Coffee, merenda & other indulgences

• Tiramisu, two ways
• Plain gelato drizzled with olive oil & flaky salt
• Pears poached in wine with mascarpone cream
• Chestnut flour pancakes with ricotta & honey
• An easy Italian ring cake
• An orange-scented rice cake
• Ricotta & wild cherry pie
• Little ‘chestnuts’ that are really almond cookies

Patience Gray in her Honey from a Weed describes merenda as something associated with wine and conviviality, beyond an ordinary snack. Her merenda is savoury: a slice of good bread with some mortadella or salame.