Elvis Blessent is now a reference point for confectionery in the Canavese district: in addition to the lovely historic premises in Cuorgnè (first opened in 1878), which he has been running for 20 years or so, he has now taken over another two shops, one in Castellamonte and the other in Rivarolo. In the winter, the latter makes sweet focaccia, soft on the inside and crisp inside, a speciality typical of the Epiphany. The recovery of old recipes is the leitmotiv of Elvis’s work: Pan Belmonte, for example, after which the shop is named, is a recipe created by pastry chef Andrea Fenoglio in 1938. Not to be missed are the amaretti baked on paper that were a speciality of the Tre Re patisserie in Castellamonte and continue to be popular. Otherwise, winter production concentrates on chocolate pralines with innovative fillings (raspberry and crisp pistachio, apple and cinnamon jelly, salted hazelnut, almond and peanut), while summer heralds in confectioner’s ice creams, so-called because they encapsulate the patisserie’s creations in a typically seasonal treat. The flavours we recommend are Pan Belmonte, bonet (chocolate and amaretto custard), pasta di meliga (cornmeal biscuit), torcetto (a type of ring-shaped cookie), and Black Forest.
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