Sicily’s ‘flying’ almond cookies invented by monks

The town of Vicari, a picturesque medieval hamlet located on top of a hill about 18 miles from Palermo, is famous for its almond production. Almond trees are an ubiquitous sight along the road that connects Palermo with Agrigento through Vicari. So it is no wonder that many generations of Vicaresi turned to almond trees for everything from wood to protein-rich almonds.

The town’s gastronomy is defined by this natural “superfood,” rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, protein, and fiber, with dishes like cubaita, a brittle nougat made of caramelized sugar, honey, and almonds, and atuppatedelu, pasta tossed with pesto and almond flakes.

But the true star of Vicari’s almond-based gastronomy is “Passavolanti di Vicari,” a type of thin, cracker-like cookie made with almonds, sugar, eggs and flour and cinnamon.

Like many of Sicily’s delicious sweets, these centuries-old treats were invented by monks.

As explained by Sara Favarò, a local writer to the blog Sicilia Agricoltura, these delicious cookies were created during the 17th century by monks of the Convent of Saint Francis in Vicari. The inventive monks created a special treat to celebrate the wedding of the daughter of an important family.

According to a local tradition, the newly created almond cookies were served to guests on wicker trays that were raided so fast they almost appeared to “fly away” (“passavolanti” means to “fly by”). 

Since that successful debut, “passavolanti” became a staple of Vicari’s weddings and celebrations. Favarò recalls growing up with home-made Passavolanti served to guests at weddings as a wish for a long and happy marriage. 

Today, the town celebrates these beloved cookies with a dedicated event, the “Passavolanti Festival,” held every year in the summer with cooking workshops, cookie tastings, and tours of the historic town of Vicari.

According to Mayor Antonino Miceli, the “Passavolante Festival” is a vital initiative to keep Vicari’s ancient cookie-making traditions alive and helps to share the town’s cultural heritage with visitors from Sicily and beyond.

Indeed, over the course of the centuries, passavolanti became a sought-after treat well outside Vicari’s borders, with people from Palermo or Agrigento often flocking to this medieval village in search of “fly by cookies.”

Recently, the almond-based cookies of Vicari were featured in the popular cookshow “The Convent’s Recipes” hosted by friars from the Convent of San Martino delle Scale in the Sicilian town of Monreale on the Italian TV channel “Food Network.”

To make Passavolanti at home, you can follow this easy recipe (ingredients below). First, place almonds in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain, rinse under cold water, and peel. Toast almonds gently in a skillet or oven until golden. Chop them up to coarse crumbs and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar for about ten minutes then add cinnamon, lemon zest and whisk some more. Add the almond crumbs and gently mix. Place spoon-size balls of batter on a baking sheet lined with parchment, spacing them well. Place the cookies in the oven for 15-20 minutes at a temperature of about 350 °F. Then serve a delicious, monk-created, 300-year-old treat! 

Ingredients for 30-40 cookies