Nonna Ottavia’s “Taralluzzi” (sugar-coated taralli) are prepared following a truly ancient recipe, passed down from my grandparents, which every parent passes on to their children. They are a Christmas tradition of a small town in the province of Benevento, Pietrelcina, known for being the birthplace of Padre Pio.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Inexpensive
- Preparation time: 2 Hours
- Portions: About 120 taralli
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian Regional
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs All-purpose flour
- 10 eggs (medium)
- 1.7 oz Olive oil
- 1.7 oz Anise liqueur
- 1 pinch Fine salt
- 2 teaspoons Effervescent magnesia
- 14 oz Sugar
- 3.4 oz Water
Preparation
Place the flour on a work surface in a mound, and in the center add the eggs, pinch of salt, anise, and oil.
Now add two teaspoons of Effervescent into the flour mound.
Slightly beat the eggs with a fork, making sure to completely dissolve the Effervescent, gradually incorporate a bit of flour as you mix.
Knead with your hands until you get a smooth and well-mixed dough.
Prepare strips, with a diameter of about 0.4 inches
Cut them into pieces about 4-4.3 inches long, roll them up, pressing the ends with your thumb, and form small rings. If the central hole is too small, widen it slightly with your hands.
Place them on a lightly floured surface.
Meanwhile, put plenty of water in a pot, once it boils, throw in the taralli, once they float, remove them with a slotted spoon and place them in a pot of cold water.
Let them dry on a towel for a few minutes.
With a sharp knife, make three small cuts around the taralli.
Place the taralli on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and bake at 356°F for 30 minutes, they should be golden on the surface.
Thanks to the cuts made after boiling, here’s how the taralli look after baking.
In a large pot, add the sugar and water, I recommend dividing the dose in two, so you can coat half the taralli first and then the other half.
Completely dissolve the sugar.
Boil until the sugar is completely dissolved (one or two minutes), place half the taralli inside the pot and toss them so they are completely coated with the dissolved sugar.
Do the same with the other half of sugar and taralli.
Place the taralli in a bowl or on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and let them dry for at least an hour.
Tips/advice
If you want, you can skip adding the effervescent magnesia, although it will make your taralli more crumbly.
If you enjoyed Nonna Ottavia’s “Taralluzzi” (sugar-coated taralli), try other sweet recipes from the regional tradition:
From Basilicata: almond and egg white cookies
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Tools used: more information
I usually use Brioschi brand magnesia, which I find to be the best. This will make your taralluzzi more crumbly.
If you want to take a look and if you want to proceed with the purchase, click on the following link, it will take you directly to the relevant Amazon page:
Effervescent refreshing digestive Brioschi 
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