Roccocò
How do you make Neapolitan Roccocò?
Sift flour, cocoa, and baking powder into a bowl. Mix with sugar, pisto spice mix, citrus zest, and chopped almonds. Gradually add water while kneading until you get a smooth dough. Form rings of about 80 g, place them on a lined tray, and bake at 180°C for 18-20 minutes. Let cool completely so they firm up.
Delicious Christmas sweets from Campania, Italy, they are cousins of mostaccioli. The dough is enriched with the famous pisto, that aromatic spice mix that transports us to Christmas, as well as almonds and citrus zest. There are two versions, one hard and one soft; this recipe is for the softer kind.
The screen will not turn off while you cook.
Servings: Makes 14-16, depending on the size
Ingredients
- 500 g type 00 all-purpose wheat flour
- 200 g whole cane sugar
- 250 g almonds with skin
- 200-250 ml water
- 1 teaspoon bitter cocoa powder
- Neapolitan pisto spice mix (22 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of 2 organic oranges
- Zest of 1 organic lemon
Instructions
Start by sifting the flour and baking powder into a large bowl.
Also sift in the cocoa.
Add the pisto spice mix and sugar. Stir.
Grate the lemon and orange peels.
Cut them into small pieces if you have a cutter like mine; there are others on the market that already create small bits. Add them to the other ingredients.
Coarsely chop the almonds.
Add them to the mixture and stir.
Pour in the water little by little and knead until you obtain a smooth but not sticky dough.
Place the dough on a floured surface and take pieces of about 70 to 100 g, depending on the size of the roccocò you want. Make a strip, then shape it into a ring and join the ends.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F). Place the roccocò on a tray lined with parchment paper. Once the oven reaches temperature, bake for 18 to 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely before tasting. We can try them with our favorite drink, such as our Costa Rican eggnog, to bring the two cultures together.
Enjoy your meal!
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.
- 500 g type 00 all-purpose wheat flour
- 200 g whole cane sugar
- 250 g almonds with skin
- 200-250 ml water
- 1 teaspoon bitter cocoa powder
- Neapolitan pisto spice mix (22 g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Zest of 2 organic oranges
- Zest of 1 organic lemon