A soft spongy biscuits, rich in chocolate with a persistent scent of cloves, cinnamon and orange. All the smells that can bring to your mind that Christmas is near are closed in these delicious cookies.
Here we are, Halloween is arrived and the girls are super excited.
Alice will wear a black dress decorated with skeleton, Aurora, more essential, a will wear just red contact lenses… she is more focused on here first pygiama party.
I’m always suprised to see this new generations adopted so easily a “foreign” feast, so far from us. I’m happy to decorate my home with a littl touch of orange and carve a pumpkin but I would like to remember to my daughters what happen here, in Italy, during these two days.
Two religious feast fall after Halloween. November 1st is All Saints, the day to honorate all saints and martyres of the Catholic Church. On November 2nd we remember all family and loved ones who passed away.
In Sicily, the night between november 1st and 2nd, our loved ones passed away comes back bringing candies and toys to the children.
On November 2nd, the early morning, kids walk through the house looking for their presents like in other parts of the world kids use to do on Christmas morning… but in this case our Santa Claus may be a grandfather that passed away.
I know, It may seems a strange way to honor a such sad day, but I think it’s a delicate and emotional occasion to talk about an important theme like the death.
Like for many other feasts and events in Sicily, this is a good occasions to meet relatives and friends, sharing together time and good food as well.
The rame di Napoli are just on of the sweet things that you can find on a sicilian table during these days. Don’t be confused by the name, nothing to see with the city of Naples, this is a Sicilian recipe, specific from Catania, my city.
It’s a soft spongy biscuits, rich in chocolate with a persistent scent of cloves, cinnamon and orange. All the smells that can bring to your mind that Christmas is near are closed in these delicious cookies.
This recipe came from an Italian blog, Sogni di Zucchero. I made just some modifications, using baking powder and butter instead of lard.
Rame di Napoli
For the cookies: 100 g. cookies – full fat milk – 500 g. all purpose flour – 200 g. sugar – 100 gr. cocoa powder – one teaspoon baking powder – half teaspoon grounded cinnamon – a quarter of teaspoon grounded cloves – 125 g. melted butter – 2 eggs, beaten – one tablespoon honey – one tablespoon orange marmelade
For the icing: 100 g. dark chocolate – 50 g. unsalted butter – 50 g. white chocolate
Break the cookies in chunks add put them in a bowl and cover them with milk.
In a big bowl put all the dried ingredients whisking until combined, then add the wet ingrediens, cookies and milk included, and combine until you will obtain a soft batter. Add some milk, if necessary.
Let it rest for one hour at room temperature.
Heat the oven at 150° and lined a baking tray with parchement paper.
Put a big spoon of batter, trying to give it an oval shape, leaving some space between each other.
Cook for 15 minutes. Let them cool.
During this time prepare the icing.
Chop finely the dark chocolate and melt it gently in a double boiling pan together with the butter. Set aside.
Chop the white chocolate and melt in the same way, without butter.
Cover the cookies with dark icing and let them cool.
Decorate with the white chocolate making a traditional “S” using a sac a poche
Rame di Napoli and some notes about Halloween
