The FAVE OF THE DEAD are charming little cookies that, despite the name, are really tasty and bring a smile. They are prepared for the Commemoration of the Dead in many regions of our country, above all in Lazio. Their origin is in fact very ancient, many centuries before people spoke of Halloween, since the fava beans were already distributed in ancient Rome at funerals and other celebrations related to the cult of the dead. Even today, in many places these little sweets are left on the table on the night between All Saints’ Day and November 2nd, to feel our dear departed close and give them a sign of sweetness.
Making these cookies is therefore a lovely gesture for our children, and also a way to keep our traditional cuisine alive. Moreover they are truly delicious: they resemble amaretti a little, but have a firmer dough and a more intense aroma thanks to the cinnamon and lemon zest.
So call the kids and start kneading; this year Halloween will take on the flavor of the good things from our tradition!
SEE OTHER TYPICAL RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Budget-friendly
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 40-42 Fave of the Dead cookies
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
- Energy 50.62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 4.39 (g) of which sugars 2.60 (g)
- Proteins 1.33 (g)
- Fat 3.05 (g) of which saturated 0.41 (g)of which unsaturated 0.25 (g)
- Fibers 0.52 (g)
- Sodium 1.68 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 10 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 200 g blanched almonds (or almond flour (about 7 oz / ~1 1/3 cups if using whole almonds))
- 100 g all-purpose flour (about 3.5 oz (≈ 3/4 cup))
- 100 g sugar (about 3.5 oz (1/2 cup))
- 2 g ground cinnamon (about 1/2 tsp)
- lemon zest (or orange zest)
- 1 egg (medium, at room temperature)
- 30 g butter (soft, about 1 oz (≈ 2 tbsp))
- 6 g rum (or grappa, about 1 tsp)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
Steps
The preparation of the FAVE OF THE DEAD is simple and super quick.
First, take the butter out of the fridge and let it soften.
Place the blanched almonds in a food processor and pulse until very fine. If you prefer to prepare them yourself, simply blanch them in hot water for 30 seconds, peel them and toast them in the oven at 356°F for 5 minutes—just long enough to dry them.
In a bowl combine the all-purpose flour, the almond flour (or ground almonds) and the sugar. Mix the dry ingredients and add the cinnamon and the lemon zest.
Blend everything together and add the softened butter and the egg. Begin mixing with a fork, add the rum, then continue kneading with your hands. You should obtain a homogeneous dough.
Transfer it to a lightly floured surface, break off pieces of dough and shape them into logs about 3/8 inch thick.
From these cut pieces about 3/8 inch, roll them between your hands and place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the Fave of the Dead in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F for 15 minutes. They should just begin to color.
Remove the cookies from the oven, transfer them to a rack and let them cool.
