Italian Buccellato is a dessert made with dried figs, raisins, almonds, spices and honey. An ancient sweet that has the taste of the land where it was born, Sicily. In Sicily, one buccellato will never be the same as another, because every Sicilian family has its own recipe, which has been handed down for generations. The oldest tradition is to make a large donut-shaped buccellato, although many make smaller ones that are given to friends for Christmas.
Ingredients
For filling
For the shortcrust pastry
Tools
Steps
For the filling
Pour the water into a saucepan, add the cloves and bring to the boil. Break the dried figs into small pieces. Remove the cloves and add the dried figs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a soft mixture is obtained, about 10 minutes. Add the raisins and continue to cook, stirring often, until the water has dried. Remove from the heat and add the orange extract. Also combine the honey, cinnamon, marsala and mix well. Coarsely chop the almonds and add them to the mixture of whistles and raisins, then mix well. leave to rest at room temperature for 12 hours in a covered container.
For the shortcrust pastry
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt. Add the lard and mix. Combine the honey and the eggs, knead until you obtain a smooth and homogeneous dough. Wrap in plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for 12 hours.
For Italian buccellato
Put the shortcrust pastry on a lightly floured work surface and divide into two parts. Roll out the first part to a thickness of 0.2 inch.Place half of the filling in the center forming a sausage Gently roll up on itself and close in a circle. Place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Engrave the buccellato with deep cuts. Proceed in the same way with the remaining shortcrust pastry. Bake in a preheated convection oven at 338°F (170°C) for 45 minutes. Prepare a sugar syrup. Pour the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook for 15 minutes. After 30 minutes of cooking the buccellato, brush it with the sugar syrup. Continue cooking for the remaining time, 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Decorate as desired.
Cook’s tips
Resting in the refrigerator is essential for the shortcrust pastry, which makes it easier to roll out without tearing.
It’s also important to prepare the filling in advance so that it can air dry.
Christmas recipe
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