Home Italy Revisited Bookshelf Plays About Mary Melfi Contact Us
in
Fritters
pettole lucane
Pettole Lucane (sweet fritters, with yeast; flavored with anise liqueur; brushed with honey)
Originated from: Basilicata, Italy
Occasion: Christmas, Carnival and other festivities
Contributed by: Anna-Maria Benvenuto

Printer Friendly Version

Ingredients

For the dough
1/2 kilo (about 1 pound) of flour
30 grams 9about 1 ounce) of live yeast
1 shot of anise liqueur (1 1/2 ounces)
Water (as much as is needed to make a very soft dough)

Vegetable oil for frying

For brushing
1/2 kilo (about a pound) of honey



Directions

Mix yeast, flour and water and work into a very soft malleable dough.

Add the anise liqueur and knead for a few more minutes.

Place the dough in a container, cover, and let it rise for about an hour (the volume of the dough should double in size).

Heat up the oil.

Take a small chunk of dough and fry in the oil till golden.

Remove and drain on absorbent paper.

Warm up the honey and drizzle on the fried dough.

Serve hot.


Notes

Mrs. Anna-Maria Benvenuto has collected hundreds of recipes from relatives, friends, and neighbors over the years. She recorded the recipes in Italian in numerous notebooks, often naming the recipe after the person who gave it to her. Mrs. Anna-Maria Benvenuto also copied recipes from Italian cookbooks, magazines and newspapers. The recipe in this entry was found in an Italian cookbook published in the early 1970s. Being an avid baker Mrs. Benvenuto tried out many of the recipes herself. However, because of her enormous talent and expertise, she did not feel the need to write detailed instructions as she knew how to make the recipes without them. However, when asked by this website's archivist (Mary Melfi) for details, she quickly volunteered the information. Nonetheless, as with most first generation Italian-Canadian handwritten recipes, it is understood that whoever attempts to duplicate them should have some knowledge of what they are doing.... Photo: Mary Melfi

Back to main list