Chiostro

Chiostro di Saronno is the amaretti and confectionery name of Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli, an eight-generation family firm in Saronno, the home of amaretti di Saronno.

About Chiostro

Based in
Saronno (Varese), Italy
Founded
1927 (merger of family companies)
Known for
amaretti and Italian confectionery

Chiostro di Saronno is a brand of Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli, based in Saronno in the province of Varese. The Lazzaroni family counts eight generations in the business, and in 1927 two family companies merged into one focused on biscuits.

In 1984 the biscuit division was sold, and Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli turned to liqueurs and confectionery, relaunching the Chiostro di Saronno name. The current plant in Saronno was built in the early 1990s. Paolo and Luca Lazzaroni, the seventh and eighth generations, run the company today.

The Saronno tradition makes amaretti from apricot kernels, sugar and egg white, and the company still makes them in the town. Amaretti are classic with espresso, crumbled over gelato, or baked into stuffed peaches.

Chiostro questions

What are amaretti di Saronno made of?

Apricot kernels, sugar and egg white. An apricot kernel is the seed inside the hard stone of an apricot, and it has an almond-like flavor, the same one used in some amaretto liqueurs. Amaretti di Saronno are the only traditional amaretti made with apricot kernels, and Chiostro di Saronno still makes them in the town.

Where do amaretti di Saronno come from?

Saronno, a town in Lombardy in northern Italy, where Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli still makes them. Local legend says that in the early 1700s a young couple there welcomed a visiting bishop or cardinal from Milan with biscuits they improvised from sugar, egg whites and crushed apricot kernels, and he blessed their marriage in thanks. The recipe was then kept secret for generations.

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