Ciambelline al Vino

Name: Ciambelline al Vino
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Laziale
Ingredients: 125 ml dry white or red wine (such as castelli romani); 125 ml Extra virgin olive oil; 125 g granulated sugar; 1 tsp aniseeds; 350 g Plain flour; 1 tsp Baking powder; 1 pinch Fine sea salt; 50 g granulated sugar

Crisp Italian ring biscuits made with wine and olive oil, finished with crunchy sugar. These traditional sweet biscuits are served for dipping into wine after a meal.

🇮🇹Italy· Lazio

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 45 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Easy
Calories: 290 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

125 ml dry white or red wine (such as castelli romani) — at room temperature
125 ml Extra virgin olive oil — mild and fruity
125 g granulated sugar — for the dough
1 tsp aniseeds — semi di anice (whole aniseed)
350 g Plain flour — tipo 00 or standard plain white flour
1 tsp Baking powder — leavening agent
1 pinch Fine sea salt — to balance sweetness
50 g granulated sugar — for coating the biscuits

Equipment

•Baking tray
•Baking parchment
•Large mixing bowl
•Measuring jug
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 290 kcal
fat: 12 g
carbs: 42 g
fibre: 1 g
protein: 4 g
calories: 290 kcal

Instructions

1
Preheat your oven to 180C (160C fan) and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
2
Pour the wine, extra virgin olive oil, and 125g granulated sugar into a large mixing bowl.
3
Stir the liquids well with a whisk until the sugar begins to dissolve.
4
Mix in the aniseeds, baking powder, and a pinch of fine sea salt.
5
Add the flour gradually, mixing with a wooden spoon until a soft, pliable dough forms.
6
Knead the dough briefly on a lightly floured surface until smooth and non-sticky.
7
Pinch off walnut-sized pieces of dough and roll each into a rope about 12cm long.
8
Join the ends of each rope together to form a small ring (ciambellina).
9
Press the top face of each ring into the remaining granulated sugar to coat it.
10
Place the rings sugar-side up on the prepared trays, spaced slightly apart.
11
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch.
12
Transfer the biscuits onto a wire rack to cool completely and turn crisp.

Chef's tips

Using red wine gives the biscuits a lovely rustic purple hue, while white wine keeps them pale golden. Avoid overworking the dough so the biscuits remain delightfully crumbly rather than tough.

Ingredient substitutions

aniseeds → fennel seeds or a teaspoon of anise liqueur (such as Sambuca)
Castelli Romani wine → any dry white or red table wine

Storage

Store in an airtight biscuit tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.

Reheating

These biscuits are eaten cold or at room temperature and do not require reheating.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Adding too much flour, which makes the biscuits dense and dry instead of crumbly.
•Overbaking until very dark, which causes the olive oil flavour to turn bitter.
•Skipping the cooling time, as the biscuits only become properly crisp once cold.

Serving suggestions

Serve at the end of a meal with a small glass of Roman wine for dunking.Enjoy alongside an espresso or sweet dessert wine like Cannellino di Frascati.