The Apulian Cartellate, known in dialect as Carteddate, are typical sweets prepared during the Christmas holidays. Their shape resembles a rose but is said to represent Jesus’ halo or Christ’s crown of thorns. As with all traditional recipes, each town and family has its own. For example, some add an egg to the dough, while others do not. I received this recipe several years ago from a lady from Bari, who prepared them like this. She explained the two versions to me, the one with cooked must and this one, Apulian Cartellate with Honey and Almonds. Try it out, and if you’re satisfied, you can present them at Christmas… meanwhile, I’m preparing the ingredients.
Other Christmas recipes
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20 pieces
- Cooking methods: Frying
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Apulia
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg (optional)
- 3 tbsps sugar
- 1 3/4 tbsps dry white wine
- 1 3/4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 pinches fine salt
- 2 tbsps orange juice
- 7 oz acacia honey
- 3/4 oz sliced almonds
Tools
- Food scale
- Rolling board
- Pasta machine
- Frying pan
- Saucepan
Steps
Pour the sifted flour onto the rolling board. Form a well, add the egg, and start mixing with a fork. Add the sugar, cinnamon, salt, oil, white wine, and orange juice. Knead until all ingredients are well combined. Form a soft dough, cover it with a cloth, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Use the pasta machine to roll out thin strips (penultimate setting). Use the serrated wheel to cut long 12-inch and wide 1.5-inch rectangles. Fold them in half and pinch the dough every 1 inch to leave the small pockets open. Roll the strip into a spiral pinching it in some points so it doesn’t open. Place the cartellate on a floured board and let them dry in the air for 1 hour.
In a frying pan, heat the peanut oil until it reaches the right temperature (when a stick immersed in the oil bubbles), gently place the cartellate, a few at a time. When they are slightly colored on the bottom, turn them over and as soon as they color on top (be careful, it will take just a few minutes to color), remove them with a spider strainer and let them dry on kitchen paper. Pour the honey into a saucepan, heat it, and holding it over low heat, immerse the cartellate one by one and place them on a tray. Sprinkle them with almond slivers and, if you like, some colored sprinkles, and serve warm or cold.
