The Macerata Ciammellotto is an ancient dessert from Marche, traditionally prepared by the ‘vergare’ during work in the fields, such as during the harvest.
In the Marche dialect, the VERGARE are women who head the farming families in the area between the late 1800s and early 1900s, a time characterized by sharecropping, where they were sometimes at the forefront.
Power in the family was in the hands of the ‘vergaro’, and the ‘vergara’ was left to do household chores, have children, and had no financial autonomy… At this point, I would say that the situation for women hasn’t changed much, but this blog, filled as it is with recipes, would become something else, so I prefer to keep these discussions for private conversations among friends!
The ingredients for the ciambellone, ciammella, or ciammellotto are the classic ones found at the time: flour, butter, eggs, and milk. While making the dough, I was reminded of our Romagnolo dessert brazadela, which is similar to this traditional Marche dessert.
The liquor used for the traditional Marche dessert CIAMMELLOTTO is Mistrà, but not having it, I used ANISE, which is very similar!
Here are some recipes for traditional Italian regional desserts that are simple in ingredients but rich in history and culture:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 5 Minutes
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 8
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
MACERATA CIAMMELLOTTO Ingredients
- 3 3/4 cups flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/8 cup milk (plus some for brushing before baking)
- 1/2 cup butter (softened)
- 2 eggs
- 3 tbsp Mistrà (I used Anise)
- 1 packet vanillin (I used a tablespoon of vanilla extract)
- to taste sugar granules
- to taste candied cherries
Tools
- Hand Mixers
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Pans
- Bowls
Steps
1) After turning on the oven in static mode at 340/355°F, I break the eggs into a large bowl and whip them with the sugar using electric beaters.
2) It doesn’t need to be whipped into a soft foam; 3/4 minutes will suffice, just enough time to mix everything well.
3) Now I pour in the soft butter (if you want to add oil, reduce the amount by 20% as indicated in the Marche ciammellotto recipe), then the instant baking powder, flour, and vanillin (for me, vanilla extract).
4) I mix well and then add the liquor and milk.
5) It’s better to add the milk little by little to get a soft dough that can be easily molded by hand without sticking to your fingers.
6) I take the baking sheet or tray and line it with parchment paper.
7) I pour the Macerata ciammellotto batter and form a loaf.
8) I brush with milk, then randomly sprinkle sugar granules and candied cherries to taste.
9) Now it’s time to bake the traditional Marche ciammellotto for about 45 minutes or depending on your oven’s characteristics.
10) Once cooked, I let it cool down and… enjoy your meal!
Annalisa.
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Annalisa says…
1) If you want to explore the conditions of ‘vergare’ and women in general in the Marche countryside, read HERE
2) I didn’t have the typical Marche Mistrà dessert, so I used anise!
3) Recipe taken from Sale&Pepe and modified by me.
4) This recipe, in the past, was made with lard and was initially a dessert associated with fieldwork, then it became a Sunday dessert!
5) The word ciammellotto was a somewhat rustic way of describing a not very smart person!
6) Since the rustic Marche ciammellotto dough is malleable, we can make a roll by first rolling it out like a rectangle, then filling it with jam, chocolate cream, and perhaps even adding chocolate chips!
