Eyes of Saint Lucia

I can provide you with the recipe for the Eyes of Saint Lucia, traditional Sicilian pastries prepared for the feast of Saint Lucia.

Ingredients

• 500 g of type 00 flour
• 150 g of sugar
• 150 g of butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 sachet of baking powder for sweets
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• A pinch of salt
• Apricot jam or another flavor of preference

To decorate:

• Colored sugar sprinkles or sugar nibs

Preparation

1. To start, arrange the flour in a well on a pastry board and add sugar, softened butter in pieces, eggs, baking powder, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt in the center.

2. Knead all the ingredients well until you obtain a homogeneous dough. If necessary, add a little flour or water to obtain the desired consistency.

3. Let the dough rest in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, covered with plastic wrap.

4. After the resting time, roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about half a centimeter.

5. Using a cookie cutter or a glass, cut out circles from the rolled-out dough.

6. Take a circle of dough and place a teaspoon of jam in the center, then cover it with another circle. Make sure to seal the edges well by pressing with your fingers or the tines of a fork.

7. Make a small cut in the center of the second circle to let the jam peek through and create the “eye.”

8. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and brush them with a little beaten egg to get a golden surface after baking.

9. Sprinkle the surface of the Eyes of Saint Lucia with colored sugar sprinkles or sugar nibs.

10. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Let them cool before serving.

Curiosity

The Eyes of Saint Lucia are typical of the city of Syracuse and are prepared on December 13th, the day dedicated to the Saint, who is particularly venerated in this Sicilian city. Legend has it that Saint Lucia brought sweets to children during her martyrdom and for this reason, these sweets are cooked to remember her act of kindness.