Sasanelli
Sasanelli are traditional Pugliese spiced biscuits from the Murgia, made dark and chewy with vincotto, cocoa, warming spices, and toasted almonds.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 285 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking tray
- •Baking parchment
- •Mixing bowl
- •Small saucepan
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 285 kcal
- fat
- 11 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 285 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan).
- 2
Line two large baking trays with baking parchment.
- 3
Toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned.
- 4
Coarsely chop the toasted almonds and set aside.
- 5
Warm the vincotto, olive oil, and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
- 6
Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and orange zest in a large bowl.
- 7
Pour the warm vincotto mixture into the dry ingredients and stir to form a thick, sticky dough.
- 8
Fold the chopped almonds into the dough until evenly distributed.
- 9
Drop heaped dessertspoonfuls of dough onto the lined trays, spacing them 4 cm apart.
- 10
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the tops are set but still soft when gently pressed.
- 11
Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely.
Chef's tips
Do not overbake sasanelli, as they harden as they cool; they should remain tender and chewy in the centre. Warm the vincotto gently rather than boiling it to avoid evaporating the moisture needed for a soft crumb.
Ingredient substitutions
- vincotto (cooked grape must) → vincotto di fichi (fig must) or dark grape molasses
- whole almonds → toasted walnuts or hazelnuts
Storage
Store in an airtight biscuit tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Reheating
Sasanelli do not require reheating and should be enjoyed at room temperature.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Overbaking the dough, resulting in rock-hard biscuits rather than a tender, chewy texture.
- •Boiling the liquid ingredients instead of warming them gently to dissolve the sugar.
- •Grinding the almonds into meal rather than chopping them into coarse, crunchy pieces.
Serving suggestions
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