Baci di Dama

Some say, there’s no other sweet treat more romantic than these “Baci di Dama”.

Also known as “Lady Kisses”, Baci di Dama are a very typical and well-loved sweet treat from the region of Piedmont in the North of Italy.

They are made from two sweet cookie doughs stuck together with a chocolate cream. The name “lady kisses” alludes to the fact that the two cookies seem to be romanticly kissing each other. Another interpretation of the origin of the name suggests that the shape of the sweet look like a lady’s lips. Yet another suggestion to the name’s origin is that the two cookies are hugging each other with a hint of chocolate in the middle of their hug.

The origin of the recipe dates back to the 1850s when one of the cooks of Italy’s royal family supposedly created these cookies for the king of the time, Vittorio Emanuele the 2nd.

In the town of their origin, Tortona, almonds are used in the Baci di Dama dough. Over time, the recipe changed slightly and in other parts of Piedmont, such as the Langhe area, hazelnuts are used instead of the almonds.

Today, many different variations of these sweets exist on the market. The cookie dough may contain cacao powder or pistachio flour, while the cream in the middle may be of white chocolate, or flavoured with citrus notes.

No matter what the variation is, these Lady Kisses are always sensational and never leave anyone disappointed. MM has brought this sweet Italian delicacy to London and you can find traditional Baci di Dama in our MM Grocery.