Little bird pastries to celebrate an Egyptian saint

In the Italian region of Abruzzo, they light fires and eat delicious little pastries every January 17th.

St. Anthony the Abbot feast day

St. Anthony the Abbot (not to be confused with St. Anthony of Padua) was an early Christian monk from Egypt. He died on January 17th, 356 CE and that date is celebrated as his feast day each year.

In Abruzzo, the saint is celebrated with fire. People light huge torches of dry reeds, some as tall as 30 feet, to commemorate the failed siege of nearby Fara Filiorum Petri.

On January 17, 1799, French troops were about to invade Fara Filiorum Petri. The story goes that Sand’Andonie (St. Anthony the Abbot) appeared in front of the French soldiers and told them not to proceed. He emphasized the point by igniting the trees in a massive inferno. The French troops turned tail and ran, sparing the city.

Li Cillitte de Sand’Andonie pastries

Now, as impressive as 30 foot torches might be, I’m more interested in the festival’s food. And, this festival features a terrific little pastry called Li Cillitte de Sand’Andonie, aka Uccelletti.

To make Uccelletti, dough is formed into the shape of a little bird and filled with grape jam. Almonds, cacao powder, cinnamon, and coffee may also be added to the filling.

The recipe calls for the dough to be a shortbread. However, I’ve found the Uccelletti shortbread is to be crispier and, in some cases, flakier than other shortbread pastry I’ve had in southern Italy.

The jam filling is tied to the region as it is usually made with the local Montepulciano d’Abruzzo jam.

Uccelletti can be a real work of art and some of the little bird designs are quite elaborate.

At Fiorilli Specialty Coffee in Pescara, they’re not as fancy, though you can see the head and wings of the bird, and the Uccelletti is delicious. Best of all, you don’t have to wait until January 17th to get them, they’re available year-round!

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides on Destination Eat Drink, including several in Italy. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms.