Taralli All Uovo/Sweet Pastry Rings
Submitted by bettina on September 11, 2003 at 8:11 pm

DESCRIPTION
Taralli all'Uovo/Sweet Pastry Rings

SUMMARY
Yield 0 File under Misc. Recipes & Requests

INSTRUCTIONS
This is taken from "Sweet Sicily", by Victoria Granof, subtitled "The Story of an Island and Her Pastries", and what a story it is!

Here's the heading and introduction for this particular cookie:

" I'd always wondered how these got their unusually airy texture. The secret waas revealed to me by a vendor at the street fair for I Morti in Palermo, where mountains of these cookies were being sold and consumed. They're boiled, then baked: These are often sold as taralli all'uovo to distinguish them from the savory yeast-risen variety of taralli.

1/4 cup sugar
6 eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
7 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 recipe Lemon Icing (glassa di limone, page 57)

In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon, beat together the sugar, eggs, and oil until combined. Gradually stir in the flour and salt, mixing until the dough comes together. Knead gently on a floured surface for about 5 minutes, until smooth and satiny. Cover the dough and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease three baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.

Pull off a piece of dough the size of a golf ball and roll it between the palms of your ahnds to form a rope about 6 inches long. Make another rope, then lay the ropes side by side on a floured board, twist them together, and join the ends to form a ring. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of lightly salted water to a gentle boil in a large saucepan. When all the taralli are formed, drop them, a few at a time, into the water. When they begin to puff and rise to the surface, about 1 minute, turn them over and boil for an additional 3 minutes. Transfer the taralli with a slotted spoon to the prepared baking sheets.

Bake the taralli for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn the oven temperature down to 350 degrees and continue to bake for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and immediately brush them with the icing. Cool on a rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Glassa di Limone

6 cups powdered sugar
Grated zest of 2 lemons
1/2 cup water

In a small mixing bowl, whisk all the ingredients together until smooth. Cover until ready to use. The icing keeps for up to 2 days, tightly covered and refrigerated. Add a little more water if needed to improve the consistency.