Christmas Around Italy travels to Puglia today. I'm welcoming my good friend from Lecce, Ylenia, of YL Tours Congressi. I had the pleasure of meeting her this March and met up with her again this fall on my culinary journeys (and more) in Puglia. Her company provides tours in Puglia for the food lover, along with educational, cultural, yoga, and biking tours in her native region, Puglia. Today she's sharing six Christmas sweets you'll find on the table in Salento during the holidays and some beautiful photos of Lecce dressed up for Christmas. Enjoy!
Purceddhruzzi are one of the traditional desserts of Salento. They are small balls of sweet dough fried and crispy. They are then tossed in honey and garnished with pine nuts or almonds or tang colored. (Similar to struffoli in Naples)
Carteddhrate, another variation on fried dough. This a yeast dough is made by mixing flour, the liqueur Strega, orange juice, oil flavored with orange peel. You work the dough for a long time so that it is elastic. It's then rolled out into a thin sheet and cut into strips with a special pastry wheel. Strips obtained with different shapes can be created: twisting each strip can be in on itself, giving the shape of a rose, or cut pieces of 2 × 8 cm and huddle in the middle forming the butterfly. The fried carteddhrate go into a saucepan of warmed honey & water and soak up the honey. At the end of the preparation, they are decorated with pine nuts, cinnamon and sprinkle with colored candies.
Scagliozzi (also known as mostaccioli) biscuits are slightly crunchy outside but soft inside. They are typical of the city of Nardo, diamond-shaped with toasted almonds and various spices including cinnamon. They can be covered with chocolate or white icing sugar.
Cupeta is another delicacy one should taste. It is a nougat with almonds, which comes in the form of long sticks made with caramelized sugar and toasted almonds. It is similar to almond brittle but thicker.
Chinuliddhre are in the form of little calzone, and filled with jam. he most widely used jams for the filling are pear, quince and Negroamaro grape.
Pittule, little doughnuts from Salento, are very famous and sought after by tourists during the Christmas season. Often they are topped with a dusting of sugar or honey, and also eaten for breakfast.
Christmas lights in Piazza del Duomo in Lecce
Join me in 2012 on a Food & Wine Lover's Journey in Puglia!
*All photos are courtesy of Ylenia and YL Tours Congressi
Related Posts:
Christmas Around Italy: 10 Addresses for Christmas Sweets in Rome
Christmas Around Italy: Traditional Christmas Dinner in Venice
Christmas Around Italy: Christmas Traditions in Naples
Christmas in France: Aix-en-Provence Christmas Market
The Pastries of Lecce with Pastry Chef Luca Capilungo
Traditional Salentine Dishes at Locanda Rivoli in Lecce
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My mother made the poor man's Purceddbruzzi whenever she made Italian bread. She made sure that she put aside some of the dough. She would then make little balls and fry them in olive oil. Pour a little honey over them and dust them with powdered sugar and we would have a heavenly dessert. Ah, memories!
Posted by: Jozee | December 28, 2011 at 11:43 AM
My nonna used to save strips of pasta and fry them them dust them with sugar and cinnamon.
Posted by: Paula | January 01, 2012 at 09:03 PM
Nice Post
Posted by: Dora | February 12, 2012 at 07:41 PM