Sicilian taralli for the dead are a sweet recipe prepared on the occasion of the dead, on November 2nd in Sicily, with a lemon glaze that is truly delicious.
With the amount I propose, you will get about 23-24, but it also depends on how chunky you make the cords to create the taralli.
Like all taralli, they involve first boiling and then baking in the oven, concluding with the glaze, so they certainly aren’t prepared in 5 minutes, but they are definitely worth it.
This type of tarallo doesn’t stay hard, but is slightly soft, and if you store them in plastic or paper bags, they will keep for a few days, also because when they tend to dry out a bit, having the glaze on the surface won’t make them unpleasant to eat even when they’re dry.
If you make any of my recipes, send me the photos, and I will publish them on my page with your name.
About 188 Kcal per tarallo
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 23-24 taralli
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients for making Sicilian Taralli for the Dead
- 4 small eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 oz anise seeds (I blended them)
- 2/3 cup lard
- 1 tsp baking ammonia
- 1/2 packet baking powder
- 2 tbsps lemon juice + grated zest from the squeezed lemons
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps milk
- 2 pinches salt for cooking
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsps milk
- 3 tbsps lemon juice
Preparation of Sicilian Taralli for the Dead
We can make the dough by hand in a bowl, or as I did, start in the mixer until the dough can no longer be worked there, and then continue by hand, transferring it to a work surface until you get a workable dough.
In the mixer, combine the eggs and sugar and mix well, then add the anise seeds, lard, baking ammonia, baking powder, lemon juice, and grated lemon zest. Gradually add the flour, also adding the milk, and mix.
The flour should be added gradually because you may need more or less, depending on whether the eggs are larger or smaller than expected.
Once you have a well-combined, non-sticky dough, take pieces of dough and create cords that are not too thin, about 10-12 inches long, fold them in half, twist them together, and then close into a ring.
Prepare baking sheets lined with parchment paper, place the taralli on them, and once all are made, boil one tarallo at a time, cooking for a few seconds. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and place them back on the baking sheet to drain.
Bake in a hot oven at 356°F for about 25 minutes.
Once baked, let them cool well and prepare the glaze with powdered sugar, lemon juice, and milk, mixing well to get a firm but not hard glaze.
Dip each tarallo in the glaze and place them on a tray, a surface, or a rack to dry.
If the glaze is too liquid, add more powdered sugar.
