Turdilli
Calabrian Christmas sweets made from spiced dough shaped like large ridged gnocchi, deep-fried until crisp and coated in fragrant fig vincotto or honey.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 390 kcal
Equipment
- •Rigagnocchi board or fork
- •Deep frying pot
- •Slotted spoon
- •Wide shallow pan
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 390 kcal
- fat
- 16 g
- carbs
- 58 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 390 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the olive oil, sweet red wine, orange juice, and sugar gently in a saucepan until warm.
- 2
Sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together into a large mixing bowl.
- 3
Pour the warm liquid into the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms.
- 4
Knead the dough on a clean work surface for three minutes until smooth, soft, and pliable.
- 5
Divide the dough into thin ropes about two centimetres thick and cut into three-centimetre pieces.
- 6
Roll each piece across a ridged gnocchi board with your thumb to create deep ridges.
- 7
Heat the frying oil in a deep pot to 170 degrees C.
- 8
Fry the dough pieces in small batches for three to four minutes until dark golden and crisp.
- 9
Lift the fried turdilli with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
- 10
Warm the fig vincotto or honey with the orange zest in a wide pan over low heat.
- 11
Add the warm fried pastries to the syrup and toss gently until every piece is glossed.
- 12
Transfer to a serving platter and scatter with coloured sprinkles before leaving to cool completely.
Chef's tips
Do not roll the dough ropes too thick or the interior will stay doughy rather than cooking through. Keep your frying oil steady at 170 degrees C so the spiced dough browns evenly without burning.
Ingredient substitutions
- miele di fichi (fig vincotto) → dark wildflower honey or grape vincotto
- sweet red wine → sweet white wine such as Moscato or Marsala
Storage
Store in an airtight tin or sealed container at room temperature for up to two weeks.
Reheating
Turdilli are traditionally enjoyed at room temperature and do not require reheating.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Frying in oil that is too hot, which scorches the spiced exterior while leaving the centre raw.
- •Overheating the honey glaze, which can crystallise into a brittle shell instead of remaining glossy.
- •Glazing cold pastries straight from the fridge, which prevents the syrup from soaking into the ridges.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Turdilli?
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