Taralli Siciliani
Taralli Siciliani are different from the classic Apulia ones. They are oven baked and glazed. Taralli are emblematic for the first days of November, when the deceased are remembered. Mind you, as you will see later on, they aren’t the lightest amongst biscuits.
They are excellent with an afternoon cup of tea or coffee.
- Prep Time 20 Minutes
- Cook Time 30 Minutes
- Total Time 50 Minutes
- Serves 8 People
- Calories 300 kcal
Ingredients
- 1 kilo of all purpose flour (Italian 00)
- 300 grams of castor sugar
- 200 grams of lard
- 4 fresh eggs
- 10 grams of yeast
- 1 teaspoon of anise seeds
- 10 grams of baker's ammonia
- 1 lemon
- salt and milk qb
- Glazing: 500g of icing sugar, 3 lemons, 50ml milk
Instructions
- Sift your flour in a large bowl
- Add softened lard and the other ingredients
- Add a little milk and mix till obtaining a smooth dough
- Let it rest for about ten minutes before transferring to the work table
- Roll the dough and form serpentine strips, as children do with play dough
- Cut about 1cm thick, 8 cm long pieces
- Twist two strips together and shape them in a ring form
- Bake for about 30 minutes at 180 degrees
- Let them cool down and apply the glazing
- Glazing: mix icing sugar, milk and sugar thoroughly
- Bake the tarelli Siciliani for another 5 minutes at 150 degrees
Notes
Taralli Siciliani are festive biscuits. And though they come with i morti, the first two days of November, you can find them all year round. Instead of using lard, one can use butter. Alas, close but no cigar.Instead of using anise seeds you could use anise extract. In your dough as well as in the glazing.In bygone days children in Sicily received gift for i morti. Toys, taralli and sugar puppets. That and the mere delight might explain the popularity.These biscuit are excellent with afternoon tea or coffee.