Monday, December 29, 2014

Pezzetti di Cannella

I have to mention one more cookie before the holiday season ends. This was a new one for me. It’s from the book Southern Italian Desserts by Rosetta Costantino. I received this book as a Christmas gift a year ago, and there are delightful cakes, pastries, tarts, gelatos, fruit desserts, and lots of cookies in it. Since I first read the book, I’ve been thinking about the La Deliziosa sandwich cookies filled with hazelnut cream. The cookies are actually made from pastry that’s cut into circles and then sandwiched with a pastry cream with added hazelnut paste. Last, the edges are rolled in finely chopped hazelnuts. They’re delicate and pretty, and they look delicious in the photo in the book. However, I needed to bake some cookies that would ship well and that could be kept at room temperature for several days. That’s how I arrived at the page for these crunchy, little cinnamon cookies. The recipe is from Puglia, and it includes lots of great flavor from cinnamon, cocoa powder, and lemon. It also makes a lot of cookies, but they’re petite, bite-size cookies that could last for weeks in theory. I’m not actually sure how long they could last because between packing and sending some and nibbling the rest, they disappeared in just a few days. 

The dough couldn’t be easier since it’s simply mixed with a fork and then kneaded by hand. Flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and baking powder were combined in a large bowl. A well was made in the center of the dry ingredients, and eggs, vegetable oil, a little milk, and lemon zest were added and mixed with a fork before being kneaded by hand. The dough was then wrapped in plastic wrap and set aside for about 30 minutes. To form the cookies, the dough was first divided into four pieces. Each piece was rolled by hand into a long rope just a little over one half inch wide. The rope was cut on the diagonal into one-inch pieces that were placed on baking sheets and baked for twelve minutes until puffed and firm. A glaze was made with confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. The cooled cookies were tossed in the glaze and then set on baking sheets to dry. It takes several hours for the glaze to dry completely, and I left the cookies to dry overnight. Once dry, they were ready to be packed and shipped. 

I was intrigued by the combination of cinnamon, cocoa, and lemon, and now I’m so glad to have tried these cookies. Cinnamon takes center stage among the flavors, but the cocoa and lemon don’t go unnoticed. All together, they made these cookies completely addictive. And, since they’re tiny cookies, it’s very easy to keep reaching back for more. Next, I’ll have to circle back to the delicate hazelnut cookies or maybe some classic cannoli for serving right at home. 

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23 comments:

  1. I've never had these but just looking at the photo - I want to. A check of the ingredients list tells me I'm going to like them.

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  2. Divine! I've never had these either...

    Have a wonderful New Year!

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  3. This is new to me...I would love to taste them too.
    Happy New Year, Lisa!
    Angie

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  4. Ooo I've never heard of these! The cocoa/cinnamon/lemon combo definitely is intriguing. And it's so nice to have a cookie on hand that keeps well...at least in theory. :P

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  5. WE can never have enough cookie i our lives this time of year. Have a wonderful New Year Lisa!!!!

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  6. These are such a unique cookie and I really like the flavor combination in them! Happy New Year, Lisa!

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  7. I love everything in Rosa's books (My Calabria)......these look delicious!
    Happy New Year Lisa! xo

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  8. how unique! i looked at your picture first, as i'm wont to do, and i wasn't sure what i was seeing! i'm delighted to see what they actually are! :)

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  9. There are never enough cookie recipes to try! As a lemon and cinnamon lover this scrumptious treat has been bookmarked!

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  10. I love the sound of combining cinnamon, cocoa and lemon. And what an unusual shape these cookies are. I love how the dough can be made so simply. These do look like they'd make perfect gifts xx

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  11. These sure do sound like intriguing cookies Lisa. Have they invented smellavision yet???

    I hope one Wednesday in January you will be able to join us for Cookbook Wednesday. It would be wonderful if you could link up. (I've posted about it today:)

    Thank you so much for sharing, Lisa...

    I look forward to another tasty year of Lisa is Cooking. Hopefully, you are really considering a book of your own in 2015:) Happy New Year to You and Yours Lisa!!!

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  12. Cinnamon and lemon sound like a nice combination. Happy New Year, Lisa.

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  13. These cookies look wonderful. I don't think I can wait until next Christmas to try them!

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  14. I need one more cookbook (yea, right!) and this one is it! Love these little pezetti! Wishing you a most wonderful, happy, and blessed new year Lisa. So glad to be back in touch,
    Roz

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  15. What a fascinating type of cookie! I don't think I've ever tried anything quite like it but I love the combo of cinnamon and lemon together. And since when can adding chocolate be a bad thing? :P

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  16. My mother-in-law makes a cookie that is very similar to these and they are delicious, one of my favorites actually. Happy New Year!

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  17. Really interesting combination, Lisa. Did you put any kind of finishing top on them? I love they way they look and it's nice to know they travel well. Did you freeze any?
    Happy New Year to you and yours, my friend....looking forward to another fun year of recipes and cookbooks!

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    1. The cookies were tossed in a lemon glaze. I didn't get a chance to freeze any. They were gone too soon!

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  18. I am gonna try this as soon as possible and will share on my website

    www.recipesofturkishfood.com

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  19. These cookies are so cute and delicate looking. I bet they have great flavor too!

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  20. These cookies look amazing and I love the flavours Lisa!!
    Happy new year!

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  21. These are super cute, and also new to me, never heard of this type of cookie before. The flavors are perfect, and their bite-size nature, even better!

    Happy New Year, Lisa!

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