Zaeti
Zaeti are traditional Venetian maize-flour biscuits studded with sultanas, named for their bright yellow colour (zàlo in Venetian dialect).
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 38 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 290 kcal
Equipment
- •Baking sheet
- •Baking parchment
- •Mixing bowl
- •Zester
- •Wire cooling rack
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- fat
- 11 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 2 g
- protein
- 5 g
- calories
- 290 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Soak the sultanas in the grappa and two tablespoons of warm water for fifteen minutes.
- 2
Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and line a large baking sheet with baking parchment.
- 3
Beat the softened butter and caster sugar together in a bowl until pale and creamy.
- 4
Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition.
- 5
Whisk the fine polenta flour, plain flour, baking powder, salt and lemon zest together in a separate bowl.
- 6
Fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until a soft, pliable dough forms.
- 7
Drain the sultanas gently and fold them evenly through the dough.
- 8
Shape tablespoons of dough into traditional oval lozenges with tapered ends, placing them spaced apart on the tray.
- 9
Bake for fifteen to eighteen minutes until the edges are lightly golden and set to the touch.
- 10
Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool completely, then dust lightly with icing sugar before serving.
Chef's tips
Use finely ground cornmeal labelled fioretto rather than coarse bramata polenta so the biscuits remain tender with just a pleasant crunch. If you prefer not to use grappa, soak the sultanas in warm black tea or lemon-infused water.
Ingredient substitutions
- grappa → warm black tea or water with a squeeze of lemon
- polenta fioretto → fine yellow cornmeal if Italian polenta fioretto is unavailable
Storage
Keep in an airtight biscuit tin at room temperature for up to one week.
Reheating
Enjoy at room temperature without reheating.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Using coarse bramata polenta, which leaves the biscuits unpleasantly gritty.
- •Overbaking the biscuits until dry; they should stay slightly tender in the centre.
Serving suggestions
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