Mum's Taralli Biscuit Recipe

Hello lovely bloggers,

I hope your weekend has been as relaxing and lovely as mine. Today I am posting my mum’s very special Taralli biscuit recipe.

Just in case you’re wondering Taralli are an Italian crispy snack biscuit that come in many different versions and can be either sweet or savory  They look like a mini bagel in a biscuit shape and are also cooked much the same way as bagels. I have read that they are like the Italian version of pretzels...although I think they are much nicer.

I prefer to eat savory Taralli where the recipe includes olive oil as I find Taralli can be a bit dry without olive oil.

I am happy to dedicate this particular post to my lovely friends Kieu and Hussain who supposedly have looked all over the city unsuccessfully for Taralli biscuits that taste like my mums. :) 

Growing up we used to make these quite often sometimes kilo’s! There was always a production line happening between my sisters, my mum and I. Mum would be cutting the pieces of dough, my sister or I would roll them and form the ring, another would be taking them out of the boiled water and then someone else would be lining them on the baking tray! Oh we laugh now but I don't remember laughing when we had to make them then! lol

So there is a bit of a process to them but they’re worth it. My husband and I usually make 1 kilo and it takes about 2 hours.  Nathan loves them when they’re warm out of the oven and with glass of orange juice. I prefer them broken up and soaked in a bowl of coffee and milk for breakfast! But they taste great on their own too, or with cheese and olives. Sometimes we add chilli or fennel seed to the recipe which is even nicer. They can be stored in the freezer and taken out a few minutes before eating.

I have made these many times over the last few years but have never written out my mum’s recipe because it’s easier just to call her when I have a question or something is not turning out. Like a typical Italian mum she just measures things by eye or changes ingredients depending on the texture of the dough which works for me but not if I want to share her recipe! :) So when she told me last week she was making them I jumped at the opportunity to write the recipe! So I am happy to say I finally have it recorded! If you choose to try these and need to ask questions please feel free to email me as I check my email often throughout the day. I may have to call my mum first though ;)

So here is the how to:

Mum's Tarralli Biscuits

Ingredients

½ kilo plain flour

1/3 cup dry white wine

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup warm water

3 Teaspoons of dry yeast

2 Teaspoons of salt

1/3 cup extra warm water

Chilli or Fennel seeds if you like

• Pre heat oven to 200c
• In bowl add the yeast then add 1/3 cup of the warm water. Do not stir. Let it sit for five minutes.
• In a bowl of an electric mixer, add flour then make a well and add salt, olive oil and wine.

• Beat on low for a few minutes until mixture is combined.
• While is on low setting, gradually poor 1/3 cup of the extra warm water down the side of the bowl.
• Stop the electric mixer and scrape down sides of the bowl. Then continue beating until dough forms.
• Remove the dough from the bowl. Knead for a few minutes then shape the dough into a ball. Consistency should be firm and not sticky not dry.

• Cut dough into small pieces, roughly 7-8. Wrap the pieces into a plastic wrap (we used a freezer bag) and set aside.

• Unwrap one piece of dough at a time and lightly flatten then knead with a pasta machine. The rollers of the pasta machine should be on the widest setting (position 1).

• Feed each piece of dough through the rollers. At first the dough may slightly fall apart but it will eventually hold together as you continue to pass it through the rollers, about three times.

• Fold dough each time you pass it through the pasta machine.
• Once you have passed the piece of dough through the pasta machine about three times. Roll the dough tightly into a log, pressing it firmly together. Once you have formed a log place it in another plastic wrap and set aside while you finish passing the rest of the pieces of dough through the pasta machine.

• Cut a 1.5 cm pieces off the log at a time (the others should be set aside in plastic wrap) and roll each piece out into rope then bring the ends together to form a ring, press the ends together firmly with your finger to seal.

• Boil a pot of water.
• Test one Taralli to ensure that it floats to the top. Using a slotted spoon lower the Taralli into the water and boil a handful at a time or as many as you are comfortable with. Once they float to the surface of the water remove immediately and transfer to a colander to drain.

• In a non stick baking tray or one lined with a sheet of baking paper, line up each Taralli on the tray, leaving enough space for them to rise.
• Cook until golden brown.

A note from mum:

• In warmer weather work quicker as the dough will rise and increase quickly in size.
• While working with the dough make sure you keep it in plastic wrap so it does not dry out.

Enjoy!
&

Happy Week Friends

This weekend while listening to Brook Fraiser CD ‘Albertine’ I was reminded of this quote by C.S Lewis.

‘If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.’

Love Anita x