The Christmas season in Puglia, like every year, is magical, and if we then add the traditional sweets that grace the tables of the Apulians, it becomes a fairytale.
Today we will discover a traditional dessert that cannot be missed at the end of meals on Christmas day: the Cartellate . This centuries-old dessert is loved by everyone, both children and adults go crazy for it. Preparing it requires skill and precision, but when everyone says "how delicious!" all the effort will be worth it. In every family, grandmothers, aunts, and nieces put themselves to the test by baking these delicacies, because just as Christmas demands, this dessert brings families together in joy and peace.
The term cartellate derives from the cake's distinctive shape; it means "curved," and in dialect it's called "carteddate." This sweet treat appears to have originated near Bari, as they've been depicted in Greek frescoes, where they were apparently made to be donated to the gods as a sign of goodwill. The rose-nest shape also makes for a beautiful presentation; everyone is enraptured.
Ingredients and preparation
The ingredients for making cartellate are: 00 flour, semolina flour, olive oil, water, white wine, sugar, salt, and seed oil for frying. For decoration, you can use cooked wine, honey, and colored sprinkles. To roll out the dough, you'll need a special machine, a scalloped pastry wheel, and cooked wine to fry everything in a pan. The peculiarity of cartellate lies in their dimensions: each strip must be about 30 cm long and 5 cm wide, and must be pinched every 4 cm. The shapes must rest for about a night, covered with cotton cloths, and the next day they can be fried, but only in boiling oil.
In Bari Vecchia, every year the local women offer their free lessons to tourists, teaching them how to make them once they return to their hometown. Alternatively, a cooking class could be organized for up to eight people to learn about cartellate as well as other traditional sweets.
For any information, write to the email address www.pugliaetmores.it or call 080 4676776.
Source: Nonno Michele Editorial Staff