Taralli Biscuits
(“Biscotti Taralli al Limone”)
The Taralli biscuits are made all over Sicily. In some provinces the lemon flavor is replaced with the orange and vanilla and in other parts anise liquor or seeds are added.
When they are freshly made they may feel firm, but the next day they became soft and delicately delicious.
The lemon taste and its flavor blend well with the sugar making the Taralli an ideal marriage with a cup of espresso coffee.
Makes 20 to 24
Ingredients:
For the Dough
- 4 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ lb. or 1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 4 medium eggs
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of salt
- zest of 1 lemon
- flour for dusting
For the Icing
- 1 cup confectionary sugar
- juice of 2 lemons
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tablespoon of water
Preparation
The Dough
Make a well with the flour, place in it and combine sugar and butter.
Add eggs, salt, baking powder, baking soda and lemon zest. Mix all ingredients with the help of a fork and then using your hands knead to bring dough together.
Do not over mix. Do not handle dough more than necessary. Refrigerate dough for 1 hour.
Prepare pan: grease and dust a cookie sheet with flour.
The Biscuits
Cut dough in 2 pieces and each pieces in 2 parts. Knead dough and make each piece compact, shape each piece into an elongated roll 1½ inch in diameter. Cut it into 6 pieces and roll each piece to form a stick about 6 inches long. Seal the ends together to form a circle, place each piece into a greased pan, 2 inches apart.
The Baking
Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes, until cookies are a light golden color.
The Icing
Place the confectionary sugar, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of water and the zest of lemon in a bowl and whip it until it becomes creamy.
When taralli are cooled, using a pastry brush, glaze the taralli. When biscuits are completely dry, store them in an airtight cookie jar or container.
