Towards the end of October, it is customary in my town to prepare pupurati with cooked must, ‘pupurèt’ in dialect, for November 2nd, the day of the commemoration of the dead, made with cocoa, cooked must, almonds, and spices like cinnamon and cloves, crunchy on the outside and soft inside.
I can’t even begin to describe the aroma that spreads throughout the house and the streets since they are made in almost every home, bakery, etc., an aroma that lingers in the house for days and days.
And they’re irresistible!!
I remember as a child, when my mother made them in ‘industrial’ quantities without any mixer, my sisters and I wouldn’t even wait for them to cool down because we wanted to eat them so much! And today, it’s practically the same in my house!
Over the years, as often happens, the original recipe has been changed a bit, but I strictly adhere to the traditional recipe that my mother has always made and before her my grandmother.
Here’s how to make the traditional pupurati with cooked must in my family’s tradition!
READ THE TIPS AT THE END OF THE RECIPE.
OTHER INTERESTING RECIPES:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 50 Minutes
- Portions: 2/3 trays
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Puglia
- Seasonality: Autumn
Ingredients for 2/3 trays
Pupurati with Cooked Must
- 2.2 lbs Type 1 flour (or 00)
- 4 eggs (medium)
- 10.6 oz sugar
- 5.3 oz olive oil
- 6.3 oz cooked wine (must)
- 8.8 oz unsweetened cocoa powder
- Half packet cloves
- Half packet ground cinnamon (or a little more)
- 10.6 oz almonds (with skin, toasted and coarsely chopped)
- 1 packet baking powder for sweets
- mandarin zest (or grated orange zest)
- 1.8 oz milk (to use if the dough is hard)
Tools
- Work surface
Preparation of Pupurati with Cooked Must
-Place the almonds in the baking tray and roast them with the grill function for a few minutes and as soon as they are cold, coarsely chop them by placing them between two cloths and rolling over them with a certain pressure using the rolling pin or a bottle (old method) .. the meat mallet.
– Sift into a large bowl, the flour, baking powder, spices, and cocoa; mix so they combine and set aside.
– Pour into the planetary mixer bowl, the eggs with the sugar, then add the oil, the cooked must and start mixing; when the mixture becomes grainy, add the milk.
– When the dough starts to compact, add the mandarin zest and previously chopped almonds (or chocolate chips equal in weight to the almonds)
– Roll out the dough (no rest needed) and with the fluted wheel, create diamonds. (in the photo dough with chocolate chips).
– Place the pupurati on trays lined with parchment paper or perforated mats and bake in a hot oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes.
– On the work surface, make a well with the sifted flour, and cocoa and place in the center the eggs, oil, spices, and grated citrus peel, the cooked must, sugar, and baking powder and with elbow grease start kneading, adding a little milk if necessary.
– Add the chopped almonds and finish the dough which should still be smooth and glossy.
– Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface and with the fluted wheel form diamonds or, forming cylinders as thick as a finger, make taralli.
– Baking is always in a hot oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 15 minutes.
Tips:
In the version without almonds, replace with an equal weight of chocolate chips.
Milk may be needed, (about 1.8-2.8 oz) if the eggs are small or due to the low absorption of the flour.
If you want sweeter pupurati, remove 1.8 oz of cocoa from the total and add 1.8 oz more of sugar.
Over time, many variations have emerged, some add gianduia chocolate (about 3.5 oz) removing a portion of the cooked must, but these are not the originals.
Due to my son’s allergy, I replace the almonds with chocolate chips; but it’s a necessity.
Storage:
They can be stored in a tin box or airtight container for a long time.
