Bread of the Dead is a traditional dessert from Northern Italy, prepared for All Saints’ Day and the Commemoration of the Dead.
A peasant-origin dessert made from leftover cookies and dried fruit, which over time has been enriched with cocoa and wine, prepared for the night between November 1st and 2nd by the living for their dear departed ones, rich and hearty to refresh them from the long journey from the afterlife.
It is a dessert particularly widespread in Lombardy, Liguria, and Piedmont, and is accompanied by two other sweet specialties for these occasions, bones of the dead and fave dei morti.
Read how to make bread of the dead with the easy recipe you find below, as usual, right after the picture 😉
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 8.8 oz mixed cookies
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1.8 oz blanched almonds
- 1.8 oz dried figs
- 3.5 oz raisins
- 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 egg whites
- 3.4 fl oz white wine (sweet or dry)
- ground cinnamon
- nutmeg
- powdered sugar
Read the notes at the end of the recipe for substitutions, tricks, and preparation tips!
Preparation of Bread of the Dead
Soak the raisins in hot water.
Finely chop the almonds in a food processor.
Also chop the cookies (you can use plain cookies, ladyfingers, amaretti, etc.).Also chop the dried figs.
In a large bowl, place the chopped cookies, almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder, unsweetened cocoa, a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg, dried figs, and well-drained raisins, three unwhipped egg whites, and white wine, then mix thoroughly until a soft and smooth mixture is obtained.Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Form a loaf with the dough and cut it into slices about half an inch to three-quarters of an inch thick.Place them on the parchment paper, trying to give them a more or less oval shape, keeping them slightly apart, and bake in a preheated oven at 356°F in static mode for twenty-five to thirty minutes until they darken on the surface.
Take them out, sprinkle generously with powdered sugar, and let your Bread of the Dead cool.
Notes
Bread of the Dead is even better two days after preparation, as it becomes softer and more flavorful.
In Tuscany, the wine used for this recipe is Vin Santo.
In some versions of this recipe, wafers are placed under the cookies before baking, making them softer.
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