Taralli Dolci Lucani
Taralli dolci lucani are traditional sweet ring biscuits from Basilicata, boiled, baked, and finished with a fragrant lemon and aniseed sugar glaze.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 75 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 240 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Large saucepan
- •Slotted spoon
- •Baking trays
- •Baking parchment
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 240 kcal
- fat
- 5 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 1 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 240 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Beat the eggs, caster sugar, extra virgin olive oil, aniseed liqueur, lemon zest, and salt in a large bowl until smooth.
- 2
Sift in the flour and baking powder, then knead into a soft, supple dough on a clean work surface.
- 3
Cover the dough with a clean tea towel and let it rest at room temperature for thirty minutes.
- 4
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line two baking trays with baking parchment.
- 5
Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces and roll each into a twenty-centimetre rope.
- 6
Join the ends of each rope to form neat rings, pressing firmly to seal the joints.
- 7
Bring a large pot of water to a gentle simmer and poach three rings at a time.
- 8
Remove the taralli with a slotted spoon as soon as they float to the surface, draining on a clean towel.
- 9
Arrange the boiled taralli on the prepared trays and bake for twenty-five minutes until firm and lightly golden.
- 10
Whisk the egg white, icing sugar, and lemon juice together until thick, smooth, and opaque white.
- 11
Brush the warm taralli thoroughly with the glaze and return to the cooling racks until the sugar sets completely crisp.
Chef's tips
Do not let the water boil vigorously when poaching, or the delicate rings will break apart. Ensure the glaze is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon so it dries into an opaque white shell.
Ingredient substitutions
- aniseed liqueur → 1 teaspoon of crushed aniseeds steeped in 30 ml warm water
- extra virgin olive oil → melted unsalted butter or traditional lard
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
- •Over-boiling the taralli before baking, which makes the dough waterlogged and dense
- •Making the glaze too runny, causing it to soak into the biscuit rather than form a crisp white layer
- •Failing to seal the dough ends firmly, leading to rings opening during poaching
Serving suggestions
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