Buccellati (pronounced bu-chel-la-ti) are sweets made with dried figs, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, lemon, cinnamon, vanilla and honey. These ingredients taste of the land where this ancient dessert was created. In late December, you may see pandoro and panettone on Sicilian tables, but the delicious buccellati are the most popular desserts for this time of year.
A beloved treat to nibble at Christmastime
In Sicily, you’ll never see one buccellato identical to another, except for those produced for sale in bakeries. Why not? Because every Sicilian family has its own recipe, which has been handed down for generations. The ingredients vary slightly from one province to the next, and each version gets its own special touch. The only thing you can be sure of is that it isn’t Christmas without buccellati on the table. The lovely flavors of these sweet treats contain the history of the land. A major theme is, of course, Sicilian figs dried in the summer sun, but almonds are another classic local product. The name is from the Latin word buccellatum, which means nibbled. The oldest tradition is making a large buccellato in the shape of a ring cake, but many people make smaller ones instead. Even today, women from different families often get together to make these desserts. When they’re done, they give them to friends as Christmas gifts.
Buccellati traditional recipe
Why not serve your guests this Sicilian classic? Even if it isn’t your specific heritage, making something a little different will surprise and impress everyone. Here’s a traditional recipe from western Sicily that you can adapt as you like, especially when it comes to the filling.
Ingredients:
3 ½ cups flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup lard
1 teaspoon baker’s ammonia (or baking powder)
2 ⅓ cups dried figs
½ cup almonds
½ cup walnuts
½ cup hazelnuts
1 ¾ ounces dark chocolate
1 vanilla bean
1 lemon
1 orange
1 cinnamon stick, ground into powder (about ½ teaspoon)
Method:
For the filling
In a mixing bowl, let the dried figs soften with 2 or 3 tablespoons of water for 1 day. The next day, add the Marsala wine, if desired, and grind them finely, then cover them with plastic wrap and set aside. Coarsely chop the almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts. Add the lemon and orange zest and the powdered cinnamon. Add these ingredients to a pot with the figs and mix with 3 tablespoons honey. Cook for a few minutes, adding a little water if needed to get a smooth mixture. Allow the mixture to cool. When cooled completely, add the chopped chocolate.
For the dough
In a large bowl, mix the flour with the sugar, lard, 3 tablespoons honey, the vanilla seeds, the baker’s ammonia and just enough water to get a uniform mixture. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest, refrigerated, for about 30 minutes. Roll out the dough into a sheet (not too thin) and cut out circles about 3 inches across. In the center of each circle of dough, place 1 tablespoon of the filling. Fold the circle in half and seal the edges together, and use a skewer or knife to cut three holes in the top crust so the filling can be seen. Put the pastries on a baking tray and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 30-40 minutes. Depending on the family’s recipe, the decoration could be a glaze or a simple mixture of powdered sugar and ground cinnamon. These should keep for at least one month if kept in a cool, dry place.