This sweet is one of the most traditional in Sicily for Christmas. A crunchy pastry spreaded with melted honey, with a filling made of dried figs paste, nuts, chocolate and spices. With the exception of some sugar used for the pastry, this sweets has not other sugars then the one naturally contained in the figs, nuts and honey.
Ingredients
For the pastry:
- 400 gwhite flour (type 0)
- 100 gsemolina
- 100 gLight muscovado sugar
- 100 mlsunflower oil (cold pressed)
- 1egg yolk
- 1 pinchtable salt
- q.s.milk (to bind)
For the filling:
- 500 gsun dried figs
- 50 gmandorla pizzuta d’Avola d.o.p. (shelled almond)
- 50 gpistacchio di Bronte D.O.P. (shelled pistacchio)
- 50 gnocciola tonda e gentile delle langhe I.G.P. (shelled hazelnut)
- 50 gnoci di Sorrento D.O.P. (shelled walnut)
- 50 gsultanas
- 50 gdark chocolate chips
- 50 gcandied pumpkin (to decorate)
- 1orange (zest only)
- 1tangerine (zest only)
- 1 spoonhoney
- glassesMarsala I.G.P. (Marsala wine)
Preparation
For the pastry:
– mix the flour, semolina, sugar and a pinch of salt;
– add the yolk and the oil;
– knead well till you get a smooth dough (pour some milk to bind as you deem necessary);
– transfer the dough into a bowl and cover it with a kitchen towel;
– allow the dough to rest for about 1 hour
For the filling:
– chop the dried figs and put them in a sauce pan together with the Marsala wine;
– put the pan on the stove and start cooking on a medium heat;
– bring to boil and stir well till figs gets very soft;
– remove the pan from the stove;
– blend the figs in the pan till you get a sticky paste;
– put it aside till it cools down,
– chop all the nuts;
– soak the sultanas in lukewarm water for at least 20 minutes;
– grate the zest of the orange and tangerine;
– put all the above ingredients and the remaining ingredients of the filling in a big bowl;
– mix well until all ingredients are well amalgamated;
To make the Buccellato:
– roll out the pastry into a long thin strip;
– put the filling mixture in the middle;
– roll the pastry around it to form a long tube;
– form the tube into a ring;
– cut slits with a sharp knife;
– bake at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes or till golden;
– melt the honey and spread the Buccellato with it; – stick the candied pumpkin on top