Roccocò are typical Neapolitan sweets, made for Christmas festivities. Tradition dictates that this dessert has a donut shape, hard texture, and a dark amber color. They can be enjoyed on their own, dipped in milk, or served with sweet wines and liqueurs. They keep for many days, sealed in tin boxes or food bags and become even better over time. The basic recipe does not include eggs, butter, or other types of fats. Instead, it includes coarsely chopped nuts inside the dough, the peel and juice of oranges and mandarins, and above all, the presence of a fundamental ingredient that should not be missed, which is “pisto“, a spice mix skillfully dosed to maintain a perfect balance between flavors and ensure that no spice prevails over the other. It’s generally purchased in pre-packaged envelopes. The characteristic taste of roccocò is given by the “pisto”. Every family has its own personal recipe for roccocò, which differs from others by a greater or lesser amount of sugar (more sugar for hard roccocò, less sugar for a softer texture that is not tooth-breaking), the presence of only oranges or only mandarins, Strega liqueur instead of anise, etc. It is a very, very easy dessert to prepare. The only care needed is in measuring the liquids because the dough must be hard and firm so that the classic donuts can be formed and maintain their shape during baking. I had fun making them with my son. He made smaller roccocò, and I made larger ones. If you decide to make half a batch, just add half an envelope of pisto.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 50
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs all-purpose flour
- 3.5 cups granulated sugar
- 1 full cup of anise (or Strega liqueur)
- 1 orange (both zest and juice)
- 1 mandarin (both zest and juice)
- 1 packet pisto
- 1 tablespoon wildflower honey
- 1.1 lbs mix of hazelnuts and almonds (coarsely chopped)
- 0.035 oz fine salt
- 1 glass of lukewarm water (scarce)
- 1 beaten egg yolk for brushing
- 1 packet baking ammonia
Steps
Prepare the trays we will need to place the roccocò, line them with parchment paper, and preheat the oven to 350°F.
The amount of sugar provided in this recipe is for a result that is not excessively hard, a good compromise, in my opinion. If you want them even softer, do not reduce beyond 3 cups of sugar per 2.2 lbs of flour; if, however, you want very hard roccocò as per tradition, grandma’s recipe calls for 4 cups of sugar per 2.2 lbs of flour.
1) In a large bowl sieve the flour and add all the dry ingredients, including the baking ammonia and pisto; mix them well; then add the grated zest of an orange and a mandarin, their juice, and the anise (or Strega). Start mixing (this can be done by hand or with a mixer using the paddle attachment).
2) Begin to pour one tablespoon of lukewarm water at a time, mix and pour another, continue until reaching a firm, compact consistency, meaning the dough should incorporate all the ingredients and remain well firm and solid in the bowl. Don’t worry if the dough appears hard, it’s supposed to be like that. It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare them.
3) Now transfer the dough onto a floured cutting board; keep a bowl with more flour beside you, which will help to form the roccocò if needed. Cut small pieces of dough, lightly flour them, and shape into finger-thick, approximately 5-inch long cylinders with your hands, which will then be shaped into donuts.
4) Place the roccocò donuts on the tray as you form them, spacing them about a finger apart because they will spread a little during baking (not excessively, anyway). Continue until you use up all the dough. Brush the surface of our roccocò with beaten egg yolk and bake them for about 35 minutes, remembering that temperatures and baking times may vary from oven to oven. The roccocò are ready when a wonderful aroma fills the house, and they achieve a dark amber color on the surface and have a very soft consistency. Remove them from the oven, bake the next trays. In the meantime, the already baked roccocò will cool down and harden. Store them tightly sealed in food bags or tin boxes. They will keep for a long time, becoming better over time.
