This cake is not just a confection; it’s a sensory voyage, a tribute to the culinary heritage of Pettorano sul Gizio. Indulge in the magic of tradition, where every bite is a step into the cobbled streets and sun-soaked hillsides of Abruzzo. The village’s Pizza Di San Martino is not just a holy cake dedicated to San Martino, patron saint of winemakers but it’s a symphony of flavors, and an invitation to savour life’s sweetest moments or add some cheer as you switch on the radiators!
Luscious and Satisying
It was shared with us by cook, Milena Ciccolella of Il Torchio Ristorante, one of our favourite restaurants in Abruzzo, for its fantastic cooking, great wines offered and of course the views! A tradional recipe that has been passed down within each family, this cake was orginally stuffed with coins for everyone to celebrate the beginning of the farmer’s new year.
The addition of Vino Cotto adds an interesting depth to the earthy walnuts and sweet chocolate pieces.Complexity is added by the very winter an addition of dance of cinnamon and cloves spices that remind you that this little village was once upon a time a trading stop on the way to Rome. It’s one of those cakes that improves with daily with age as its flavours mingle, each day it is a little different!
Pizza Di San Martino from Pettorano sul Gizio
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 130 gm Soft Brown Sugar
- 130 gm Milk
- 130 gm Olive Oil
- 130 gm Vino Cotto
- 1/2 tbsp Bicarbonate Soda
- 460 gm Flour
- 1/2 tbsp Cloves
- 1/2 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tbp Cocoa
- 130 gm Chopped Walnuts
- 130 gm Chopped Chocolate
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C, line the bottom of a non-stick springform cake tin
- Whisk eggs and sugar together
- Add, milk, olive oil and vino cotto and whisk together
- Add broken chocolate pieces and walnuts and mix
- Grind your coco, cloves, cinammon and bicarbonate of soda together
- Add your spice mix to your flour and sift into your liquid, nut and chocolate mix
- Add to pan, cook for 45 minutes. Start checking at 40 minutes, it is ready when a chopstick or knife in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan.
- Cover with a plate and turn upside down, remove the tin, dust with icing sugar and serve
Try the Pizza San Martino at Il Torchio’s celebration of the new olive, Sunday, 26th November 2023.Pre-booking is essential, if there are enough visitors who would like an English speaking guide for the tour, one can be laid one for an additional shared cost.
Author: Sam Dunham
Sam is a freelance SEO content creator and IGCSE Geography and English teacher at Istituto Cristo Re in Rome. She also runs the Life In Abruzzo Cultural Association, sharing stories and insights about this captivating region. Alongside raising a teenager, Sam hosts guests at her family’s traditional home, the Little House of the Firefly in Abruzzo, offering a warm welcome and insider tips on local culture, food, and hidden gems.
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