Nanas Pepper Cookies Tarralli Recipes

TARALLI PUGLIESI - ITALIAN BLACK PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Create a well in the middle to add the wet ingredients.
• Slowly pour the water and oil into the well of the flour. Blend together and gradually incorporate into the flour using your hands. The dough will be dense.
• Dust a working surface or cutting board with flour, To the stiff dough, knead for about 3 minutes to develop the gluten.
• Preheat oven to 400º.
• Pull off small pieces of dough about 1 Tablespoon in size. Next, roll into ropes about 6 inches long and very narrow. Form a ring and then pinch the edges together.
• Place them on a prepared baking sheet, nonstick or with cooking spray. Leave space between each tarallo, they do not expand very much but will a little bit.You can get a dozen on each baking sheet. You can bake one at a time or both at once - just be sure to rotate the pans halfway through and keep them as close to the center of the oven as you can.
• Brush with oil and bake 20 minutes in the middle of your oven. The bottoms will be lightly browned.
• Remove carefully from the baking sheet and let cool on a baking rack.
• Enjoy immediately as a snack, appetizer, or small bite. Serve with wine or other small bites like cheese, fruit, or salumi. Great to serve on a charcuterie board or in a breadbasket.

NANA'S PEPPER COOKIES "TARRALLI"

Steps:

• In a small pan, heat the oil until just warm to the touch (maybe 70-80°F), and set aside.
• In a small pan, heat wine until very warm to the touch (about 100°F).
• Sprinkle yeast over the warm wine and let sit for several minutes until it softens; then stir to mix.
• In a large bowl, add all the other ingredients, including the warm oil.
• Add the wine/yeast mixture to the bowl.
• Use your hands to mix everything well, until a dough is formed.
• Turn dough out onto an unfloured board; knead the dough until smooth and elastic.
• Place dough in a clean, dry bowl.
• Cover the dough with a clean, damp, kitchen towel (not terry cloth), and let rise for about 30 to 60 minutes in a warm place.
• Cut the dough into small pieces.
• Roll each piece into a long, thin, rope (about the thickness of your little finger).
• Cut the rolled ropes of dough into 4-inch long pieces and join the two ends of each piece together so that it forms a round, doughnut like shape.
• Continue the rolling and shaping with all the remaining dough.
• Heat oven to 350-375°F Fill a pot with water, and bring to a rolling boil.
• Drop the shaped dough into the boiling water (a few at a time).
• When the taralli come to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon, and place them on a clean kitchen towel (not terry cloth) to dry.
• When all the taralli have been boiled and dried, place them on a cookie sheet and bake them for about 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and golden brown.
• Remove from cookie sheet and cool on a rack.
• When cool, serve with a glass of wine for dunking.

NONI'S TARALLI

Steps:

• Dissolve yeast in warm water in a bowl.
• Combine flour, wine, oil, fennel seeds, and salt in a large stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Knead on low speed. Add yeast mixture slowly. Continue to mix until a smooth ball is formed and dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Remove dough from the bowl; knead into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and let rest for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
• Cut the dough into 2-inch cross sections; roll into 1/2-inch-diameter "tubes." Cut tubes lengthwise into 1/4-inch cross sections. Roll each from the center out; fold ends over one another.
• Boil taralli in the hot water in groups of 10 until they rise to the top, about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon. Continue with remaining taralli. Let dry for 4 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Place dried taralli onto baking sheets.
• Bake in the preheated oven, flipping as needed, until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

AUTHENTIC TARALLI

Steps:

• Combine flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, oil, and wine in a stand mixer. Mix ingredients using the paddle attachment until a ball forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead dough for 10 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat and add the remaining salt. Spread a large, clean cloth out on a counter or table.
• Pinch off a walnut-sized piece of dough once kneading has finished. Roll dough piece into a snake about 2 1/2 inches long. Form a tear drop shape, lightly pressing the two ends together to seal them into a ring. Repeat with remaining dough.
• Turn down the boiling water to a low boil. Drop taralli into the water a few at a time. Do not stir; they will sink at first, then begin to float. Remove floating taralli with a slotted spoon. Place them on the clean cloth and continue until all the taralli have boiled and are drained on the cloth. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in the preheated oven until taralli are golden and firm on the outside, but still soft on the inside, about 40 minutes. Cool completely and rest for at least 1 hour before serving. Wrap with a clean cloth or place in a paper bag; store at room temperature for up to 1 week.

