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Behind those elegant white-and-gold packages of authentic Italian pastries lies the remarkable story of Matilde Vicenzi—a passionate baker whose legacy continues more than a century later.
The wonderful Matilde
Born in 1866 in Verona, Matilde opened her artisanal bakery in 1905, becoming an extraordinary female entrepreneur in a time when such achievements were rare. After her husband Sante’s death, she became the family’s sole provider, turning her small bakery into a thriving business through an unwavering commitment to quality.
What distinguished Matilde’s creations was that she baked each batch with the same care and premium ingredients she would use for her own family.
This dedication earned her fame beyond Verona for three signature products that remain beloved today: Millefoglie puff pastries, amaretti cookies, and savoiardi ladyfingers.
The Matilde classics
Millefoglie—the Italian version of France’s famous mille-feuille—is a delicate, crunchy, buttery puff pastry. While it doesn’t have quite the thousand layers that the name suggests, the original Millefoglie di Matilde calls for 192 layers of dough to be folded delicately around equally thin layers of butter. The level of skill required of the baker was so high that it wasn’t until 1975—and a bold trip to Japan by Matilde’s grandson Giuseppe—that the family finally found a machine that could recreate the recipe. Apparently, that same machine is still used today!
Matilde’s amaretti have that distinct bitter-sweet taste and robust nutty aroma of all good amaretti, but what set hers apart was the unique ratio of apricot kernels and sweet almonds. Where most amaretti are either crunchy or soft, Matilde managed to create a crisp, crunchy outer layer with a slightly softer, chewier centre—the perfect coffee biscuit.
As for Matilde’s savoiardi, many Italians wouldn’t think of using anything else for their tiramisù. These long, thin sponge fingers with their flat bottom and slightly domed top have an airy, dry, crunchy consistency perfect for absorbing liquid without remaining firm. In addition to meeting the savoiardi shape criteria, Vicenzovo ladyfingers go a step further with the necessary egg content, with Matilde’s recipe requiring 26 percent fresh eggs along with Italian stone-ground flour and sugar. No surprise that the Matilde Vicenzovo are in such hot demand every March 21—Tiramisù Day, in case you’re looking for a new tradition—as well as the famed Tiramisù World Cup.
Matilde Vicenzi today
After Matilde’s passing in 1944, her grandson Giuseppe revolutionized the business, preserving his grandmother’s original recipe book (now safeguarded in the company museum) while expanding worldwide. Today, Matilde Vicenzi products bring authentic Italian flavours to over 110 countries, offering a genuine taste of Italy’s pastry traditions to food lovers everywhere. In addition to a range of great flavours in the soft, delicious Grisbi biscuits and the crunchy new wafer cubes, Matilde Vicenzi has even produced a gluten-free version of its famous ladyfinger to bring tiramisù to an even wider audience.
