turco? The explanations are legends. One says the dessert was created to celebrate the Normans' victory over the Arabs; another compares the dimples in the cream to the soft spots on the head of an unbaptised baby, hence a 'Turk', meaning not Christian. Note that in Scicli testa di turco is a different dessert. ### Where can I buy panettone in Castelbuono? At the Fiasconaro pastry shop in Piazza Margherita, where the family opened an ice cream shop in 1953, and in the town's other pastry shops. Fiasconaro uses Madonie manna in its leavened cakes, together with citrus, almonds and pistachios. In December the Dolcemente Castelbuono festival brings the town's pastry shops together with free tastings. ### What sweets are made in Gratteri? Three Gratteri products are on the regional list of traditional products: S-shaped biscuits flavoured with fennel seeds; taralle or savoiarde, oval biscuits of eggs, sugar and flour; and vastedda fritta, leavened bread dough fried and served with sugar or salt. In August the village holds a festival for the vastedda. ### When are the typical desserts of the Madonie eaten? Testa di turco is the dessert of the winter holidays, from the Immaculate Conception to Carnival. In Polizzi sfoglio is made for feasts and special occasions, and today you also find it in the town's pastry shops. Castelbuono panettone is the Christmas cake. In December there is Dolcemente Castelbuono, at the end of July the Festival del Gelato Madonita. ## Sources - [Scheda tecnica PAT Testa di turco (Regione Siciliana), riportata da Sicilia in Rete](https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/testa-di-turco-testi-di-turcu/) - [ilSicilia, La Testa 'i turcu, un dolce della tradizione di Castelbuono (7 febbraio 2020)](https://ilsicilia.it/la-testa-i-turcu-un-dolce-della-tradizione-di-castelbuono-la-ricetta/) - [Visit Polizzi Generosa, U Sfuagghiu](https://visitpolizzigenerosa.it/en/articles/u-sfuagghiu/) - [Scheda tecnica PAT Sfoglio (Regione Siciliana), riportata da Sicilia in Rete](https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/sfoglio-sfuogghio/) - [Balarm, lo sfoglio polizzano (2 gennaio 2019)](https://www.balarm.it/news/avevamo-la-cheesecake-secoli-prima-degli-altri-il-dolce-sud-italiano-che-ci-copiano-89958) - [ANSA, Sicilian towns spar over pastry (23 ottobre 2018)](https://www.ansa.it/english/news/lifestyle/food_wine/2018/10/23/sicilian-towns-spar-over-pastry_ea4a2f12-fd06-445b-94c8-58051ea3c29a.html) - [Fiasconaro, A never-ending story](https://fiasconaro.com/en/a-never-ending-story/) - [Schede tecniche PAT di Gratteri: biscotti a S, savoiarde e taralle, vastedda fritta (Sicilia in Rete)](https://www.lasiciliainrete.it/directory-tangibili/listing/biscotti-a-s/) - [MASAF, elenco nazionale dei prodotti agroalimentari tradizionali (XXV revisione, 2025)](https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeBLOB.php/L/IT/IDPagina/22781) --- Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-desserts/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.