Tatù
From Cosa Bolle in Pentola, the
Newsletter:
To begin with, happy Halloween to those who celebrate it! In Italy the holiday
was unknown just a few years ago, but it's catching on very fast, both as
something for kids and as an occasion for adults to party. We don't have
anything traditional for it, but we do have lots of traditional things for
Ognissanti, All Saint's Day, which falls the day after Halloween. In
particular, Bones of the Dead.
While we're on the subject of All Saint's Day, someone recently posted a request for a Sicilian cookie called Tatù on the forum. Pino Correnti, author of Il Libro d'Oro della Cucina e Dei Vini di Sicilia, says they're similar to Catalani, but with quite a bit of cocoa powder worked into the dough, and a chocolate glaze.
Catalani? They're for the Day of the Dead (Nov 2): "November 2," he writes, "is a great holiday for Sicilian children: the Dead take the place of the more Nordic Befana1, giving out toys and candies. This custom of joining life and death is common throughout the Southern lands, and especially in Spain, which dominated Sicily for centuries: It comes as no surprise that these sweets are also called Catalani."
- 1 k (2 1/4 pounds, about 10 cups) Majorca flour
- 12 ounces (300 g) almonds, peeled and shredded
- 2 pounds sugar (1 1/8 for the icing)
Work the flour, almonds, and 7/8 pound of sugar into a dough, using just a little water to moisten it. Use the dough to roll out S-shaped snakes or form balls the size of a walnut. Put them on a greased cookie sheet and bake them until golden (he doesn't give a temperature; I'd guess 180 C, or 360 F). At this point make the veil: put the remaining water in a pot with water to barely cover, and simmer it until the syrup begins to thread (see the Joy of Cooking for candy temperatures if need be). The icing is ready: Dip the cookies in it, and return them to the cooling oven to dry.
A printer-friendly version of this recipe.
Tasty Treats
The
General Recipe Index
Send a card or
browse the pictures!
1) The Befana is a witch who rides the night on Epiphany, to bring children stockings full of treats -- if they've been good. Otherwise, it's coal. There are a number of stories about her; my favorite is that she refused the Magi hospitality, then tried to follow them without success, and contineus to seek the Christ Child to this day. Back up.