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X X List of Italian Feast Day Dishes
Cicerchiata
Cicerchiata (Fried honeyed dough balls shaped into a ring, without yeast)
Originated from: Molise and Abruzzo
Occasion: New Year's, Christmas and Carnival
Contributed by: Mary Melfi

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Ingredients

For recipe see Italy Revisited/ "Fritters"



Directions




Notes

"Cicerchiata" are either presented as balls (See Cicerchiata, Version I) or they are presented as a ring-shaped dessert (Version II). Prior to World War II the cicerchiata were often made from scraps of left-over pastry dough that had been used to make caragnole. However, in some towns (mostly in the Abruzzo region I believe) the small balls were shaped into rings and presented as a cake-like dessert. Slices were cut and given to guests. In the old days few cooks decorated the rings with colored sprinkles. Nowadays, they do. Making this ring-shaped dessert is relatively simple, though one can easily burn one's hands doing it (The balls have to be a bit warm in order to shape them into a ring). The cicerchiata ring has a similar texture to Rice Crispy bars, though, of course, it tastes a hell of a lot better. It wouldn't surprise me if the cooks at the Rice Crispy Kitchens got their inspiration for their bars from the Molise-Abruzzo "Cicerchiata." Photo: by the contributor.

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