Cartellate

Cartellate are a traditional Christmas sweet typical of the Puglia region in Italy. Below I list the ingredients and then I will explain how to prepare them.

Ingredients

• 500 g of flour
• 200 ml of dry white wine
• 30 g of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch of salt
• Oil for frying (as needed)
• Honey (preferably multifloral) or vincotto to taste

Preparation

1. Create a well with the flour on a pastry board and add the extra virgin olive oil, the white wine, and a pinch of salt in the center.
2. Start kneading by hand until you obtain a smooth, homogeneous dough.
3. Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes, covered with a kitchen towel.
4. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin or with a pasta machine to get a thin sheet.
5. Cut the sheet into strips about 5 cm wide and long.
6. At this point, make small parallel cuts inside the strips, keeping the edges intact.
7. Roll the pasta strips on themselves, shaping them into a form reminiscent of a rose or a flower, making sure to slightly overlap the edges.
8. Fry the cartellate in abundant hot oil until they become golden and crispy.
9. Drain them from the oil and let them dry on paper towels.
10. Finally, melt some honey in a saucepan with a little water or use vincotto. Dip the cartellate one at a time in the warm honey or vincotto, or brush them, and then let them dry.

Curiosity

Cartellate may be served as they are with honey or vincotto or could be paired with a sweet wine. According to tradition, the shape of cartellate is meant to represent the torcinello, which religiously symbolizes the swaddling clothes of baby Jesus or the handkerchiefs of the shepherds visiting the manger.