Baci Di Dama is a traditional type of filled cookie that means "Lady's kisses" in Italian. The name was given due to its confection, two cookies together with a filled chocolate layer in between - like a sandwich or a kiss. Although now there are many variations of Baci Di Dama, the traditional recipe is made with hazelnut filled with chocolate.
Created in the town of Tortona, in the Piedmont region, Baci Di Dama was first made in the 19th century to use hazelnuts from the region. Nowadays, Baci Di Dama is a protected Piedmontese product!
Piedmontese hazelnuts are so special; they are not only protected by IGP designation, their orchards are actually a UNESCO heritage site! Nocciola Piemontese, as they’re known in Italian, are more flavorful than your average hazelnut, with a rich, complex fragrance. Picked by hand in the grove, they have a hard, compact shell and are slightly smaller than other varieties. Antica Torroneria Piemontese works directly with local hazelnut growers to source the highest quality hazelnuts, which are roasted daily in-house to bring just the right balance of flavors to these sweet truffles.
Antica Torroneria Piemontese began when Giuseppe Sebaste, an apprentice in a pastry shop in Alba, decided to strike out on his own. Unable to afford the expensive almonds commonly used to make torrone, he turned to the hazelnuts that grew in abundance on the hillsides in his home in Piedmont. It was an inspiring moment that set the course for a sweet legacy. Today, the fifth-generation family members who run his company are committed to celebrating the precious Piemontese hazelnuts that started it all. Antica Torroneria Piemontese is a master of the confectionery arts with a single-minded dedication to excellence that guides everything they do.