The soft cookies of San Martino are the leavened version of a similar cookie dedicated to this Saint, but they have a very soft result and are really delicious.
They stay soft for a few days if stored in a plastic bag, but I’m sure they won’t last until evening, mine barely made it through the night.
Original Sicilian cookies, like all recipes dedicated to the Saint, are made on November 11th to celebrate the tasting of the first wine and these cookies are often dipped in it.
When I made them, there was a wonderful smell of anise throughout the house, considering that I love anise, they won me over.
The leavening, of course, as always, takes time, but I love leavened products and I always say it’s worth it.
So try making them as well, and I am sure you’ll prepare them not only on San Martino’s day but throughout the year.
If you make this recipe or others on my blog, feel free to send me a photo of your recipe, and if you want, I’ll post it on my Facebook page with your name.
Approximately 118 Kcal per cookie
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Cheap
- Rest time: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
- Portions: 20 cookies
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: San Martino
Ingredients to make the Soft Cookies of San Martino
- 1 cup water
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.5 tbsp lard
- 4 tbsp sugar
- 0.35 oz fresh yeast
- 1 tbsp anise seeds
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Preparation of the Soft Cookies of San Martino
Prepare the dough by hand or in a stand mixer by starting with the flour, sugar, crumbled yeast, softened lard, anise seeds (I ground them with a coffee grinder because I don’t like finding seeds), cinnamon, and gradually add the lukewarm water, mixing well.
Also add the pinch of salt and add the remaining flour until you get a soft, non-sticky, and well-kneaded dough.
Let it rise in a greased bowl covered with plastic wrap until doubled.
Once risen, pour the dough onto a work surface, roll it out to get a not too thin sheet. I spread out a bit more and got 2-4 more cookies, but if you keep it to about ¼ inch thickness, the cookies will be perfect.
Cut all strips about 1½ inches wide and once cut, cut horizontally in half to get 20 half strips.
Roll each strip onto itself to get little rolls
…place them on a baking sheet, pressing them slightly and let them rise again for about 30-40 minutes.
Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 20 minutes, checking the cooking.
Let them cool a bit before consuming.
