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Pepper and Fennel Tarallis

ironpeddler

Ye Old Newbie
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
6,656
This is a Holiday treat that my family (like many Italian families) has made this time of year for generations...and today I made my first batch of the season.
 
The recipe...
 
[SIZE=12pt]Ingredients[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]4 cups (1 lb) flour[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]1 tsp salt[/SIZE]
2 tsp fennel seeds 
2 tsp cracked black pepper
[SIZE=12pt]2/3 cup (150 ml) extra-virgin olive oil[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]1/4 cup dry white wine[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]3/4 cup warm water[/SIZE]
[SIZE=12pt]2½ teaspoons (one packet) dried yeast[/SIZE]
 
To prep the liquid part you have to dissolve the yeast in (120 -130 degrees) the white wine & water mixture for 10 minutes and wait until it foams...then add that mixture to the olive oil and pour that slowly into the mixing bowl as you have your mixer on low speed. I use a mixer as opposed to the old world way of mixing it in a bowl and kneading it on a wooden board...like my Mother, Aunts, and Grandmothers did...yeah, it's a shortcut. Switch over to the dough hook and knead the dough for about 5-6 minutes. Set the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and turn it to coat lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place in a warm, draft-free (warmed oven) area until the dough is puffy but not quite doubled in size, from 20 to 40 minutes, depending on the dough and the temperature.
 
 
What it should look like all mixed and kneaded
 
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After you cover it in plastic wrap and let it rise, you start the rolling part. You grab a piece about the size of a walnut and roll it with both hands flat on a cutting board (NO FLOUR!) until it's about 8-9" long...then give it a good pinch to close the ring.
 
image_zps0193efb7.jpg

 
Then you drop the completed tarallis in a pot of boiling water and blanch them until they completely float to the top...horizontally. 
 
image_zps834ba8b6.jpg

 
They will take about 2 minutes or less to float...and then you take them out and put them on a cookie cooling rack to dry and cool down before baking them. Covering them with a linen clothe helps the process of drying.
 
image_zpsbd102d4e.jpg

 
They will take about 15 minutes or so to dry out (preheat the oven to 375) and then transfer them to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Once the oven is up to temp, slide them in and bake for about 35 to 45 minutes...depending on how hot your oven cooks and how dark you want the tarallis. I like them dark myself.
 
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My first batch wasn't too well done as I made some for friends & family who like them that way.
 
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The second batch was the way I like them.
 
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These are great with a cold beer or a glass of red wine as a snack, [SIZE=12pt]aperitivo, or as a bread substitute with dinner.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]They're not nearly as hard to make as you think...about an hour and a half to 2 hours from start to finished cooking if you run 2 cookie sheets to bake them off.[/SIZE]
 
[SIZE=12pt]Enjoy my [/SIZE]paesanos!
 
I know exactly what those are, and I love them!
 
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