Cavallucci di Siena

Cavallucci di Siena

 Cavallucci di Siena are fragrant, crunchy but gooey, anice seed cookies traditionally eaten on Twelfth Night in Tuscany.

Serves: Makes 40 Prep Time: Cooking Time:

Ingredients

  • 300g (1 1/2 cups) light brown sugar
  • 100ml (1/2 cup) water
  • 300g (1 3/4 cups) plain flour
  • 5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
  • 100g (1 cup) shelled walnuts, finely chopped
  • 50g (1 1/2 ounces) candied orange peel, finely diced
  • 15g (1 tablespoon) anice seeds
  • 3g (2/3 tablspoon) ground cinnamon
  • 2g (1/3 tablespoon) ground cloves

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). 
  2. Put the sugar and the water into a saucepan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved and the syrup arrives at the thread stage. 
  3. Turn off the heat and put all the other ingredients into the pan. Mix with a wooden spoon until they are thoroughly combined. 
  4. Turn the mixture out onto a floured work surface and sprinkle a little flour on top. The mixture will be quite sticky so you might need more flour.  Form the mixture into a long sausage shape about two centimetres (1 inch) in width. Allow to cool for about five minutes. 
  5. Divide the sausage into 40 equal parts. 
  6. Roll each part into a ball shape. Place the ball on a baking sheet lined with a floured piece of greaseproof paper. 
  7. Flatten the balls a little and then pinch the ends to make an oval shape. 
  8. Cook the cavallucci for 12 minutes. They will be quite soft but with a hard crust. Don’t worry as they will harden as they cool.
  9. Allow them to cool completely. 
  10. Serve with a sweet Italian dessert wine.