Roccocò are typical sweets from the Neapolitan Christmas tradition, like Mostaccioli and struffoli, which conclude the lunch on December 8th.
They are made with flour, almonds and a mixture of spices called “Pisto“. Nowadays it is easy to find it in stores, but if you want to make it at home you can read about it here, and then bake the cookies in the oven.
The recipe for Roccocò dates back to 1320, when the nuns of the Royal Convent of Naples prepared them for the first time on the first Sunday of Advent.
They have a crunchy texture and for this reason they are often eaten dipped in red wine, or in a small glass of Marsala or Vermouth. I must confess that my dear mother-in-law used to dip them in a good glass of Strega liqueur from Benevento — a tradition that is repeated every year in my family.
Alright, let’s get to work: put on your trusty friend “the apron” and let’s prepare the delicious Neapolitan Roccocò that I assure you will enchant you.
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- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Cooking time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 20 pieces
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas, Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 4 cups 00 flour (all-purpose)
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 3/4 cups whole almonds (with skin)
- 1 Tbsp Pisto (spice mix)
- 1/3 cup cold water
- 1 orange (organic, both the juice and the grated zest)
- 1/2 tsp baker's ammonia (ammonium carbonate) (about 2 g (about 1/2 level teaspoon))
- 1 egg
Preparation
First of all, let’s toast the almonds in the oven at 284 °F for about 5 minutes. When they have cooled, coarsely chop by hand or in the food processor about 1/3 of the almonds, and set the rest aside.
For the orange:
The orange should be organic. Grate the peel and set it aside, then squeeze the juice and strain it.
On the work surface or in a large bowl pour the flour, then add the sugar, the almonds (both the chopped and the whole ones), the filtered orange juice and the grated orange peel, the Pisto and the ammonia (be careful at this step because ammonia has a very strong and not very pleasant smell).
Add the grated orange peel, the cold water taken from the fridge and the filtered orange juice to the dry ingredients. Knead all the ingredients together.
Continue working and blend patiently until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough. Form a loaf. If the dough is sticky, you can dust your fingers and the surface of the dough with some flour.
Now we can form the roccocò. Divide the dough into pieces weighing between about 65 g (approx. 2.3 oz) and 75 g (approx. 2.6 oz) each.
Create a small log, using a light dusting of flour if needed, then close it to give it the shape of a doughnut about 4 in (10 cm) in diameter and smooth the edges well so the seam isn’t visible.
As you prepare them, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, keeping some distance between them because they will expand during baking.Finally, brush the surface with beaten egg.
Bake at 356°F (fan/ convection mode) for about 10 – 15 minutes or until they have a nice color. Remove from the oven and let them cool on a rack.
Here are our delicious Roccocò, ready to enjoy.
Silvana’s Tips
To obtain softer roccocò you can add some honey to the dough. Acacia or orange blossom honey both work well.
Since there is a lot to do at Christmas, you can prepare the roccocò well in advance. Stored in a food bag they keep well for more than 10 days.
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