Guide to Italian Bakeries

Does anyone make better cookies, pastries and desserts overall than the Italians? We don't think so! And bread? Please. 

But here's the problem: You walk into a well-stocked Italian bakery and are confronted with dozens of different cookies and pastries, many that look alike, many with unpronounceable names. Sfingi, sflogliatelle. Pannetone, panna cotta and panforte. Even Italians, myself included, can get dazed and confused inside your typical Italian bakery.

So with Easter upon us, we've put together the ultimate explainer guide to Italian cookies, pastries and desserts. Confused about the difference between biscotti and cantucci? Curious to know what restaurant puts 13 kinds of Swiss chocolate in its tartufo? Wonder no more. And don't forget to keep this list handy — these treats are terrific year-round! (Note: the spellings of many of these items differ depending on which region of Italy they're found in.)

Forget that dull, lifeless diner cheesecake. Nothing beats a ethereally light, uber-creamy ricotta cheesecake. The rich, moist cheese makes for a perfect duo with graham cracker or other crust. Martha Stewart puts lemon or orange zest in her ricotta cheesecake. Good for her; keep it out of mine. Bet you didn't know that technically ricotta is not cheese - no starter or rennet (an enzyme used to curdle milk in cheese and other foods) is used.  For great ricotta cheesecake, try the one at Anthony Cheesecake in Bloomfield.