Dolce di San Martin, Traditional Italian Cookie Recipe

The feast of St. Martin is one of the most original Venetian traditions.

On November 11, all Venetian children, armed with pots and pans, go from calle (Venetian little alleyways) to calle, from campo ( Venetian squares) to campo asking some for some spare change or candy to shopkeepers or passers by, singing a nice Veneto nursery rhyme.

With the money earned in this way they can buy the traditional sweet of St. Martin, which exists in two versions: a sweet pastry in the shape of the saint on horseback with sword and cape, garnished with colourful sugar icing, chocolates, candies and chocolates or (older version) a sweet quince. Typical of the festivals are the cakes of quince (persegada) of various shapes.

Nowadays many parents buy the cake for their children from the numerous bakeries and patisseries of the city.

At Cook In Venice we prefer to make it ourselves – there is something special about making a Traditional Italian cookie recipe yourself!

We would be happy to teach you how to prepare it during our Pastry Cooking Classes in Venice.