Pan dei morti, grandma’s recipe. They belong to the large family of Dolci dei morti, the traditional sweets for November 1st, like Rame di Napoli or Ossa di morto, and as you know there are many of these specialties throughout Italy from North to South. The first important celebration after summer brings us back to the oven and the stove, and with the first cold days, scents of cinnamon and spices become must-haves in traditional kitchens. The Pane dei morti thus becomes a symbol of tradition tied to All Souls’ Day and All Saints. When we talk about these sweets we refer to an ancient recipe originating in Milan and spread across much of Northern Italy, with small differences from place to place in the dough and the shape, which usually resembles leaves. These are dense, moist, aromatic and very flavorful cookies — rich in dried fruit, raisins, dried figs and cocoa — elements that characterize them. Also, to make them, cookies like amaretti or dry cookies are used; this trick was certainly used, as with other seasonal recipes, to recover old cookies that had become a bit spoiled over the summer. And now you may ask: a Sicilian, what does she know about pan dei morti? Well, my grandmother was from the North, and now the mystery is revealed! She used to tell me that, once, to recover leftover cookies she mixed everything together, adding cocoa and spices, and she created something good anew! Let’s head to the kitchen now and prepare together the Milanese pan dei morti recipe, a true delight that celebrates a tradition that has no borders in Italy! Before we roll up our sleeves, as always I remind you that if you want to stay updated on all my recipes you can follow my Facebook page (here) and my Instagram profile (here) and here you will also find Many recipes for delicious autumn desserts, Autumn risottos: many seasonal recipes and many Quick autumn recipes.

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Difficulty: Very easy
Cost: Very inexpensive
Preparation time: 30 Minutes
Cooking methods: Oven
Cuisine: Italian
Seasonality: Autumn, Autumn, Winter

Ingredients to make Pan dei morti

1 2/3 cups dry cookies (or whichever you have at home)
7 oz savoiardi (ladyfingers)
1 cup amaretti (crushed)
1/2 + 2 cup tbsp granulated sugar (about 120 g)
2 cups all-purpose flour (00)
2.5 tsp baking powder (leavening for cake (about 10 g))
1 1/2 cups mixed dried nuts (a mix of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds (about 180 g))
1 cup raisins (about 150 g)
1 cup dried figs (about 150 g, roughly chopped)
3.5 fl oz sweet wine (such as Vin Santo, Marsala, Zibibbo, Malvasia (about 100 ml — roughly 1/3 cup))
7 egg whites (about 7 large whites (≈210 g))
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (about 50 g)
1 heaping tsp ground cinnamon (heaping)
pinch nutmeg
powdered sugar (for finishing)

Tools

Oven
Blender
Baking sheet
Parchment paper

Preparation

To make pan dei morti, soak the raisins in the wine and set them aside for a few minutes. Place the cookies in the blender bowl and blend them until you obtain a uniform crumb.
Do the same with the mixed nuts and add them to the cookie crumbs. Coarsely blend the figs and the soaked raisins together, adding also the wine you used. Combine this mixture with the rest of the ingredients.
Now add the cocoa, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Mix a little and add the flour, the sugar and the baking powder. Turn everything out onto the work surface, make a well and pour in 6 egg whites.
Start kneading and if the mixture seems dry and hard to work add another egg white or a little more. Work everything without adding flour until you obtain a compact and homogeneous mass. Place the dough on a sheet of parchment paper and, with slightly damp hands, shape a large log about 5–6 inches (12–15 cm) wide. Cut slices about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick and elongate the ends forming leaf shapes or points. During the whole process, resist the temptation to add flour. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated conventional oven at 356°F (180°C) for 15 minutes.
Take them out of the oven — the sweets are ready. Let them cool for a few minutes before dusting with powdered sugar and enjoying.