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Taralli
taralli
Taralli di Lucia (with yeast; with eggs, vegetable oil and lard; flavored with Grappa; baked)
Originated from: Italy
Occasion: Any time
Contributed by: Anna-Maria Benvenuto

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Ingredients

2 kilos flour
4 eggs
4 ounces vegetable oil
4 ounces Crisco [lard]
2 1/2 tablespoons table salt
1 shot [1 1/2 ounces] of Grappa
1 envelop [8 grams] of dried yeast
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ORIGINAL ITALIAN TEXT
2 kg. farina
4 uova
4 ous. olio
4 ous. Crisco
2 1/2 c. tavolo sale
1 b. [bicchierino] Grappa
1 bustine lievito

Lavorare la pasta; lasiare riposare 1 ore.



Directions

Combine taralli ingredients and work into a malleable dough (about 20 minutes).

Form the dough into a ball. Place it in a container; cover. Let the dough rest for 1 hour.

Shape the dough in a long cylinder. Cut into small pieces (a few at a time).

Make taralli-style logs -- about 8 inches long, and 1/2 inch wide.

Shape each log into a circle by pinching the ends together.

Bake in a moderate oven until the taralli are a golden brown.




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 (The one in this entry was provided to her by her friend, Lucia). Being an avid baker Mrs. Benvenuto tried out many of the recipes herself. Because of her 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 (Easier said than done).... While Mrs. Benvenuto was born in the Veneto region (in 1938) and has a natural fondness for recipes that come from this area, she found that as soon as she immigrated to Montreal, Quebec in 1952 she developed an instant appreciation for all foods from her homeland.... Photo and English translation of original Italian text: Mary Melfi.

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