Every year as Easter approaches, I think about (and return home for) the wonderful traditions I grew up with in Italy.

I have always loved the excitement and pageantry of the processions that fill the streets across the country throughout Easter Week, the lavish family meals and the heaps of Easter eggs and chocolate that we exchange. In Italy, the Easter celebration includes Easter Monday, a day of relaxation with loved ones — usually a picnic in a beautiful place or a family outing, for example. It’s a joyous beginning to Spring, and it’s my pleasure to share a taste of it with you.

One of my favorite things about Italy is its wealth of regional culinary traditions and recipes. The recipe below is an authentic Easter delicacy handed down through generations of Sicilian families. The beloved “Lamb of Favara” cake, a symbol of purity and sacrifice, is sculpted of Marzipan and filled with pistachio paste.

So, follow the instructions carefully, and you may discover your inner Michelangelo!

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THE LAMB OF FAVARA

INGREDIENTS FOR MARZIPAN

1 kg of almond flour

700 g of granulated sugar

200 g of water

INGREDIENTS FOR PISTACHIO PASTE

500 g of pistachio flour

400 g of granulated sugar

125 g of water

INSTRUCTIONS

I always recommend preparing the two doughs below the day before you plan to use them.

FOR THE MARZIPAN

Dissolve the sugar in water until it reaches 120°C (248*F) or until it forms a thread. Now add the almond flour and mix until the mixture gathers in the pot like a single loaf.

Turn off the heat and pour the mixture onto a marble or granite surface and let it cool. When it is warm, form small loaves and wrap them in plastic wrap.

FOR THE PISTACHIO PASTE

Same as the marzipan.

Now let both doughs (marzipan and pistachio paste) rest for about 5 hours. The following day, line the typical gypsum molds with plastic wrap and distribute the marzipan into both halves of the mold.

Close the mold, lining up the interlocking holes, and create a space (the lamb's belly) to insert the pistachio paste. Then press the two parts of the mold well to ensure that the lamb is formed properly, and slowly open one half of the mold and then the other.

Decorate the newborn lamb with cloves for eyes, and with a toothpick, carefully form small holes for the nose and mouth. Decorate as desired. The Easter Lamb of Favara is eaten in small slices, as it is very rich... and incredibly delicious.

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