Abruzzo pepatelli are traditional Abruzzo cookies for the Christmas season, especially from the Teramo area.
Cookies made with almonds, honey, and pepper, hence the name pepatelli.
The preparation is quite straightforward except for the fact that the ingredients need to be incorporated while hot and then kneaded well by hand until a cohesive dough is formed.
The pepatelli could be made smaller if desired than how I made them, so you can make them narrower and produce more cookies.
The flour used is whole wheat, and thus the cookie is quite rustic.
Of course, like all traditional recipes, each area slightly changes the recipe; some use only white flour or a mix of white and whole wheat, and other versions add cocoa.
The pepper is to taste, but you should add a decent amount, at least 2 teaspoons, because it should leave a spicy aftertaste.
As with all recipes containing only honey, like this one, I recommend adding a teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil to the dough to make the cookies a bit softer. They’re not rocks, but pepatelli are firm.
I encourage you to try making them if you, like me, enjoy experimenting with new recipes!!!
If you like Christmas-themed kitchen towels similar to those I used, click here.
If you make any of my recipes, please send me the photos, and I’ll post them on my page with your name.
Try making the Abruzzo pepatelli yourselves, I’m looking forward to your comments.
Approx. 75 Kcal per each pepatello
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 40 Pieces
- Cooking methods: Electric Oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Abruzzo
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients for making Abruzzo Pepatelli
- 1 cup honey wildflower honey
- 1.5 cups almonds almonds
- 2 cups whole wheat flour bran-enriched flour or whole wheat flour
- grated zest of 2 oranges
- to taste black pepper
Preparation of Abruzzo Pepatelli
In a steel saucepan, heat the honey until it becomes almost liquid, then turn off the heat and add the almonds, pepper, grated orange zest, and mix well.
Gradually add part of the required flour while stirring with a spoon, then turn the mixture onto a pastry board and continue working it, incorporating all the flour and mixing everything well.
Once the ingredients are well incorporated, shape into a long, narrow loaf, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, place the loaf on it, and press it slightly.
Bake in a preheated oven at 338°F for about 30 minutes, or until lightly golden and still soft.
At this point, remove from the oven, place the loaf on a pastry board, and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Cut into slices about a finger thick, or thinner, and place them back on the baking sheet, bake for another 5-10 minutes, checking the doneness.
Once the cookies have a bronzed bake, you can remove the baking sheet from the oven, but let them cool before moving and consuming them.
They keep for quite a while if stored in a tin box or a plastic bag.
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