During one of our tours around Sicily, we came across the “Bersagliere”. Do you know what it is? Not yet? We’ll reveal it to you!

The Bersagliere is a traditional dessert from Centuripe, a small Sicilian town in the province of Enna with about five thousand inhabitants. It is a type of biscuit covered with a chocolate glaze, still made today according to an ancient recipe.

The origins of the dessert: war and creativity

It is said that its origins date back to 1943, during World War II, when American soldiers landing in Sicily distributed chocolate bars to the local population. A woman from Centuripe had the idea of turning that chocolate into a glaze to cover freshly baked biscuits. That is how the “Bersagliere” was born.

Centuripe: the “balcony of Sicily”

To taste this delicacy, you must go to Centuripe, defined by Garibaldi as the “Balcony of Sicily” for its breathtaking views.

This small town, located between Catania and Enna, has an economy mainly based on agriculture and craftsmanship.

An extraordinary archaeological heritage

Centuripe is much more than a small village: it holds an outstanding Roman archaeological heritage, one of the richest in eastern Sicily.

Its most famous treasure is the marble portrait of Gaius Julius Caesar Octavian Augustus, described as “the most beautiful portrait of the emperor ever found in Sicily,” which returned to Centuripe in 2021 after 83 years.

The Bersagliere recipe
Difficulty and timing

Difficulty: medium
Preparation: 60 minutes
Cost: low

Ingredients for 4 people

1 kg all-purpose flour
200 g granulated sugar
3 eggs
250 g lard
12 g baking ammonia (ammonium carbonate)
milk (and/or water) as needed
300 g powdered sugar
225 g dark chocolate
200 ml water
1 knob of butter
1 packet vanillin

Biscuit preparation

Sift the flour with the baking ammonia and form a well on a work surface. Add salt, sugar, lard, and eggs, then knead, gradually adding milk until you obtain a smooth dough that is medium in consistency but not elastic.

Shape biscuits about 10 cm long and 3 cm in diameter. Place them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 10 minutes at 200°C.

Then lower the temperature to 180°C and bake for another 12–15 minutes, or until the biscuits are dry but still pale in color.

Once baked, let them cool completely before glazing.

Chocolate glaze

Break the chocolate into pieces, melt it in a double boiler, and add vanillin. Sift the powdered sugar. In a saucepan, combine water and sugar, bring to a boil over medium heat, and cook for 3–4 minutes.

Remove from heat and add the melted chocolate and butter, mixing well until smooth.

Lemon glaze

Sift the powdered sugar. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gradually add powdered sugar, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest while continuing to whisk until you obtain a soft, bright white glaze.

Glazing the biscuits

Dip half of each biscuit in the chocolate glaze and the other half in the lemon glaze.

Do not worry if the coating is irregular—this is a distinctive feature of the Bersagliere.

Place them on a tray lined with parchment paper or, even better, on a cooling rack and let them dry.

They can be eaten as soon as the glaze sets or stored for a few days in a tin box.

Enjoy!

All that’s left is to wish you… enjoy your meal!

Photos from the web