The Mortarioli of San Francesco are cookies that, according to legend, the Saint enjoyed eating very much.
They are medieval cookies particularly widespread in Umbria and Lazio.
Certainly, the photo isn’t the best, but since I rushed this recipe at the last minute, I ended up taking a hurried picture, but I can tell you that the cookies are a bit ugly, it’s true, and they should be just so, but I promise to remake them to change the photo.
It seems that San Francesco enjoyed them during the celebrations from October to Christmas, including the feast of San Francesco on October 4, then All Souls, All Saints, and Christmas.
The aromas and flavors are very much reminiscent of the Autumn and Winter period, and this is the right time to try them; they are very good, and I’m sure you’ll appreciate them.
If you make any of my recipes, send me the photos, and I’ll publish them on my page with your name.
Now let’s get to work, follow my recipe, and let me know if you liked it.
About 65 Kcal per cookie
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20-21 cookies
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Lazio
- Seasonality: San Francesco, Autumn
Ingredients to make Mortarioli of San Francesco
- 4.4 oz blanched almonds, ground or almond flour
- 2.6 oz all-purpose flour
- 2.6 oz wildflower honey
- 1 medium egg white
- grated zest of ½ orange
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 pinch salt
Preparation of Mortarioli of San Francesco
First, beat the egg white until stiff peaks form and set aside, then grind the almonds into a powder if not using almond flour and set aside.
In a bowl, place the almond flour, honey, grated orange zest, pepper, salt, and mix everything well.
At this point, add the egg white, incorporating it well into the dough, then add the flour and complete the dough before transferring it to a lightly floured work surface and forming a slightly sticky ball.
At this point we can shape the cookies in two ways… roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 1/5 inch, cut strips, and then cut pieces about 2-3 fingers wide, or form a log about two fingers in thickness and cut pieces every two fingers, then press them to shape into rectangles that are not too precise.
At this point, place the shaped cookies on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes.
Once baked, let them cool well, and they will keep for up to a month if stored in a tin box or a plastic bag.
