Filled Taralli (Celipieni)

By ctozzi

Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 480/500 g of plain flour -
• 140 g olive oil –
• 140 g of white wine –
• 2 or 3 tablespoons of sugar-
• 1 pinch salt.
• For the filling:
• 400 g of Amarene marmalade (sour cherries) -
• 100 g almonds, chopped -
• finely grated lemon zest of 1 lemon -
• 3 or 4 tablespoons bread crumbs –
• 5 or 6 crushed biscuits (like Lorna Doone).

Preparation

Step 1

prepare the dough;
with the flour, two tablespoons of sugar, a pinch of salt and as much liquid (wine and oil) as the flour will absorb.

Mix the pastry dough ingredients and work into a fine dough, keeping in mind that it should not be too hard -- should resemble a "cavatelli" dough (If the dough is too soft add more flour, if it is too hard add a touch more oil/wine).

Let the dough rest at room temperature for half hour.

prepare a filling;
Combine marmalade, ground almonds, crushed biscuits, finely grated zest of 1 orange or lemon and bread crumbs (If the filling is too soft add more bread crumbs or another biscuit, if it is too hard add some lemon juice). Put aside.

Cut the rested dough into small portions.
Pass each portion through the pasta machine to the smallest number ( but it should not be too thin), and cut some 10 cm wide strips from it. With a tablespoon, deposit some dollops apart along the strips of dough which are then folded in on themselves edge to edge. Press the sides of each pastry pocket with a fork. (If the pasta is too dry, brush the edges with a drop of water).
Cut the "taralli" in the shape of a elongated half-moon with a suitable pastry cutter with fluted wheel. Press the two ends of the semi-circle together to form a "tarallo".


Bake at 180 degrees C for 10-15 minutes, they must be slightly golden. Dip them in the caster sugar when still hot (pay attention, they can crash!), the let cool very well and keep in a tin box or into a plastic bag.