The eyes of Saint Lucy are sweet taralli from Apulia prepared during Advent, specifically on December 13, to honor the saint of the same name. The recipe is very simple, they are crunchy little ring-shaped cookies made with very few ingredients: flour, oil, wine, and anise seeds; once baked, they are covered with a delicious glaze that makes them very white. Even though the dough is quite different, they remind me of one of the traditional sweets from Emilia that I love very much, the mountain sugar cookies.
The original glaze called “”sclepp” is made with egg white, powdered sugar, and lemon juice; to avoid any health issues, use pasteurized egg whites or, as many do, replace it with water glaze, simple and risk-free.
In many Italian cities, the night of December 13 is eagerly awaited by children because Saint Lucy, on the longest night of the year, brings gifts instead of Santa Claus. I love legends and traditional recipes fascinate me tremendously, I can’t wait to make them, just like the eyes of Saint Lucy.
These sweet taralli are perfect to give as a Christmas gift, you can put them in special bags and give them to loved ones along with other cookies:
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 30 Minutes
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 30 sweet taralli
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Christmas
- Energy 197.45 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 36.49 (g) of which sugars 21.17 (g)
- Proteins 2.37 (g)
- Fat 4.88 (g) of which saturated 0.67 (g)of which unsaturated 0.05 (g)
- Fibers 0.52 (g)
- Sodium 65.84 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 50 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3.2 fl oz dry white wine
- 4.2 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp anise seeds
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups vanilla powdered sugar
- 2.7 fl oz water (boiling)
Tools
- 1 Bowl
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Baking sheet
Procedure
In a bowl, mix the flour, wine, oil, salt, sugar, anise seeds, and knead until a soft and homogeneous dough is obtained. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for 30 minutes.
After resting time, take small pieces of dough (mine were 10 grams/about 0.35 oz), form small logs then close them into rings, sealing well where the dough overlaps to prevent them from opening during baking.
Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake in a preheated static oven at 338°F for 15/18 minutes.
It’s very important to pay attention to the baking; the sweet taralli should not harden but remain soft and white. Once ready, take them out of the oven and let them cool.
Preparing the glaze is very simple, put the powdered sugar in a small bowl and add the hot water a little at a time to create a glaze that is not too runny.
If necessary, you can adjust it; if it’s too runny, add a bit more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add a little hot water.
Dip each tarallino in the glaze, drain the excess, and place them on a rack to dry.
The eyes of Saint Lucy are ready, transfer them to a tray and enjoy.
Advice
Storage
Eyes of Saint Lucy keep well in a tin box for up to three weeks.
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