Ingredients
For Dough:
6 eggs
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
5 cups flour
For Glaze:
1/3 cup hot milk
3 cups powdered sugar
dash of vanilla
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
With an electric mixer, beat eggs, oil, sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla together for about 5 to 6 minutes.
In a separate bowl, sift together baking powder and flour.
Gradually stir into egg-mixture to form a soft dough.
Turn onto a lightly floured board and add remaining flour.
Knead until a soft, elastic dough is formed. Keep dough soft. If it is too stick, add additional flour.
With a rolling pin, roll dough to 3/4-inch thickness.
Using a doughnut cutter, begin to cut out the taralli.
Place cut-outs on a lightly floured surface. Continue process until all dough has been used.
On a stove top, place a large pot of water over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
Add a few taralli at a time to boiling water. When the taralli rise to the top, boil for 2 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, turn them over and boil for an additional 2 minutes.
Remove taralli from water and place on dish towels to drain.
With a pair of kitchen shears or sharp knife, cut around the circumference of the taralli, so that when they are baked, the cut will separate and form an indentation.
Place each taralli directly on the oven rack and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F for 10 minutes and bake for an additional 10 minutes. While in the oven, turn taralli over and rotate.
Reduce heat once again to 325 degrees F and bake 5 to 10 minutes more or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and place on racks to cool.
Cool completely before glazing. A few of the taralli may be left unglazed.
To Make Glaze:
Heat milk, but do not boil.
In a bowl, sift powdered sugar.
With an electric mixer on medium speed, beat sifted sugar and milk together.
Add vanilla and beat until smooth.
Divide glaze into equal parts and color each part with desired food coloring.
Using a pastry brush, glaze taralli with assorted colors.
After glazing, place taralli on wire racks to dry. Completely dry before packing in airtight containers.
YIELD: 14 to 16
Notes
This recipe was taken from Rizzi DeFabo's cookbook, "Cooking with Rizzi" (Crabtree Press, 2010) with the expressed permission of the author, an award-winning Italian-American chef and owner of "Rizzo's Malabar Inn." "Rizzo's Malabar Inn" is located in southwestern Pennsylvania (126 Rizzo Road, Crabtree, Salem Township). The food served at this restaurant, a local landmark dating back to the 1920s, reflects the culinary traditions of Abruzzo and Molise.... Photo: Mary Melfi. |
