Pabassinas are a traditional Sardinian recipe, always prepared for the All Saints’ Day festivities, which once represented Sa Festa de Is Animas in Sardinia. Its preparation varies depending on the area, and the one I propose is made with sapa, a syrup derived from grape must and is therefore a typical recipe of the southern Sardinia area, although now all versions can be found in any corner of the island. They are cookies made with a very crumbly shortcrust pastry, rich in dried fruits, raisins, almonds, walnuts, in abundant quantities to make these sweets delicious.
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 30 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 cup Raisins
- 1 cup Walnuts
- 1 cup Almonds
- 7 tbsp Lard
- 1 cup Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 Lemon (zest)
- 1 Orange (zest)
- 1 packet Baking powder
- 0.85 cup Sapa
- as needed Powdered sugar
- as needed Water
- as needed Sambuca
- as needed Colored sprinkles
Tools
- Bowl
- Rolling Pin
- Cookie Cutter
Preparation
Clean the walnuts and almonds and lightly toast them.
Soak the raisins in water for about 10 minutes.
In a bowl, pour the flour with sugar and baking powder.
Add the eggs, sapa, lemon and orange zest, lard, and start kneading.
Transfer to the work surface and add the raisins and dried fruit.
Form a ball and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Take the dough again, and with the classic rhombus-shaped cutter, form the pabassinas. Bake for 10/15 minutes at 356°F.
In a bowl, prepare the icing by mixing powdered sugar with a bit of sambuca and water.
Decorate the pabassinas with the prepared icing and colored sprinkles.
