Spicchiteddi della Nonna Maria Picone from Maria Taranto

Spicchiteddi della Nonna Maria Picone

Set oven to 350 F

 

Ingredients

3 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

3 tbsp sugar

1 tsp blk pepper ground

1/2 tsp cloves ground

1-2 tsp cinnamon ground

1/3 cup diced candied citrus peel

3/4  cup molasses or vino cotto

Pieces of walnuts for garnish

 

Preparation

Combine dry ingredients in a  large bowl. Add citrus peel. Make a well in dry ingredients and add molasses ( or vino cotto).  Knead until dough becomes smooth and shiney, less than five minutes. Cut off pieces of dough enough to make a rope about 6 inches long and about 3/4 inch thick. Flatten slightly.  From one short end cut three parallel slits towards the center of the rope so that you have three "arms."  Turn the rope around and do the same at the other end.  Now twist the arms into spirals, in the same or opposite directions.  Be creative.  Your cookies will look a bit like curly cues or sea urchins, etc.  Press a piece of walnut into the center of the cookie or wherever there is a space.  With spatula place on baking sheets covered with parchment paper or greased with oil.  Bake from 7-10 minutes.  Do not overcook or you will have rocks to eat.  Cookies get harder as they cool and age.  Place in a tight container to store.   Best Luck!

 

Maria Taranto

Maria adds that her grandmother used ground ginger instead of the cinnamon and cloves.