Pabassinas de Saba
Pabassinas de saba, also known as papassinos nigheddos, are dark, spiced Sardinian raisin and nut biscuits sweetened with saba (cooked grape must).
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 48 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking trays
- •Parchment paper
- •Pastry cutter or sharp knife
- •Rolling pin
- •Pastry brush
- •Large mixing bowl
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 285 kcal
- fat
- 13 g
- carbs
- 38 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 285 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Soak the raisins in warm water for fifteen minutes, then drain and pat completely dry.
- 2
Warm the saba gently in a small pot over low heat until just lukewarm and fluid.
- 3
Rub the lard into the flour and semolina in a large bowl until crumbly.
- 4
Add the sugar, chopped walnuts, toasted almonds, dried raisins, orange zest, and ground spices.
- 5
Pour in the warm saba and baking powder, working the ingredients together into a soft dough.
- 6
Roll the dark dough out onto a floured board to a thickness of 1.5 cm.
- 7
Cut the rolled sheet into traditional diamond shapes using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
- 8
Space the diamond cutouts evenly on baking trays lined with parchment paper.
- 9
Bake at 170°C for fifteen to eighteen minutes until the edges are set.
- 10
Brush each hot biscuit lightly with extra saba immediately after removing them from the oven.
- 11
Leave the biscuits to cool fully on wire racks before serving.
Chef's tips
Do not overbake these biscuits, as saba turns bitter if scorched and the crumb will dry out. If saba is very thick, warm it gently before adding so it incorporates evenly into the flours.
Ingredient substitutions
- strutto → unsalted butter at room temperature, though lard gives a crisper crumb
- saba → vincotto from southern Italy or authentic grape molasses, though flavour profiles vary
Storage
Store completely cooled biscuits in an airtight tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Reheating
These biscuits do not require reheating and are best eaten at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Baking at too high a temperature, which burns the concentrated grape sugars.
- •Adding moist, un-dried raisins to the dough, which causes soggy spots in the crumb.
- •Covering the biscuits in thick white royal icing, which belongs strictly to the coastal Campidanese style.
Serving suggestions
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