On the occasion of Pope Francis’ private visit to Portacomaro, his family’s town of origin in the province of Asti, yesterday the boys and girls of Albergo Etico were also present in the Bishopric in Asti, who took care of serving lunch and proposed a special dessert, created for the occasion.
The young people involved in the lunch were Niccolò Vallese, Jessica Berta, and Irene Bombara (Albergo Etico Asti); Roxana Matei (Albergo Etico Fenis); Giacomo Cannucciari (Albergo Etico Rome); Marilù Patrizi and Daniele Berbenni (Albergo Etico Sondrio).
The recipe for the dessert, called “Papalina di caffè,” was created exclusively for the occasion and designed by master pastry chef Jorge Bianchini together with chef Antonio De Benedetto. It is a dessert made with a base of hazelnut biscuit (round hazelnut variety from the Asti region), a central filling of Argentine dulce de leche (a nod to the Pope’s homeland), and a meringue shaped like a papal hat.
The “Papalina di caffè” was produced in the new pastry labs of Albergo Etico in Sondrio, in the Valtellina region. The line of papaline includes, in addition to the coffee-flavored one, a breakfast version (larger in size) and a panettone with the papalina.
“It was an incredible experience and an honor for our young people to meet and see the Pope up close,” said Alex Toselli, president of Albergo Etico, who continued: “I thank everyone who participated with professionalism in this day and all those who made this great opportunity possible. It was an emotion that will remain unforgettable forever, as well as an occasion for growth.”