Strazzate
Craggy, rustic almond and cocoa biscuits from Basilicata, crisp on the outside with a fragrant, chewy centre.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 220 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking sheet
- •Baking parchment
- •Mixing bowl
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 220 kcal
- fat
- 9 g
- carbs
- 30 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 220 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 175°C (155°C fan) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2
Coarsely chop the toasted almonds to leave a mix of fine and chunky pieces.
- 3
Whisk the chopped almonds, sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt together in a bowl.
- 4
Add the egg whites and Strega liqueur to the dry mixture.
- 5
Mix firmly with your hands until a dense, slightly sticky dough forms.
- 6
Tear off walnut-sized pieces of dough, keeping the edges rough and craggy.
- 7
Place the ragged dough mounds onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing them apart.
- 8
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes until the crust is set but slightly soft underneath.
- 9
Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely and firm up.
Chef's tips
Do not overbake the biscuits or they will turn hard once cooled. Keep the dough pieces ragged and uneven rather than rolling them smooth for the authentic cracked texture. If the dough feels too dry to hold together, add a teaspoon of water or extra liqueur.
Ingredient substitutions
- Strega liqueur → anisette, dark rum or equal volume of fresh orange juice
- lemon zest → finely grated orange zest
Storage
Store in an airtight biscuit tin at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Reheating
These biscuits are served at room temperature and do not require reheating.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Grinding the almonds into fine flour instead of leaving coarse, crunchy pieces.
- •Rolling the dough into neat round balls, which ruins the traditional torn texture.
- •Overbaking until dry in the centre instead of pulling them out while slightly soft.
Serving suggestions
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