The Matera strazzate are typical sweets from the city of Matera, easy to prepare and typical of the Christmas period.
Strazzate are prepared throughout the region, but the ones from Matera, unlike those widespread throughout Basilicata, are made without flour. They are a type of cookie made with egg whites, sugar, and toasted almonds. The name strazzate, in dialect “strazzet,” meaning torn, derives from the fact that the dough is divided irregularly and coarsely to shape the sweets. Naturally gluten-free, lactose-free, with a slightly crunchy exterior but soft and somewhat moist interior, the recipe has peasant origins with simple and genuine ingredients, a rustic recipe handed down over time, typical of the Christmas period but now common all year round.
Read how to make the Matera strazzate with the easy recipe found below, as usual, right after the photo 😉
You might also be interested in the following traditional Christmas sweets recipes:
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Very economical
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 20Pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients
- 7 oz shelled almonds
- 2 egg whites
- 5 oz sugar
- 1 packet vanillin (or the grated zest of one lemon)
Preparation of Matera Strazzate
Toast the almonds without peeling them in the oven, using the grill function at 392°F for five minutes.
Remove them from the oven and chop them coarsely.
Let them cool.In a large bowl, using electric mixers, whip the egg whites until they are white, fluffy, and foamy, then gradually add the sugar while continuing to use the electric mixers, and the vanillin.
When you have a white, smooth, and homogeneous mixture, add the now-cold chopped almonds and mix with a spatula until perfectly incorporated into the mixture.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spoon the mixture onto it, keeping them spaced as they will expand during baking.
Bake in a preheated static oven at 392°F for fifteen minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before removing your Matera strazzate from the parchment paper.
Notes
Also visit the Traditional Christmas Sweets collection with many ideas from all over Italy: you can find it directly by clicking HERE.
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