Roccocò

Roccocò are traditional Neapolitan Christmas cookies, donut-shaped with a spicy taste. Below you will find the traditional recipe.

Ingredients

• 500 g of flour 00
• 400 g of sugar
• 100 g of roasted almonds
• 50 g of candied citron (or orange)
• 25 g of lard
• 1 packet of baking ammonia (about 5 g)
• 2 teaspoons of mixed spices (typically cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves)
• Grated zest of one lemon
• Grated zest of one orange
• A pinch of salt

Preparation

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 180 °C and lightly toasting the almonds in the oven for a few minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour with sugar, mixed spices, grated lemon and orange zest, and a pinch of salt.
3. Add the candied citron cut into small pieces and the toasted almonds (which you can leave whole or coarsely chop, depending on your preference).
4. Melt the lard and let it cool, then incorporate it into the dry ingredients along with the packet of baking ammonia dissolved in a little warm water.
5. Knead until you have a homogeneous mixture. If the dough is too hard, you can help yourself with a little water. You should have a thick and moldable dough.
6. Take portions of the dough and form sticks that you will join at the ends to create the donuts, or Roccocò.
7. Arrange them on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for about 20-25 minutes or until they become golden. Roccocò should remain quite hard after baking.
8. Let them cool completely before serving.

Curiosity

The name “Roccocò” probably comes from the French term “rocaille”, due to the rocky and irregular shape of these cookies. Moreover, their hard and compact consistency is designed to keep for a long time, which made them ideal for the Christmas holidays, when sweets were prepared that had to last throughout the festive period.