Treat of the Week: Italian Egg Cookies and Ice Cream

For centuries, Italians have enjoyed this simple, spongy cookies of eggs, sugar and flour. The ancient Romans made them with honey, and today, several varieties of the recipe exist. However, at their heart, they are merely tender, sweet pillows of only the purest ingredients.

These cookies have had several different names. We call them “ciamelli.” I’m sure there are other spellings for that, including, “ciarmelli.” Others call them strombigus. Other names still exist for these comforting treats. These are the result of generations of different families adapting their own recipes.

My mother makes these and they’re always a welcome treat. This weekend, we enjoyed these delicious elegant cookies with fresh, homemade dark chocolate ice cream. The ice cream, topped with fudge sauce and whipped cream were the perfect rich compliment to the simplicity of the cookies.