Ricette di Sicilia
Cibo, cultura e tradizioni siciliane
Messina ‘Black and White’ Dessert: A Showstopping Sicilian Celebration Cake
Light choux buns filled with whipped cream and cloaked in silky hazelnut and chocolate – an elegant Messinese dessert made for big celebrations.
🛒 Ingredients
- ✓ 125 ml milk
- ✓ 125 ml water
- ✓ 100 g butter
- ✓ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ✓ 1 teaspoon sugar
- ✓ 150 g plain flour
- ✓ 4 eggs
- ✓ 400 ml fresh double cream
- ✓ 80 g icing sugar
- ✓ 1 sachet vanilla sugar
- ✓ 300 g gianduia paste or good-quality hazelnut spread
- ✓ 50 g dark chocolate
- ✓ 50 g icing sugar
- ✓ 200 g dark chocolate
- ✓ 100 g milk chocolate
- ✓ 15 g butter or cocoa butter
- ✓ icing sugar, for dusting
📊 Nutritional Information
The bianco e nero messinese — Messina’s “black and white” dessert — is pure theatre on a plate. Born from the city’s rich pastry tradition, it’s the kind of sweet you bring out when you really want to make an entrance.
At its heart are feather-light choux buns, filled with soft Chantilly cream and nestled into a generous layer of velvety gianduia cream. On top, delicate shards of dark and milk chocolate add a final flourish, creating that striking contrast between white cream and glossy chocolate that gives the dessert its name.
It’s the taste of Sunday lunches that run long, of family celebrations and special occasions in Messina — indulgent, elegant and impossible to resist. Served well-chilled, this is a true “treat-yourself” dessert, perfect at the end of a feast or as the star of a coffee-and-cake spread.
👨🍳 Preparation
- 1
In a saucepan, bring the water, milk, diced butter, salt and sugar to the boil.
- 2
Tip in the flour all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture comes together into a smooth, firm dough that pulls away from the sides of the pan.
- 3
Cook the dough over a low heat for 1 minute, stirring from time to time.
- 4
Transfer the dough to a bowl and beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
- 5
Pipe or spoon walnut-sized mounds of the choux mixture onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment, spacing them well apart.
- 6
Gently press down the tops with a damp fork and bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes, until puffed and golden. Leave to cool completely.
- 7
Whip part of the double cream with some of the icing sugar and the vanilla sugar until softly billowy to make Chantilly cream.
- 8
Use a piping bag to fill the cooled choux buns with the Chantilly cream.
- 9
Melt the gianduia or hazelnut spread with 50 g dark chocolate over a bain-marie until smooth and glossy.
- 10
Leave the mixture to cool, stirring occasionally.
- 11
Lightly whip the remaining cream with 50 g icing sugar, then gently fold it into the cooled gianduia mixture to make a light hazelnut mousse.
- 12
Chill the cream in the fridge for at least 1 hour to firm up.
- 13
Spread a little of the gianduia cream over the base of your serving platter.
- 14
Arrange a layer of filled choux buns on top, then cover them generously with more cream, making sure to fill any gaps.
- 15
Melt the remaining dark and milk chocolate together with the butter or cocoa butter, then spread the mixture out into a thin layer on a cold surface or lined tray.
- 16
Once set, use a kitchen knife to scrape off delicate curls or shards of chocolate.
- 17
Cover the Messina black and white dessert with the chocolate shards and dust lightly with icing sugar just before serving.
💡 Tips and Variations
If you can’t find pastry-grade gianduia, use the best hazelnut spread you can get your hands on — it will still be delicious. For an easier entertaining option, prepare the choux buns and chocolate cream the day before, then assemble and decorate on the day you plan to serve.
📦 Storage
- • Store in the fridge for up to 2–3 days.
- • Bring out of the fridge a little before serving so the flavours can soften and open up.
- • Keep covered in an airtight container.
🍷 Pairing
To make the most of this sumptuous Messinese dessert, serve it with a chilled glass of Moscato di Siracusa, ideally at 8–10°C — its aromatic sweetness pairs beautifully with the cream and chocolate.
Thank you for exploring Messina’s black and white dessert with me. I hope you enjoy the gentle rhythm of making the choux, the silky creams and that final shower of chocolate as much as you enjoy the first spoonful. Here’s to many special occasions — and plenty of excuses to make it again.
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