Canestrelli della Provincia di Torino

Typical sweets of the Canavese and Susa Valley, Canestrelli have been prepared since the Middle Ages when, arranged in woven wicker baskets, they cheered important occasions: weddings, patronal festivals, carnival.
Even today, their preparation is entrusted to a patient manual process: from the mixture of flour, butter, eggs and sugar, balls as small as marbles are obtained, which are crushed and baked in a few moments between hot plates exposed to a blazing fire.
These wafers, variously flavoured with lemon, vanilla and cocoa, still retain their ancient traditional shape: thicker and with raised grilles are the Canestrelli di Vaie; thin and lightly grilled are those of Montanaro; similar to medieval coins are those of Tonengo di Mazzè; crispy, very thin and stamped with family crests are those of Borgofranco d'Ivrea.


Baciaje of Cercenasco
The baciaje of Cercenasco (in the Pinerolo area) are a type of canestrelli that uses maize flour, partially replacing wheat flour. The baciaja, which is a fairly thin and crumbly wafer biscuit, is baked on the fire, using a dedicated tongs iron.
Baciaje can be chocolate, lemon, hazelnut and gianduja.