TARALLI

Steps:

• Combine wine and water in a small bowl or measuring cup and add yeast. Stir until dissolved. Add olive oil and stir together.
• In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, or in a large bowl if mixing by hand, combine flours, salt and fennel or pepper. Mix for about half a minute at low speed, then add liquids and beat at low speed until mixture comes together, about 1 minute. Remove paddle and let sit for 5 minutes. Change to dough hook and beat on low speed for 3 to 5 minutes (5 to 7 minutes if kneading by hand), until dough is smooth. Remove from bowl, knead a few times on a lightly oiled surface, and shape into a ball.
• Clean and oil bowl and place dough in it, rounded side down first, then rounded side up. Cover bowl with plastic and place in a warm spot to proof for 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Dough should be puffed but not doubled.
• Line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment and lightly oil parchment. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces and roll each piece into an 18-inch long rope. Cover each rope loosely with plastic or a towel as you roll the rest. Once all pieces are shaped into ropes, cut each rope into 3 equal pieces (6 inches long) and join their ends to form rings about 2 inches in diameters. Pinch ends together firmly (dough will bounce back). Place on prepared baking sheets. Cover loosely with plastic or a towel and let proof for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large or medium pot of water to a boil.
• Set a dish towel or paper towels next to your pan of boiling water. After rings have risen for 1 hour, carefully remove 4 or 5 at a time from baking sheet and drop into boiling water. As soon as they float to surface - in a matter or seconds -- remove from water with a slotted spoon or skimmer and drain on towel. It should not take more than a few minutes to blanch all of the rounds. Return to baking sheet. Bake on middle rack for 30 minutes. Flip rings over and lower heat to 225 degrees. Return to oven and leave for 1 hour. Taralli should be crisp all the way through. Allow to cool, and store in tins.

GRANDMA ANNA'S ITALIAN PEPPER COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, pepper, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, and cloves for cookies together into a large bowl.
• Place shortening in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second increments until melted. Pour into dry ingredients and mix with a spoon.
• Add milk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla; mix with a spoon to combine. Add raisins, chopped walnuts, and finely chopped walnuts and mix with your hands to combine. Roll dough into small balls and set 1/2 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
• Bake in batches in the preheated oven until edges are golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet briefly before removing to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes.
• Prepare glaze while cookies cool. Place confectioners' sugar in a bowl. Add milk, orange juice, and orange zest and mix until smooth.
• Brush glaze onto cooled cookies or spread with a spoon. Decorate with sprinkles.

BLACK PEPPER TARALLI

Steps:

• In the bowl of a standing mixer, whisk together dry ingredients. Add oil and half the wine. Use the paddle attachment to mix on medium-low speed for 12 minutes, adding remaining wine occasionally. Dough will be springy and moist but not sticky. If it is sticky, refrigerate 30 minutes and mix again. Add more flour a little bit at a time if needed.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees, or 350 degrees with convection.
• Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Pull off a piece of dough (about 1/4 ounce or 8 grams) and roll on a work surface into a 5-inch rope tapered at both ends. Shape into a coil (or a ring, with the ends crossed over) and gently pinch to seal. Transfer to prepared pan. Repeat with remaining dough, working in batches if necessary. (Can be made up to this point and frozen. Freeze on sheet pans, then transfer to freezer bags for storage. Do not thaw before baking.)
• Bake 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking, until golden brown. (Add 3 to 5 minutes if baking from frozen.) Cool before serving. Will keep up to a week in a sealed container.