A twist on the classic, I’ve warmed up the flavors of plain taralli for fall – they’re flavored with orange zest and fior d’arancio – a bitter orange flavoring found in panettone and other Italian cakes.
Nonna's Taralli
Ingredients
- 500 g flour
- 100 g olive oil
- 200 grams light brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Zest of one orange
- 1 ml Fior d’Arancio (or 1/2 tsp orange extract)
- 2 tablespoons whole milk, if needed
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl, mix together flour, sugar, baking powder and zest. Ensure that there are no clumps in the brown sugar, by losing it with a fork.
- In a medium bowl, combine oil, eggs, and extracts .
- If using a stand mixer, add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients and let the mixer combine the ingredients together for about 5 minutes, until the dough forms a ball. If the mixture seems dry or crumbly, add whole milk, one teaspoon at a time. When the mixture has formed a ball, turn onto a clean surface and knead by hand for 2-3 minutes, until dough looks smooth.
- If mixing by hand, turn the dry ingredients onto a clean tabletop surface, and create a well in the center by pressing the bottom of the bowl into the mound of dry ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into the well, and slowly incorporate flour mixture with a fork. Use a bench scraper to bring the dough together, and knead for about 10 minutes, or until the dough forms a smooth ball. If needed, add milk one teaspoon at a time to moisten the dough. The dough should be smooth and pliable, and should not stick to the tabletop when rolled. If needed, add some flour to your work surface.
- Cover with plastic wrap, and let rest for 30 minutes. The dough can be refrigerated and brought to room temperature if being used the next day, or wrapped carefully and frozen.
- After the dough has rested, cut off pieces of dough using a knife or a bench scraper, and roll into a ball, about 1.5 inches in diameter. Between your palms, or on a tabletop, roll the dough into a cylindrical shape and form into a doughnut shape. Place on a baking sheet.
- Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes, switching the position of the trays halfway through. Cookies should be a golden color when ready.
