La Befana, in my part of Lucca (not in the rest of Tuscany), in addition to being the old lady who dispenses gifts and coal to bad and good on the night of the Epiphany is the name of these delicious cookies " to soak, "which is prepared by January 5, pending the arrival of the party. Some call them "befanini.
now are, if not all year, at least during the period Winter in bakeries and pastry shops, but once they were preparing at home for just this occasion.
Every family has its own recipe, handed down from grandmother to mother to daughter. I use this, a little altered from the original, is to Elda Carlotti, my teacher of Italian and Latin in high school, very good cook and author of a valuable book of recipes, cakes, "cakes, buns, cakes and pancakes" edited by Maria Pacini Fazzi (publisher of Lucca, among other things, a delightful collection of monographic booklets about cooking).
In essence this "witch" is a crumbly pastry scented with orange and sambuca (or rum), delicious dipped in milk, tea, in Vin Santo ( we like to dip the cookies in Vin Santo ...). INGREDIENTS
. 1kg flour
. 500g sugar
. 500g butter
. 2 packets of yeast
. 5 eggs
. grated rind of 1 orange and 1 lemon biological
. 1 / 2 glass of sambuca
. 1 / 2 cup of orange juice
. 1 pinch of salt
. water and sugar or 1 beaten egg yolk to brush on biscuits
. Chicchino colored sugar (required, otherwise it is not true witch ....!!!!)
PROCEDURE
Place the flour, sifted with the baking powder into a heap, pour sugar in the middle, then the eggs and mix with the mix well by hand so the eggs and sugar, add then the melted butter and warmed. Mix well, gradually adding all the other ingredients.
should come out a smooth, like a pastry.
Divide the ball into smaller pieces composed of standby with a rolling pin to a thickness of about half a centimeter. Cut cookies with cutters as desired, place on a grid covered with parchment paper, spennallarli with water and sugar or with the beaten egg yolk (the sugar water and shiny enough, the egg yolk color a little yellowish) and sprinkle with colored grains . Bake at 180 degrees for about 10 min.
