Scarcelle

Scarcella is a typical cake made in Puglia, Italy, traditionally, during Easter.This delicious dessert, especially popular with children, perhaps because it can take many forms: sheep, doves, baskets, little dolls, hearts, etc. depending on what your creativity suggests.

Ingredients:
For the dough:

500 g flour200 g sugar
100 g butter
2 eggszest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon baking powder
Milk

For Decorations:

chocolate eggs
colorful edible sprinkles
whatever you prefer!

Procedure:

On a pastry board, pour in the flour and add the 2 eggs
Add the softened butter, sugar and vanilla
Mix with the help of just a small amount of warm milk just enough to obtain a soft elastic dough.
Roll out the dough with a rolling pin
Cut out in the shapes you prefer
Bake the scarcelle for 10 minutes at 180° degrees Celsius.
Take out of the oven and let them cool down.

Meanwhile:

Prepare the frosting:
Place the sugar in a saucepan and cover with water
Put on high heat and stir until the sugar has melted
Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
Whip the egg whites to stiff peaks and fold it into the sugar syrup, stirring constantly.
Pour the icing on scarcelle and sprinkle with the decoration (such as chocolate shavings, little chocolate eggs or sugar sprinkles.)

Thanks to Nonna Maria Galeone Buzzacchino for this recipe

Orecchiette (Traditional Puglia Pasta)

Ingredients for 4 people:

500g of durum wheat flour
Lukewarm water (as much as needed)

Procedure:

Add water to flour
Mix until having a stiff dough
Once you've got a workable dough, cut it in pieces
Roll them into a tube
Cut the tube into smaller pieces
Place the side of a knife at the top of one of the slices and quickly pull the knife across the slice.
Letting it wrap up over the knife creating an ear shape

Thanks to Nonna Maria Galeone Buzzacchino for this recipe