If you see someone in Italy with cream on their nose, now you’ll know why. They’ve probably just eaten a maritozzo, a football-shaped brioche bun, sliced open and stuffed with billows of vanilla cream. Honour the tradition by eating it for breakfast (yes, this is officially a morning food) with a cappuccino on the side. Almost as eternal as the city of Rome itself, maritozzi date back to the Middle Ages, when they were commonly given by men (marito meaning husband) to their future wives. As legend has it, a man would give his intended a maritozzo while proposing, sometimes with a ring or trinket inside. That’s one surefire way to guarantee a ‘yes’. Here is where you can find some of favourite Italian cream buns in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Brunetti Classico’s newest outpost on Carlton’s Drummond Street has added maritozzi to its menu for the first time. They haven’t fluffed it up, either. Bouncy buns are filled with dreamy whips of tiramisu and custardy zabaglione. But first, try the bakery’s savoury version, packed with cured meats and cheese.
Track down Rome’s most iconic pastry at Da Orazio Pasticceria in Alexandria. The creme de la creme is the classic vanilla maritozzo, dipped in a crunchy pistachio and white chocolate shell.
When in Woolloongabba, head to Cerin Pasticceria for pillowy maritozzi. The sweet brioche pockets are pumped with lashings of fresh cream, and sometimes seasonal fruit.
Finish your Tonda Romana pizza at 170 Grammi in Surry Hills before diving into maritozzi for dessert. Each bun is filled with fresh or flavoured cream, finished with a heavy dusting of icing sugar.
