The Authentic, Under-The-Radar Desserts Rick Steves Says To Seek Out While In Italy

Travel pro Rick Steves has given us plenty of advice over the years, but when he talks about food, you know you're in for a treat. He's doled out valuable tips, like looking for a TV in a restaurant to find an authentic local eatery in Italy and not visiting tourist trap restaurants that have multiple languages on the menu. He has also revealed that the place he ate the best meal of his life was in Tuscany. Now he has some recommendations for travelers headed for Italy about under-the-radar desserts to try.

On his website, Steves tells us to lift our heads out of our gelato cones for a second, saying, "In Italy, visitors headed to the gelato shops often overlook the country's tasty traditional cookies." He's got some mouth-watering cookie suggestions and even a specialty bakery he recommends. Steves says that the decades-old Biscottificio Artigiano Innocenti in Rome's Trastevere neighborhood is worth a visit for treats like baci di Giulietta (Juliet's kisses), which are vanilla meringue, and sospiri di Romeo (sighs of Romeo), which are hazelnut and chocolate cookies.

One reviewer on Yelp said of the place, "This is my third time going to Rome, and I always return to this bakery ... My favorite cookie is the Brutti ma Buoni and I returned a second time to get a bag for my mom and mother-in-law to take home." The name of these cookies means ugly but good. But don't let their appearance ward you off — these lumpy-looking cookies are made of hazelnut meringue and taste like a dream.

There are a few other cookies you cannot afford to miss on your Italian vacation. (Hey, you'll be walking it all off while sightseeing.) If you like something light, look for savoiardi (pictured above), which are long, thin cookies made with a light-as-air sponge that melt in your mouth and are perfect with a cup of coffee. The savoiardi cookie is originally from Sicily, a place Steves says has the best food in Italy. Another one you have to try if you see it is a baci di dama (lady's kisses), which are hazelnut butter sandwich cookies with hazelnut spread in the middle. Sit down before you eat them, or you may get weak in the knees (which we say from experience). Steves says you should make sure to try ricciarelli, which are a chewy sort of almond-flavored macaroon made with egg whites.

Steves has sweet recommendations that go beyond just cookies, however. He also suggests "bignè, a cream puff-like pastry filled with zabaione (egg yolks, sugar, and Marsala wine)." While the addition of the wine might sound strange, it's so good that you'll be craving more after that first bite. Another is torta della nonna (grandma's cake), which has custard inside and pine nuts on top, giving it a sort of rustic cheesecake appearance. Finally, if you're a frozen dessert fan and you've managed to sample all the different gelato flavors (which would be quite a feat), Steves suggests seeking out street vendors serving grattachecca, which is a handmade shaved ice with syrups that often has pieces of fruit on top.