Almond biscuits Amaretti di Gallarate conquer America

“The assumption, when it comes to the almond cookies called amaretti, is that they are small, round, and come from Saronno, Italy, in a tall red tin. But there are other kinds, notably these deep-flavoured handmade ones from Gallarate, a city north of Milan in

Lombardy. They are a classic Easter biscuits from the region, rich with almond paste inside a delicate meringue-like confection, and are packed in a pretty, suitably pink, gift box.” This review of the Amaretti di Gallarate biscuits, which are produced by the confectionery Pasticceria Fratelli Gnocchi (a member of GEA, the group for food excellence of the crafts federation in Varese) can be found on the website of The New York Times in the section “Dining & Wine”. Here they also emphasise that the product can be bought at Dean & DeLuca shops, in SoHo, and on Madison Avenue.

After London, Moscow, and Paris, Massimo Gnocchi – a young member of the provincial council of the crafts association in Varese, who was elected, a short time ago, representative for the food sector of the association – has taken Italian tradition and quality to the United States as well. This time, the country of hamburgers has met the slow-food from Varese. This has happened thanks to a confectionery that has actually been renowned for its excellent choice of ingredients since 1958.

From then on, through a gradual professional maturity in the craft of the different products, the success has been growing up until becoming a famous name also beyond the national borders thanks to the exportation of the “delicious Amaretti di Gallarate”. Moreover, for a short time next to particular specialities or certain types of sweets, F.lli Gnocchi confectionary shop proposes sparkling wines that are able to extol the characteristics and make more pleasant their consumption, thanks to the combination studied by experienced sommeliers.

A typical example of this is Amaretto di Gallarate, that Massimo Gnocchi proposes with points of “mascarpone” (an Italian soft cheese) and few drops of Vin Santo (an Italian dessert wine). “A deserved success that testifies once again how the care diligence and passion of who believes in what they do are always winning. Massimo Gnocchi makes us proud to be micro and small entrepreneurs, linked to the traditions of this territory but, at the same time, they are able to renew them with creativity and professionalism. And a simple “biscuit” becomes a small work of art,” states Giorgio Merletti, President of the General confederation of Italian crafts Varese.