Biscotti di San Martino

The Biscotti di San Martino are typical Sicilian sweets prepared for the feast of San Martino on November 11th. They are crispy and fragrant biscuits, often enriched with icing and sugar decorations. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 500 g of 00 flour
• 150 g of granulated sugar
• 150 g of lard (or butter if you prefer)
• 100 ml of Marsala wine
• 1 whole egg + 1 yolk
• 1 packet of baking powder
• Grated zest of one lemon
• A pinch of salt

For the decoration:

• 1 egg white
• 100 g of icing sugar
• Sugar sprinkles or granulated sugar, to decorate

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder and add the sugar, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt. Mix the dry ingredients well.
2. Make a well in the center and add the lard, the whole egg, and the yolk. Start to work the ingredients by gradually integrating the Marsala wine until you get a smooth and homogeneous dough.
3. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface, then wrap it in cling film and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
5. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin to a thickness of about 5 millimeters and cut out the biscuits using cookie cutters of your choice; the most traditional ones are in the shape of a horse, but you can use any shape you prefer.
6. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden and crispy.
7. While the biscuits are cooling down, prepare the icing by lightly beating the egg white with a fork and gradually incorporating the icing sugar until you get a thick and smooth icing.
8. Once ready, brush the surface of the biscuits with the icing and sprinkle them with granulated sugar or colored sprinkles.
9. Let the icing dry before serving the Biscotti di San Martino.

Interesting Facts

Tradition has it that for San Martino the first wine of the year should be opened and sweets like these biscuits should be enjoyed. Their dough, fragranced with Marsala and their glazing, make them particularly celebratory for this event. Over time, their preparation has become popular even outside the holiday, appreciated for their crispness and the unique taste that Marsala gives to the dough.