Neapolitan Roccocò are typical sweets of the Neapolitan Christmas tradition, like Mostaccioli and struffoli, which conclude the lunch on December 8th.
They are made with flour, almonds, and a mixture of spices called “Pisto.” It is now readily available commercially, but if you want to make it at home, you can read Here, and then bake them.
The recipe for Roccocò dates back to 1320, when the nuns of the Royal Convent of Naples first made them for the first Sunday of Advent.
They have a crunchy texture, and for this reason, they are often eaten after being dipped in red wine, or in a small glass of Marsala or Vermouth. But I must confess that my dear mother-in-law used to dip them in a good glass of Strega liqueur from Benevento, a tradition that repeats every year in my family.
Well, let’s get started, put on our faithful friend “the apron,” and off we go to prepare the delicious Neapolitan Roccocò that I assure you will enchant you.
You might also be interested in:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 20 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 14 oz almonds (with skin)
- 10 g pisto
- 6 3/4 tbsp water
- 1 orange (organic, both juice and grated zest)
- 1/2 tsp baking ammonia (about 1/2 level teaspoon)
- 1 egg
Preparation
First, let’s toast the almonds in the oven at 284°F for about 5 minutes. When they have cooled, coarsely chop about 1/3 of the almonds by hand or in a chopper, and keep the others aside.
For the orange:
The orange must be organic. Grate the zest and set it aside, then extract the juice and strain it.
On the work surface or in a large bowl, pour the flour, then add the sugar, the almonds, both the chopped and whole ones, the juice and grated zest of the orange, the Pisto, and the ammonia (remember to be careful at this stage because ammonia has a very strong and unpleasant smell).
Add the grated orange zest, the cold water taken from the fridge, and the strained orange juice to the dry ingredients. Knead all the ingredients together.
Continue working and mixing patiently until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough. Form a loaf. If the dough turns out sticky, you can dust your fingers and the surface of the dough with flour.
At this point, we can proceed to shape the roccocò. Divide the dough into pieces weighing between 65 and 75 grams each.
Create a roll, using a dusting of flour if needed, then close it in the shape of a donut about 4 inches in diameter, smoothing the edges so the joint is not visible.
As you prepare them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, keeping a certain distance because they will increase in volume during baking.Finally, brush the surface with the beaten egg.
Bake at 356°F fan mode for about 10-15 minutes or until they have a nice color. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a rack.
Here are our delicious Roccocò ready.
Silvana’s Tips
For softer roccocò, you can add honey to the dough. Either acacia or orange blossom honey works well.
Since there are many things to do at Christmas, you can prepare the roccocò well in advance. Sealed in a food bag, they keep well for over 10 days.
Ah… don’t forget. Follow me on my social pages, on Instagram by clicking HERE and on Facebook click HERE and also on Pinterest HERE. Return to the HOME PAGE
