Click on the image, above to submit to Pinterest.
Cenci all Fiorentina (Italian Bow-tie Biscuits)
Cenci all Fiorentina (Italian Bow-tie Biscuits) is a traditional Italian recipe for a classic snack or biscuit of a sweet pasta dough that's tied into a knot and fried before serving and which is served over Christmas or on Shrove Tuesday and which also makes an excellent Valentine's day treat. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Italian version of: Italian Bow-tie Biscuits (Cenci all Fiorentina).
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
15 minutes
Total Time:
35 minutes
Additional Time:
(+30 minutes chilling)
Makes:
16
Rating: 
Tags : Vegetarian RecipesItaly Recipes
These classic Florentine biscuits (cookies) are typically served at
Christmas time, though in a slightly different form they are also served for Shrove Tuesday. Though they are called 'biscuits' these are really deep fried egg pasta dough ribbons. For Christmas, the knot is typically made in the middle, but for Shrove Tuesday the knot tends to be made near one of the ends.
The Christmas version is also sometimes known as 'love knots' and make a wonderful snack for Valentine's day.
Ingredients:
300g plain flour
2 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp white or dark rum
1 tbsp icing sugar
1/8 tsp sea salt
vegetable oil for deep frying
pasta machine
icing sugar, for dusting
Method:
Place 250g of the flour into a bowl. Form a well in the centre and add the eggs, egg yolks, rum, icing sugar and salt. Mix the liquid ingredients with a fork to combine then use your hands to gradually work the flour into the wet ingredients until all the flour has been incorporated.
Continue mixing until the dough comes together as a ball. Use the remaining flour to dust your work surface. Turn the ball of dough onto this and knead the dough, working in the remaining flour as you go. You will need to knead quite hard for at least 10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Shape the dough into a bowl, cover with a damp cloth and set aside to rest for 30 minutes. After this resting period, divide the dough into four equal pieces. Take the first piece and use your pasta machine to roll out 3mm thick. Now cut the dough into 8cm wide strips and taking each strip in turn pass through the pasta machine at the number 3 setting. Now reduce the setting to 2 and pass the pasta through once again so that you end-up with paper-thin strips of sweet pasta dough.
Cut the thin sheets of pasta dough in to strips that are about 15cm long and 1cm wide. Now carefully bring the two ends together and tie into a loose knot (for the Christmas version, put the knot in the end, for the Shrove Tuesday version, place the knot near one of the ends).
Heat the oil in a deep fryer to 180°C. When the oil has reached temperature carefully begin to lower the pasta into the hot oil using a spoon (do not over-crowd). Cook for between 1 and 2 minutes, or until the pasta shapes are golden brown. Make certain that you flip them over a few times during cooking to ensure that they are done evenly. Do not over-cook, or they will be greasy.
Once the batch is ready, remove with a spider or slotted spoon and set aside to drain on kitchen paper. Dust with a little icing sugar then fry the next batch.
To serve, add a layer on a large serving plate, dust with icing sugar then add another layer and so on.
Find more classic Pancake/Shrove Tuesday recipes here and more Christmas Recipes Here and more Valentine's day Recipes Here.
%20Recipe)