The Birdies of Saint Anthony is a typical Abruzzese recipe prepared on January 17th for Saint Anthony the Abbot.
Once upon a time, they were also made for special occasions like Weddings, but in my opinion, they can be prepared for any occasion. They are really delicious and quick to make, if not for the resting time of the dough and filling.
In every area of Abruzzo, like many typical recipes, there are some variations, but all of them are delicious… for example, in some areas, the shape changes from a bird to a closed C, almost like a tortellini.
I think these are really the best, at least among the many variants, I chose this one; try it and let me know!
To understand well how to make the recipe, I also made a video to help create the shape. It’s actually easier to do than to explain, but it might be useful for the first few tries.
If you make this or other recipes from my blog, send me the photo, and if you’d like, I’ll put it on my FB page with your name.
Approximately 200 Kcal per birdie
- Difficulty: Medium
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 2 Hours
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 17-18 birdies
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Regional Italian
- Region: Abruzzo
- Seasonality: Winter
Ingredients to make the Birdies of Saint Anthony
- 1 cup sunflower seed oil (or extra virgin olive oil – measure with a plastic cup)
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar (scant)
- grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid vanilla or a sachet of vanilla (optional)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (+ about 1/2 cup for the work surface)
- 1/2 cup grape jam (or scrucchiata)
- 1 oz 70% dark chocolate (chopped or grated)
- 1 oz dried almonds (toasted and chopped)
- silver sugar pearls (or chocolate chips)
Preparation of the Birdies of Saint Anthony
First, let’s prepare the dough. In a bowl, combine the wine, sunflower or extra virgin olive oil, grated lemon zest, sugar, vanilla, baking powder, and mix well.
Now add the flour to achieve a soft dough… you might need a little more flour.
Once the dough is created, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple of hours.
Let’s make the filling by first toasting the almonds, letting them cool, and chopping them finely.
In a bowl, combine the finely chopped almonds, grated or finely chopped extra dark chocolate, and grape jam. Mix well and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour.
In the video, I mention a more abundant filling, but since I had leftovers, here I provide the right quantities.
In the video, I mention a more abundant filling, but since I had leftovers, here I provide the right quantities.
Finally, let’s make our birdies by taking the dough from the fridge and, on a floured surface, working it into a firm and soft ball.
Take a portion of the dough and roll it out into a thin but not too thin sheet; it can also be worked with a pasta machine, flouring it well.
From the rolled sheet, trim the perimeter to remove all imperfect shapes to create a straight line on each side….
….then cut into 3-inch by 3-inch squares.
On each square, place about a teaspoon of the previously made filling, then close them as shown in the photo
……until you get your birdies.
Use scissors to cut the birdie on the head, tail, and belly.
Place the birdies on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and refrigerate for about half an hour before baking them.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
