Roccocò
Hard almond spice rings
Roccocò: Naples's hard almond Christmas rings with pisto spice
Roccocò are the hardest biscuits on the Neapolitan Christmas tray, ring-shaped and studded with whole almonds, scented with orange and pisto spice. The name is said to come from the curly French "rocaille" shape. They are baked in early December, and Neapolitans dunk them in sweet wine or milk, or break them carefully, because they are famously hard on teeth. Chef's tip: bake them twice as long as you think and leave them to dry overnight; roccocò are meant to be crunchy, and they soften pleasantly after a week in the tin.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 20
Ingredients
- 10 ½ oz plain flour
- 9 oz caster sugar
- 7 oz whole almondstoasted
- 1 orangezest
- 1 ¾ oz candied orange peelfinely chopped
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp baking powderor baker's ammonia
- ½ cup water
- 1 eggbeaten, for brushing
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) and line two trays.
Step 2: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 9 oz caster sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves and ¼ tsp nutmeg. Add 7 oz whole almonds, the zest of 1 orange and 1 ¾ oz candied orange peel, then ½ cup water and knead into a firm, slightly sticky dough.
Step 3: Divide into 20 pieces. Roll each into a rope 15 cm long and join the ends into a ring, flattening it slightly.
Step 4: Brush with 1 egg and bake for 20–25 minutes, until deep golden and hard to the touch. Common mistake: underbaking; they should be firm and golden, not pale.
25 minStep 5: Cool on a rack and leave uncovered overnight to dry. Store in a tin for up to a month. Not suitable for young children, as they are very hard and contain whole nuts.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 160 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does roccocò take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 20 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- 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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