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Cuddura cu l'ova
Easter bread with baked eggs
Cuddura cu l'ova: Sicilian Easter bread baskets with whole eggs baked in
In Sicily, children are given a cuddura cu l'ova at Easter: a sweet, biscuit-like bread shaped into a ring, a basket, a dove or a heart, with one or more whole eggs in their shells held in place by crossed strips of dough. They are baked on Holy Saturday and eaten on Easter Monday, Pasquetta, at picnics in the countryside. The eggs are hard-cooked in the oven, and sprinkles make them festive. Chef's tip: use eggs at room temperature and wash them gently; cold eggs crack in the oven.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flour
- 4 oz caster sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 ½ oz butter or lardsoft
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup milkabout
- 1 lemonzest only
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 8 eggs in their shellswashed, at room temperature
- 1 eggbeaten
- 2 tbsp coloured sprinkles
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour, 4 oz caster sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 1 lemon. Rub in 3 ½ oz butter or lard, then add 2 eggs, 1 tsp vanilla extract and enough ½ cup milk to make a soft, smooth dough like shortcrust. Wrap and rest for 30 minutes.
10 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays.
Step 3: Take a piece of dough the size of an orange, roll into a rope about 30 cm long and form a ring, or shape a basket, heart or dove about 1 cm thick. Keep a little dough for the strips.
20 minStep 4: Press one of 8 eggs in their shells into the middle of each shape and fix it with two thin strips of dough crossed over the top.
Step 5: Brush with 1 egg and scatter with 2 tbsp coloured sprinkles.
Step 6: Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden. The eggs cook hard in the oven. A common mistake is rolling the dough too thick, so it stays raw around the egg. Keep the eggs in the fridge if not eaten within a day.
25 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 52 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cuddura cu l'ova take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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Perfect for:Easter