FROM MY ARTICLE IN ITALY SEGRETA
Edible Wreaths and Christmas Cookies: Holiday Baking in Palermo
“I think the sweetest tooth in the whole of Italy is to be found in Sicily.”
–Giorgio Locatelli, Michelin-starred chef and restaurateur
Christmas day in Palermo. There’s a slight chill in the air–perfect for a passeggiata along the festive, light-filled streets, complete with nativity scenes and bustling markets. Merchants call out the daily specials as colorful mountains of fruits, vegetables and cuts of meat foretell feasts to come. The scents of fresh-baked pastries compete with those of freshly-caught fish. Laden with delicacies, families head home to prepare the cenone, a dinner of multiple courses: envision thick, pillowy squares of Sicilian pizza known as sfincione; sizzling lasagne al forno; tender, roasted capretto with crispy potatoes. And, as the sweet tooth reigns supreme in Sicily, the feast does not stop there. Tables across the city are cleared to make room for dazzling Palermitana desserts like sesame-coated reginelle and chocolate-spiced tetù cookies as well as the stunning edible Christmas wreath buccellato.
REGINELLE: SESAME-COATED COOKIES
Palermo is the most-conquered place in the world and, as a result, can be called one of the original melting pots. From the Greeks to the Romans to the Spanish to the Normans, many cultures left imprints on the city over time–especially on the food landscape. The empires of the Middle East arguably had the biggest culinary influence, introducing items such as almonds, chickpeas, citrus, eggplants, pistachios and sugar to the Palermo palate. Another key Arabian import? Sesame, the basis of reginelle: a distinctly Palermitana cookie rumored to be named in honor of Queen Margherita of Savoia. On the street, one might hear Sicilians refer to these cookies in passing as viscotta ca giuggiulena–“giuggiulena” is derived from “gialgiala”, the Arabic word for sesame seeds. Reginelle dough consists simply of flour, sugar, lard and lemon zest; prior to baking, the cookies are shaped into little logs, resembling tiny loaves of sesame semolina, and rolled in the toasty, nutty coating of the sesame seeds until completely covered. The end result is a delicately sweet and salty treat with an ultra-satisfying crunch. These royal biscuits are best enjoyed dipped in coffee, tea or passito, a sweet wine that lusciously softens every bite.
Recipe Recommendation: https://www.marcellinaincucina.com/italian-sesame-cookies/
TETÙ: CHOCOLATE-SPICED COOKIES
While sesame invaded Sicily from the east, chocolate intruded from the opposite direction. Spanish conquistadors brought cacao beans to the island in the 1500s, and chocolate soon inspired new Sicilian desserts such as tetù cookies. Once referred to as dolcetti dei poveri (dessert of the poor), these cookies were often made with leftover pastry scraps. There are many variations on the cookies’ current nomenclature–tetù, tutu, toto. They all mean the same thing, however: “one for you and one for me.” (But good luck sharing.) These bite-sized delights have a pliable, crumbly, shortbread-esque dough and are laden with spices like cinnamon, cloves and vanilla. Once baked, the cookies are dipped in melted chocolate to create a perfectly sweet, lightly crunchy shell encasing a soft interior. In line with their humble origins, there is no universal way to make tetù. Some finished products contain nuts, others zingy lemon or orange zest. There are also recipes that call for a vanilla powdered sugar glaze instead of melted chocolate. No matter how they are made, leftovers are a rare occurrence.
Recipe Recommendation: https://www.mangiabedda.com/tetu-sicilian-chocolate-spice-cookies/
BUCCELLATO: THE EDIBLE CHRISTMAS WREATH
As delicious and adored as they may be, Sicilian Christmas cookies perennially play second fiddle to buccellato: the edible (and decadent) Christmas wreath of Palermo. Buccellato has come a long way from its start in ancient Rome. Back then, it was a hard, ring-shaped biscuit (the name has origins in the Latin term for “biscuit-eater”) made from flour, salt and water, twice-baked at low temperatures for a long time to ensure that the water fully evaporated. The lack of moisture preserved the shelf-life of these biscuits, making them ideal for soldierly expeditions to places like Britain where the damp weather was known to quickly spoil bread and flour. Over time, as it gained favor among a wider audience, it evolved from a dry biscuit suitable for the battlefield to a softer, more delicate pastry that could be enjoyed by all. The buccellato outgrew its simple, savory start and the sweet wreath became a staple in Tuscany and Sicily alike. Both versions start with a yeasty dough. Since Tuscan buccellato is typically eaten year-round, add-ins to the dough are simple and straightforward: anise, raisins, perhaps some nuts. On the other hand, the appearance of buccellato in Sicily is reserved for special occasions. More ornate in design and makeup, these Sicilian Christmas wreaths pack a punch of flavors and textures powered by dried figs, raisins, orange peel, honey, dark chocolate, almonds and pistachios.
Sweet, nutty and rich, with a gorgeous golden-brown exterior, the tender ring of buccellato is the perfect, Palermitana post-dinner centerpiece.
Recipe Recommendation: https://www.cookingwithrosetta.com/blogposts/buccellato-siciliano-christmas-fig-nut-round-cake
